title: Former ExThera Medical Corporation Executive Admits to Concealing Patient Deaths from FDA and Company Enters Deferred Prosecution Agreement

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A former California executive was charged today and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with failing to file adverse event reports with the intent to defraud and mislead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in connection with a blood filtration device used on cancer patients who traveled to Antigua for treatment. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the court. Separately, ExThera Medical Corporation (ExThera) has entered into a three-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the Department of Justice in connection with a criminal information filed in the District of Massachusetts charging it with failure to file adverse event reports with the intent to defraud or mislead the FDA. According to court documents, Sanja Ilic, 58, of Carlsbad, California, was the Chief Regulatory Officer of ExThera, a Northern California-based medical technology company. ExThera manufactured a blood filtration device that removed pathogens from a patient’s bloodstream. In or around 2024, Ilic concealed reportable adverse events from the FDA with the intent to defraud and mislead, including the deaths of two patients treated with the blood filtration device at a clinic in Antigua. Before starting the treatments at the Antigua clinic, Ilic notified some of ExThera’s leadership and regulatory staff of potential adverse events, including “life-threatening” complications, that patients could experience from using the device. Some patients at the clinic in Antigua and their treating physicians reported that they believed those patients had subsequently experienced some of these medical events after being treated with the device. In or around March and April 2024, Ilic learned of the declining health and deaths of at least two Antigua clinic patients, who died within days of each other. Ilic understood that disclosure of the adverse events could have triggered regulatory scrutiny from the FDA, caused clinical trial partners to withdraw their participation and jeopardized ExThera’s and Ilic’s future financial prospects. At the time the clinic began treating patients in Antigua, ExThera had just secured $10 million and the potential for millions more in future distribution agreements, and Ilic was overseeing ExThera’s first U.S. clinical study involving the use of the device to treat cancer. Ilic and ExThera potentially stood to lose financially if negative adverse event reports related to the Antigua clinic were filed with the FDA. Rather than comply with her legal obligation to report the events, Ilic suppressed this critical information to defraud and mislead the FDA. Following public reporting about the blood filtration device and after Ilic was terminated from ExThera, ExThera filed several adverse event reports with the FDA relating to use of the device to treat cancer outside the United States. As part of the DPA, ExThera admitted that, through Ilic, the company acted with intent to defraud and mislead the FDA. The DPA requires ExThera to, among other obligations, provide ongoing cooperation with and disclosures to the Department of Justice, implement a compliance and ethics program to prevent violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act’s adverse event reporting requirements and report to the Department of Justice regarding remediation and implementation of these compliance measures. As part of the DPA, ExThera also agreed to pay a criminal penalty of $750,000, which was adjusted based on ExThera’s ability to pay. ExThera has agreed to establish an escrow account and deposit $750,000 in the escrow account within 60 days. In the event ExThera is not able to pay amounts owed, if any, in civil litigation, related to the conduct described in the Statement of Facts, the escrow amount shall be used to pay amounts owed. ExThera has also agreed to consent to entry of a forfeiture order of $5,694,750. The government reached its resolution with ExThera based on several factors, including the nature and seriousness of the offense conduct, and that the company has minimal remaining operations. ExThera also did not voluntarily and timely self-disclose the conduct to the Department of Justice but did receive credit for clearly accepting responsibility for its criminal conduct, fully cooperating with the government’s investigation and timely implementing remedial measures. Ilic was charged with one count of failure to report adverse events with the intent to defraud or mislead the FDA. She faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison, supervised release for one year, a fine of the greatest of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or twice the gross loss pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 3571, forfeiture and restitution. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FDA, FBI, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and William Schurmann and Trial Attorneys John Howard and Sarah Rocha of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, and Sarah Hoefle for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case. Today’s announcement is the first resolution of a corporate defendant by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s New England Strike Force since it expanded to Massachusetts. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-expands-health-care-fraud-unit-target-health-care-fraud-massachusetts . The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Las Vegas Woman Sentenced to 10 Years for Threats Against Two Federal Judges and Probation Officer

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: LAS VEGAS – Latonia Smith of Las Vegas was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for threatening two federal judges and a probation officer, all of whom were involved in her previous federal conviction for death threats she made against lawyers in yet another case. The sentencing hearing took place in Dallas, Texas, where Smith is being detained. “Threatening the judiciary strikes at the heart of our justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These were not impulsive words typed in anger — they were calculated, researched, and designed to terrorize. Today’s sentence makes clear that targeting judges and their families will be met with serious consequences.” “Today’s sentencing sends a powerful message: the FBI stands firm against threats of violence and is unwavering in our commitment to protect every member of our community,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto of the Las Vegas field office. “Acts that endanger others — especially those safeguarding our democratic process — will not be tolerated. We are dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and investigate violent rhetoric, holding accountable anyone who seeks to harass, intimidate, or harm others.” Smith was originally convicted in 2021 of mailing threats to, among others, certain lawyers involved in a civil case. In the current case, after a six-day trial in June 2025, a jury found that Smith threatened U.S. District Judge Richard Franklin Boulware, who presided over Smith’s 2021 trial and sentenced her to 36 months in prison for that offense. The jury also found that Smith targeted U.S. District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey, who presided over the defendant’s supervised release, and Shawn Mummey, her probation officer. The trial took place in the federal courthouse in Las Vegas. The presiding judge was Senior District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman, from the District of Oregon, who was appointed to preside over the case by special designation of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. According to court documents, in the weeks and months leading up to today’s sentencing hearing, Smith demonstrated no remorse for her crimes. In June 2025, Smith told Deputy U.S. Marshals “I won’t be locked up forever; I will get out. When I get out, people are going to die.” In February 2026, Smith sent a letter to U.S. Probation to indicate that she “will not be censored” and that she “will continue to wage war” against government officials and that the “road to systemic change has always been paved with blood.” In pronouncing the sentence, Judge Mosman explained that “community safety” was a significant factor because Smith had “proven to be smart, strong, but dangerous.” When Smith was released from federal prison in the first case against her, she was sent to Washoe County jail to face allegations related to an October 31, 2019, armed home-invasion in Reno she allegedly committed against another lawyer involved in a prior case.. Smith was granted bail in early June 2022. Upon her return to Las Vegas, Smith immediately began searching Google for information about Judge Boulware along with his wife, Las Vegas City Councilwoman Nancy Brune, and their family. At the same time, she googled “judges should die.” Over the next several weeks, the defendant became increasingly frustrated with judges and anyone involved with her prior federal case. On June 23, 2022, the defendant emailed her probation officer and explained, “Some good advice: Life is short, society should be careful who they piss off.” Below the warning, the defendant sent a link to a YouTube video showing a six-minute compilation of cell phone videos from the October 1 mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Over the next few days, Smith sent a series of emails. Some threatened a mass casualty event: “LET THE SHOW BEGIN. NEVADA IS GOING TO LOVE THIS!!!!” Some were designed to let victims know their loved ones were in jeopardy: “LETS KEEP [YOUR KIDS] IN FOCUS”. Throughout many of the emails, the defendant made it clear that she had deeply researched the recipients of her threats, accurately identifying where they could be found, either during hobby activities, or in their actual homes. For example, to Judge Jennifer Dorsey the defendant wrote: “Tell Jennifer, Henderson is nice I see why she chose that area. Lots of shops nearby. Smart.” At trial, Judge Dorsey testified that the defendant’s identification of her personal residence was a significant factor in the decision to sell her home and move. The victims of Smith’s threats testified at trial they were frightened and believed Smith was capable of violently acting on her threats as she had allegedly done in the pending case regarding the armed home invasion targeting the lawyer in Reno. The investigation, which was led by the FBI, found that Smith, who has a biochemistry degree from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Googled phrases like “judges die,” “how to become a bomb maker,” “how to be a mass shooter,” “buying a gun,” and “ar 15 for sale.” She also watched the compilation of videos from the October 1 mass shooting 13 times over a three-week period. At the same time, the defendant repeatedly searched the names of her targets, some of their children, and some of their home addresses. The jury deliberated for less than a day before returning a guilty verdict on three counts of cyberstalking for the emails sent to Judges Dorsey and Boulware, along with her probation officer. The jury acquitted the defendant on the other two counts of cyberstalking. Smith’s prosecution was initiated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, out of their office in Reno. In March 2024, the Department of Justice recused the entire U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada and had the prosecution reassigned. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Haden and Francisco Nagel for the Southern District of California, both of whom were named Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Las Vegas after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada was recused. DEFENDANT Case Number 22CR051-MWM Latonia Dyshawna Smith Age: 32 Las Vegas, NV SUMMARY OF CHARGES Three Counts of Cyberstalking – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 2261A Maximum penalty: Five years in prison, as to each count of conviction INVESTIGATING AGENCY Federal Bureau of Investigation


title: Second Member of Dallas-Based Methamphetamine and Heroin Trafficking Cell Sentenced to Twenty Years In Federal Prison

component: USAO - Texas, Northern

body_text: A Dallas-area man was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for distributing narcotics, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Victor Manuel Gaona, 29, pled guilty in July 2024 to one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on Tuesday, March 5, 2026, to 240 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Ada E. Brown. According to court documents and statements made at sentencing, Gaona admitted that on or about June 18, 2024, federal agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at a residence on Ben Hur Street, Dallas, Texas, which agents had previously linked to drug-trafficking activity associated with Gaona and co-defendants Omar Castro-Sandoval and Epifanio Flores Magana. During the search, agents located a clandestine methamphetamine recrystallization laboratory in the residence’s back room along with two minor children residing at the 952-square foot location. The clandestine laboratory contained liquid, intermediate-stage, and finished methamphetamine along with a propane tank, large burner, sieves, gloves, and large Ziploc baggies. Additional finished methamphetamine was also found in a bedroom shared by Gaona and Flores Magana. Heroin, which was bagged for distribution, was located in a utility closet underneath children’s luggage. Court records reflect that Gaona was ultimately held responsible for nearly 100,000 kilograms of narcotics calculated in converted drug weight. Co-defendant Castro-Sandoval, who was present at the time of the execution, was sentenced by Judge Brown to 168 months imprisonment on January 20, 2026. Co-defendant Flores Magana’s sentencing is scheduled for April 14, 2026. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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 Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.


title: Russian Citizen Charged with Laundering Over $1.2M Connected to $400M in Fraudulent Medicare Claims

body_text: A Russian national made his initial appearance in Houston, Texas, today on a charge that he laundered over $1.2 million derived from a health care fraud scheme that targeted Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs) that administer Medicare Part C. According to court documents, Nikolai Buzolin, 38, formerly of Houston, Texas, and originally of Tyumen, Russia, established Verisola, Inc. in Houston and registered it as a durable medical equipment (DME) company in July 2025. Over the course of just nine days from July through August 2025, Buzolin allegedly opened six different bank accounts in the name of Verisola at six different financial institutions. He opened an additional two bank accounts at two other financial institutions in September and October 2025. To disguise the true ownership and control of Verisola, Buzolin allegedly submitted false documentation to these financial institutions listing himself as the sole owner, member or president, when in fact he did not have beneficial ownership or control of Verisola. From August 2025 through January 2026, Verisola allegedly submitted over $400 million in false and fraudulent claims to MAOs for DME, including orthotic braces and glucose monitors that were never actually provided to patients. Based on these fraudulent claims, the MAOs collectively reimbursed Verisola at least $1.7 million, which was deposited into the various Verisola bank accounts that Buzolin opened. Buzolin then allegedly moved these fraud proceeds between bank accounts for no legitimate business purpose. Buzolin and his co-conspirators wired at least $1.2 million of fraud proceeds to overseas entities and bank accounts. According to the indictment, after Verisola wound down its fraudulent billing scheme, Buzolin traveled from Houston, Texas, to Los Angeles, California, where he purchased a same-day airline ticket for a one-way flight to Moscow, Russia. The FBI arrested Buzolin before he boarded the flight, and he remains detained pending trial. Buzolin is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering by concealing and disguising the true nature, location, source and ownership of the fraud proceeds and by engaging in financial transactions greater than $10,000 knowing that they involved the proceeds of unlawful activity. If convicted, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Acting Special Agent in Charge Jason M. Hudson of the FBI’s Houston Field Office; Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit; and Commissioner Amanda Crawford of the Texas Department of Insurance made the announcement. HHS-OIG, FBI, the Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Texas Department of Insurance are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Andrew Tamayo and Emily Reeder-Ricchetti of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Indian National Sentenced for Conspiring to Sell Counterfeit Cancer Drug

body_text: Indian national Sanjay Kumar, 45, was sentenced today to 43 months in prison and one year of supervised release for conspiring to sell tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals into the United States. Kumar pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. According to court documents, between approximately August 2018 and June 2024, Sanjay Kumar, with the aid of co-conspirators, arranged for the sale of counterfeit versions of the prescription drug, Keytruda, used to treat cancer to undercover law enforcement agents. Keytruda is a cancer immunotherapy treatment that is approved in the United States for a variety of different conditions, including certain types of melanomas, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, Hodgkin lymphoma, gastric cancer, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC has the exclusive right to authorize the manufacture of Keytruda for introduction into interstate commerce. Kumar and his co-conspirators sold fake Keytruda that bore counterfeit marks. The medication that Kumar pled guilty to trafficking was chemically inconsistent with real Keytruda, and did not contain the active ingredient necessary for the drug to serve its medical purpose, thereby making it wholly ineffective. Kumar and his co-conspirators received approximately $89,268 for their sales of purported Keytruda with counterfeit marks to undercover investigators. Before his arrest in Houston, Kumar attempted to arrange for additional sales and shipments of Keytruda into the United States when meeting in-person with undercover law enforcement agents. Kumar made it clear in this meeting that he understood the risks posed by counterfeit pharmaceuticals, explaining that counterfeit Keytruda would not work to treat cancer and was “just like water.” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Houston acting Special Agent in Charge Erin Burke, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Lamb of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office made the announcement. HSI investigated the case with assistance provided by the FDA. Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor and Bryce Rosenbower of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman for the Southern District of Texas prosecuted the case. CCIPS Trial Attorney Jeff Pearlman also provided valuable assistance. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.


title: Repeat Offender Guilty of Armed Drug Trafficking in Columbus

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – A Georgia man with a violent criminal past whose supervised release was revoked for a prior federal conviction for assaulting a law enforcement officer was found guilty by a federal jury of possessing fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin while illegally possessing seven firearms and ammunition. Nimesh Vijay Desai, was found guilty of one count of possession of methamphetamine, one count of possession of fentanyl, one count of possession of heroin, one count of possession of a firearm and one count of possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon on March 4, following a three-day trial that began on March 2, before U.S. District Clay Land. The defendant faces a maximum of 15 years in prison. A sentencing date will be scheduled by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Violent offenders will face justice at the federal level in the Middle District of Georgia, where there is no parole,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Working alongside law enforcement, we will use every available resource to track down and hold accountable repeat criminals with firearms, fentanyl and other deadly illegal drugs.” “This defendant callously picked up right where he left off from prior convictions,” said FBI Georgia Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis. “The FBI will continue to investigate anyone who repeatedly violates the law by illegally arming themselves and committing crimes that continue to harm the community.” According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, law enforcement executed two searches on Feb. 28, 2024, at a Columbus apartment and a storage unit leased to Desai, resulting from an ongoing investigation into armed drug trafficking in the community. During the searches, agents seized 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine and 800 grams of fentanyl and heroin, along with scales and grinders often used in the distribution of illegal drugs, and $12,800. Law enforcement also recovered seven firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition, including magazines, all belonging to Desai. At the time of the searches, Desai was on federal supervised release for his 2012 convictions in the Middle District for distributing methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and assaulting federal agents with a deadly weapon. Desai is currently serving 60 months in federal prison because of a revocation of his supervised release for these prior convictions. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. Criminal Chief Leah McEwen is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Bryan resident sentenced to 14 years for sadistic exploitation of children

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 27-year-old area man has been ordered to federal prison after coercing and enticing minors and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Reuben Waller Boyer pleaded guilty Sept. 23, 2025. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now sentenced Boyer to 14 years for the coercion and enticement of minors and 10 years for possession of child pornography convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 168-month term of imprisonment. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the danger the Boyer presents to the community. Boyer was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to an identified victim and will serve five years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Boyer will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. On Feb. 19, 2021, law enforcement discovered an online user, later identified as Boyer, sharing files containing child sexual abuse material in a public KIK chat room. The investigation led to the discovery of a MEGA link containing approximately 70 videos of CSAM. Authorities subsequently discovered communications between Boyer and a 14-year-old minor which detailed the live child pornography Boyer had the child create for Boyer’s sexual gratification. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Boyers’ residence and seized his electronic devices. Forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of over 1,000 images and videos of CSAM depicting the sadistic sexual abuse of pre-pubescent minors. Boyer will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the future. FBI - Bryan Resident Agency conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Illegal Alien Charged with Fraudulently Voting in 2024 Federal Election

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mahady Sacko, 50, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with fraudulent voting in the 2024 federal election by an illegal alien. Sacko is an illegal alien who was ordered deported in 2000. Despite being an illegal alien, Sacko allegedly unlawfully voted in person in the 2024 general election for federal office. Sacko falsely represented that he was a U.S. citizen in order to vote and register to vote. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of five years in prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. The charges and allegations contained in the criminal complaint are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


title: Indian national sentenced for conspiring to sell counterfeit cancer drug

body_text: HOUSTON – A 45-year-old foreign national has been ordered to federal prison for his role in selling tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of counterfeit oncology pharmaceuticals into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Sanjay Kumar pleaded guilty Oct. 30, 2025, to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Kumar to serve 43 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a one-year term of supervised release. In imposing the sentence, the court noted the cruel nature of Kumar’s conduct, commenting that he had intentionally marketed a drug that was intended for people who thought they were extending their lives, and instead, they received “junk.” Judge Rosenthal further ordered him to pay a $58,823 money judgment. “When a patient takes a drug to treat a medical condition, they expect it to be legitimate, effective, and safe. When victims are instead sold worthless counterfeit medicine, it undermines not only their own health outcomes, but also public confidence in the American medical system as a whole,” said Ganjei. “The conduct in this case was particularly depraved because Kumar was selling false hope to those battling cancer, knowing full well his fugazi drugs would do nothing to help against this life-threatening disease. The Southern District of Texas will find and punish any person who, like Sanjay Kumar, attempts to make a quick buck by endangering patients’ lives.” From August 2018 to June 2024, Kumar and others arranged the sale of counterfeit versions of the cancer drug Keytruda valued at tens of thousands of dollars. Keytruda is an FDA-approved immunotherapy used to treat melanoma and Hodgkin lymphoma as well as lung, head, neck, gastric, cervical and breast cancers. Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, formerly Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., holds the exclusive right to authorize the manufacture and distribution of genuine Keytruda. The counterfeit medication was chemically inconsistent with real Keytruda and did not contain the active ingredient necessary for the drug to serve its medical purpose, thereby making it wholly ineffective. The packaging was also counterfeit and closely resembled trademarks registered to Merck. During an undercover operation, Kumar attempted to sell additional quantities of counterfeit Keytruda. He admitted he knew the drugs would not work to treat cancer and described them as “just like water.” Kumar and others received approximately $89,268 for the sales of the fake drug. Kumar has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. ICE-HSI conducted the investigation with assistance from FDA. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorneys Ethan Cantor, Bryce Rosenbower and Jeff Pearlman of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section.


title: Mexican national heads to federal prison for transporting child sexual abuse material across state lines to Mexico

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 40-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for the transportation of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Raul Velasco-Leon pleaded guilty June 16, 2025. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now sentenced Velasco-Leon to 115 months. He must also serve five years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Velasco-Leon will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. On March 12, 2025, Velasco-Leon attempted to cross the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in Laredo to enter Mexico. After Velasco-Leon was referred to secondary inspection, agents found what appeared to be a piece of youth-sized clothing with the words “Girl Power” tucked inside a jean pocket. Law enforcement also discovered multiple electronic devices, including 10 USB flash drives, two cell phones, and a laptop. On one of the devices, agents discovered six files containing child sexual abuse material of minor victims of approximately 10 years of age. One of the videos containing CSAM also included Velasco-Leon on a split screen. Velasco-Leon admitted he had been engaged in a video chat and would screen record the CSAM he viewed. A forensic analysis of the other devices uncovered an additional twenty-three images and twenty-one videos containing CSAM. Velasco-Leon has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty in Threatening Red Mass Attendees at St. Matthews Cathedral

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Louis Geri, 41, of Vineland, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with threatening to detonate more than 100 homemade explosive devices on the steps of St. Matthew's Cathedral during the annual Red Mass attended by U.S. Supreme Court Justices and other senior government officials, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Geri pleaded guilty before Judge Randolph M. Moss to a count of Hobbs Act extortion by wrongful use of force, violence, or fear, and to a count of possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). Judge Moss scheduled sentencing for July 27, 2026. Geri's final plea will be accepted at sentencing. “Threatening to detonate devices on the steps of a Catholic church—or any religious institution—is a violation not only of our way of life, but of the First Amendment right to the free exercise of religion,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Terrorizing people of faith will result in serious consequences and significant prison time.” According to the plea agreement, on the evening of Oct. 4, 2025, Geri rode his motorcycle to St. Matthew's Cathedral, on the 1700 block of Rhode Island Ave. NW, and erected a tent on the church's front steps. Inside the tent, he assembled more than 100 explosive devices he had manufactured from materials — including nitromethane, magnesium, charcoal, and thermite — purchased in Arkansas and assembled in Virginia. He also carried a nine-page list of written demands. The Red Mass, a high-profile annual religious ceremony attended by members of the Supreme Court, Cabinet, Congress, and the diplomatic corps, was scheduled at the cathedral for the following morning. About 5 a.m. on October 5, 2025, Metropolitan Police Department officers approached Geri's tent while patrolling the area before the service. When officers told him he would need to move, Geri refused and threatened to throw one of his explosive devices into the street to demonstrate its destructive power. He told officers that "several of your people are gonna die from one of these" if federal agents did not come to negotiate his demands. Geri's written demands included hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to himself and others, extended accommodations at the Mayflower Hotel, an expatriation flight to Japan, and requests that the Supreme Court remove Arizona from the United States and declare it a “foreign enemy.” He also made numerous demands directed at leaders of the Catholic and Jewish faiths. Law enforcement established a barricade around the tent and apprehended Geri about 5:53 a.m. when he briefly emerged. Officers found one explosive device in his pocket along with a butane lighter. A search of the tent revealed more than 100 additional devices. Testing by an FBI laboratory confirmed the devices were improvised explosive devices in operable condition. Following his arrest, Geri waived his Miranda rights and described the devices as “grenades” and “rockets.” He admitted that he intended to use the threat of force to coerce negotiations and that he was willing to use the devices to harm people and property — including St. Matthew's Cathedral, the White House, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol, and the Supreme Court. The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division, with valuable assistance from the FBI's Washington Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia. 26cr32


title: Duo pleads guilty to stealing mail from local residents

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Two San Antonio residents have admitted to an identity theft scheme involving stolen mail, postal keys, and locks throughout the Corpus Christi area, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. From August 2025 through December 2025, Summer Muniz and Eusebio Valdez conspired to steal mail from hundreds of residents in Corpus Christi. Additionally, Muniz stole a postal lock, and Valdez used counterfeit postal keys to access apartment building mailboxes. Muniz used information gained from the stolen mail to steal at least $2,500 from a victim’s bank account. Sentencing has been set before U.S. District Judge David Morales June 3. At that time, Valdez faces up to 10 years for possessing the postal keys. Muniz faces a mandatory two years of imprisonment for the identity theft conviction and will pay restitution for damages to the apartment mailboxes, and for the amount the victims lost. Valdez and Muniz have been and will remain in custody pending their sentencing hearings. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service conducted the investigation with assistance of San Antonio Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.


title: Arizona Drug Trafficker Who Fled State Charges Sentenced To Ten Years In Federal Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jose Ramon Lopez, 30, of Yuma, Arizona, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. On August 4, 2025, Lopez pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, on May 2, 2021, a trooper conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in Sequoyah County discovered Lopez in possession over 5,000 counterfeit OxyContin pills containing a combined net weight of 562 grams of fentanyl. Law enforcement arrested Lopez and charged him in Sequoyah County District Court, but Lopez posted bond and fled to Mexico. The United States indicted Lopez in February 2022. On December 30, 2024, U.S. Marshals apprehended Lopez coming through the port of entry into Arizona and returned him to Oklahoma to face federal drug trafficking charges. “This sentence is a warning to those who threaten the safety and peace of our streets by trafficking in illicit drugs,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “The Department of Justice is proud to stand side by side with state, local, and Tribal law enforcement to defend our communities.” “Drug dealers manufacture and traffic counterfeit pills which look like alprazolam, hydrocodone, or oxycodone but can contain lethal doses of fentanyl. Mr. Lopez was one of those dealers,” said Joseph B. Tucker, DEA Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Division. “This sentence reflects our continued resolve to partner with our law-enforcement counterparts to fight greed, violence, and substance abuse in Eastern Oklahoma communities.” “The Oklahoma Highway Patrol is proud of the work our troopers conducted in this case. It underscores our commitment to our most important mission, keeping Oklahomans safe,” said OHP Chief, Colonel Joe Williams. “Fentanyl is an extremely dangerous drug and even a small amount can be deadly. Like all states, we have seen the tragedy that results from this deadly drug. Justice has finally caught up with Jose Ramon Lopez, and this case highlights the importance of strong cooperation with our federal partners in disrupting drug trafficking and protecting our communities. We appreciate the diligent work of the prosecution and thank the court for its careful handling of this case. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol remains committed to continued collaboration with our federal partners to keep Oklahoma safe.” This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Lopez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States at sentencing.


title: Hawaii Couple Convicted at Trial in Tax Refund Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: A federal jury in Honolulu convicted a Hawaii couple for their roles in a nationwide tax fraud scheme that involved deceiving the IRS into issuing a nearly $200,000 tax refund and then using shell bank accounts and frivolous legal filings to prevent the government from getting it back. “The defendants made a deliberate choice to participate in a criminal conspiracy — they paid for false documents, fraudulently claimed an enormous tax refund and then spent years obstructing the IRS’s efforts to get it back,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Schemes like this are not victimless — every dollar fraudulently paid out by the IRS is a dollar stolen from the U.S. Treasury and from the hardworking Americans who fund it. The Criminal Division will deliver accountability for the American taxpayer by continuing to aggressively prosecute those who seek to defraud the IRS.” “Co-conspirators moved the proceeds of this scheme through business entities, hid it in trusts and invested it across the country. But, every time money moves, there’s a receipt,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Seattle Field Office. “Our agents work to expose tax fraud so that public funds can continue to benefit the public.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from approximately February 2015 through November 2018, Beverly Braumuller-Hawver and Scott Hawver, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, engaged in a fraudulent tax refund scheme by paying a promoter a series of fees in exchange for fraudulent tax paperwork. Armed with those materials, the Hawvers filed an amended 2014 tax return attaching a fabricated IRS Form 1099-MISC — a document that falsely claimed a mortgage company had paid Hawver $749,163 in income and withheld $424,163 of that amount in federal taxes. The fictitious withholding claim prompted the IRS to issue the Hawvers a tax refund for $192,845 — a refund that Braumuller-Hawver was not entitled to receive. At trial, the jury heard evidence that the Hawvers moved quickly to put the money out of the government’s reach. They deposited the U.S. Treasury check into a newly opened bank account and then, within days, transferred $170,000 into a separate account held in the name of BeverlyB Music LLC, an unrelated music business the Hawvers operated. On that same day, the Hawvers paid co-conspirators more than $70,000 from the BeverlyB Music account for their roles in the scheme. Braumuller-Hawver later wired $22,000 from that account to a jeweler to purchase gold and silver coins. When the IRS began seeking to recover the fraudulent refund, the Hawvers did not simply ignore the notices — they sent scripted, frivolous correspondence to the IRS, filed a petition in U.S. Tax Court to thwart collection and participated as plaintiffs in multiple frivolous civil RICO lawsuits against IRS employees who were doing their jobs. The jury convicted Braumuller-Hawver and Hawver of conspiring to defraud the IRS. The jury also convicted Braumuller-Hawver of filing a false tax return and money laundering. Both are scheduled to be sentenced on June 25 and face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy conviction. Braumuller-Hawver also faces maximum penalties of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Hawvers’ convictions are among the latest in a series of prosecutions arising from a nationwide tax fraud scheme that drew in more than 200 participants across at least 19 states. In 2022, the main promoters of the scheme were sentenced to 11 years in prison, more than 8 years in prison, and 51 months in prison. In Hawaii, the scheme was organized and led by Rosemarie Lastimado-Dradi, who marketed the operation as the “Escrow Trust Refund” program, recruited clients (including the Hawvers) and directed her cut of their fraudulent refunds — between 25 and 40 percent — into accounts held in the name of fictitious business entities and purported trusts. In January 2026, Lastimado-Dradi was sentenced to a total of nine years in prison. Other Hawaii participants in the scheme have also received significant sentences, including Elvah Miranda (48 months in prison), Marciaminajuanequita Dumlao (33 months in prison), Daniel Miranda (30 months in prison), Brigida Chock ( 27 months in prison) and Lazerrick Lawrence (20 months in prison). IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Sarah A. Kiewlicz and Megan L. Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Columbia Man Charged with Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man has been charged by a federal grand jury with possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. Dorian Colby Gardner, 38, is charged with possession of a firearm in Cooper County, Mo., on Nov. 24, 2025. Gardner is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law due to prior felony convictions. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Boonville, Mo. Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Independence Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm. Christopher A. Durant, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes to 84 months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Durant pleaded guilty on Aug. 7, 2025. In Oct. 2021, Durant was federally convicted of arson for attempting to burn down a church and sentenced to over five years in federal prison. Less than two months after his release from that sentence, at around 2:00am on May 13, 2025, Durant was seen walking through the street in Independence firing a gun in the air. As a convicted felon, Durant was prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm. When police arrived, Durant ran. During his flight from law enforcement, Durant threw the gun near the sidewalk on a church campus. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo. Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: California Siblings Convicted of Drug Conspiracy Charges

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – Jurors on Thursday convicted Lorenzo A. Marquez, 32, and Adam A. Marquez, 27, for their role in a large-scale conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to a drug-trafficking organization in Southeast Missouri. The verdict was reached following a nine-day trial before U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau. Evidence presented during the trial showed that the Marquez brothers were California-based suppliers of illegal drugs that were shipped to Southeast Missouri via couriers using checked baggage on commercial airlines. Drugs and cash were seized by law enforcement officers at airports in Detroit, Memphis, and Nashville, as well as during a traffic stop in Perry County, Missouri. During an airport seizure on March 3, 2022, three drug couriers were intercepted in Detroit on their way to Southeast Missouri with approximately 60 pounds of methamphetamine and almost three pounds of cocaine. Lorenzo Marquez had provided the couriers with suitcases containing the drugs in Los Angeles. Evidence at trial showed that the couriers had made several flights between Southeast Missouri and Los Angeles, California, transporting drugs and cash. The trial began on February 23. The Marquez brothers are scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026. They both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Department of Public Safety, the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, the Cape Girardeau Police Department, Memphis (Tennessee) Airport Police, the Nashville (Tennessee) Airport Police, the Detroit (Michigan) Airport Police, and Cobb County (Georgia) Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Shelton and Paul Hahn are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Laguna Niguel Resident Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Threatening to Kill Judge Who Presided Over His Family Law Case

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A former Orange County resident was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison for threatening to kill a superior court judge who had presided over his family law case. Byrom Zuniga Sanchez, 34, formerly of Laguna Niguel, but whose most recent residence was in Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter, who also ordered him to pay $22,790 in restitution. At the conclusion of a three-day trial, a jury in December 2025 found Sanchez guilty of two counts of threats by interstate and foreign communication. Sanchez has been in federal custody since February 2024. From May 2023 to July 2023, Sanchez sent multiple death threats via email to the victim judge. Sanchez also threatened to kill or harm others, including other court employees, lawyers, and law enforcement officials. For example, in July 2023, Sanchez emailed the victim judge’s former courtroom, “I am more committed to murdering you than I am to being present as a father.” In the same email, Sanchez also wrote, “You’re already dead. The remainder of my life will be dedicated to assassinating judges, attorneys, and a police station’s entire shift staff.” These communications were sent via interstate commerce, and Sanchez claimed he was in Mexico when he sent the threatening messages. Sanchez was arrested in San Diego in February 2024 after attempting to enter the United States. “[Sanchez’s] terrifying embrace of his offenses – his delight at the pain of others – and his total lack of remorse increases the already substantial need for specific deterrence,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexandra Sloan Kelly of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and Diane B. Roldán of the Major Crimes Section prosecuted this case.


title: Former OSBI Investigator Sentenced For Multiple Counts Of Sexual Abuse Of A Minor

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jordan Francis Toyne, age 37, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 109 months in prison for each of three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country. The Court ordered the sentences to be served concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Owasso Police Department, together with cooperation and special assistance from Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI). On January 23, 2025, Toyne was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial. According to investigators, Toyne sexually assaulted a minor beginning in the Summer of 2020 and continuing until 2023, when the victim reached 16 years of age. During the course of investigation, it was discovered that Toyne sexually abused a second minor in 2021. During this time, Toyne served as an investigator with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit. Toyne resigned from his post prior to the completion of an internal investigation conducted by the OSBI. The victims were unrelated to Toyne’s official duties with the OSBI. However, investigators uncovered evidence showing that Toyne used his specialized knowledge as a Child Crimes Investigator in order to groom the victims and evade detection for his crimes. The crimes occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Toyne will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.


title: Dark web fentanyl distributor sentenced to 42 months in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A Puyallup, Washington man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 42 months in prison for operating a ‘dark web’ marketplace selling fentanyl tainted pills, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Trevor Stephen Haahr, 34, of Puyallup, Washington, distributed more than 100,000 fentanyl pills designed to look like legitimately manufactured pain medications. When investigators searched his storage unit, which Haahr used as a parcel packaging center, they located nearly another kilogram of fentanyl pills. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, “This was not a matter of small-time drug dealing to supplement an individual habit; this took sophisticated efforts to sell large amounts of fentanyl.” “This defendant was sending dangerous pills through the mails at the height of the fentanyl overdose crisis,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His dark web distribution endangered not only those across the country who bought his pills, it endangered those postal workers who might be exposed to the fentanyl from a damaged package or shipping mishap.” “Just one fentanyl pill has the potential to take a loved one, destroy a family, and forever change a community” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti. “The U.S. Mail remains one of the most trusted forms of shipping in the world. When people misuse it to harm our communities, it’s our duty and responsibility to do everything we can to hold people like Haahr accountable. The sentencing today should serve as a warning to all. If you ship illegal and dangerous narcotics, we will find you. We thank the HSI and the FBI for their assistance on this case.” According to the statements in the plea agreements, in early 2023, law enforcement began an investigation into sales of fentanyl pills on a marketplace located on the dark web. After ordering some of the pills that were labeled to appear as M30 oxycodone pills, law enforcement testing revealed they were fentanyl pills. Through various investigative techniques, Trevor Stephen Haahr was identified as the operator of the marketplace on the dark web. In February 2024, Haahr mailed a package in Pierce County that was searched and contained more than 10,000 fentanyl pills. On March 11, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at Haahr’s residence, office, storage locker, vehicle. At Haahr’s office he was signed on to the dark web vender profile. In his truck and storage locker investigators found drug proceeds, fentanyl pills, and supplies for shipping the drugs. Law enforcement also seized bitcoin that Haahr had received in payment for the drugs. At the time it was seized the bitcoin was worth approximately $50,000. Haahr is forfeiting the bitcoin as proceeds of his drug dealing. In asking for the 5-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that Haahr’s pill distribution occurred as fentanyl deaths were peaking in Kin County. “By 2023, the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County rose to 1,086. Although the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses peaked in 2023 in King County, in 2024 there were still 788 fentanyl-involved overdoses. This data only reflects the local fatal impact of fentanyl, and overdose deaths, of course, are but one aspect of the fentanyl crisis in America. The overdose-deaths metric fails to show the long-term impact of fentanyl on surviving users, their families, and the community.” Kaeli Arielle Albert, 35, of Orting, Washington, conspired with Haahr to provide the pills. She was sentenced earlier this year to 18 months in prison. “By distributing more than 100,000 fentanyl laced pills, Mr. Haahr and his co-conspirators were spreading dangerous and highly addictive drugs into our communities,” said Jonathan Dean, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue drug traffickers and hold them accountable, including those who might think they are hiding on the dark web.” “As today’s sentence proves, the anonymity of the dark web does not shield criminals from facing justice,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Haahr will serve time in federal prison for putting lives at grave risk by flooding our communities with fentanyl‑laced counterfeit pills disguised as legitimate medicine. HSI, USPIS, and the FBI identified the source of this deadly online marketplace, tracked his supply chain and finances, and dismantled his operation. If you traffic fentanyl—on the street or online—we will find you and hold you accountable.” The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian Wynne and Casey Conzatti.


title: Brothers from Mexico sentenced to prison for multi-year drug distribution conspiracy

body_text: Seattle – One of two brothers from Mexico, who were both caught with a total of more than 30 pounds of fentanyl powder and pills and a kilo of heroin, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 42 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Benito Perez Aguilar, 29, of Kent, Washinton, and his brother Antonio Perez Aguilar, 32, of Mill Creek, Washington, were arrested in May 2025 following a drug trafficking investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The men shared the moniker “Miguel” in their drug trafficking from 2022-2025. The investigation documented various drug sales throughout western Washington. Neither brother has legal status in the U.S. “These men were moving large amounts of fentanyl pills and powder in our community – they were not small-time dealers,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Particularly concerning, Benito Perez Aguilar, while driving impaired, caused a traffic accident on I-5 in n 2017. He remained a fugitive on a state court warrant related to that case, until his federal arrest last year.” “This investigation shut down a significant fentanyl and heroin distribution operation that was putting lives at risk across western Washington,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “As part of our commitment to a Fentanyl Free America, DEA is committed to disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing the availability of these deadly drugs, and saving American lives. Investigations like this show that DEA and our partners will continue to target the criminal networks responsible for trafficking these deadly drugs and hold those who profit from this poison accountable.” According to records filed in the case, the DEA moved in on the residences of both brothers on May 16, 2025. At Benito’s residence, law enforcement recovered approximately 76.5 grams of M-30 pills, 1,169 grams of fentanyl powder, as well as scales, baggies, and $20,285 in cash. In Antonio’s residence, officers seized 1,992.3 grams of M-30 pills; 11,320 grams of fentanyl powder, 1,271.8 grams of heroin, and $12,396 in cash. In November, Benito Perez Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. In asking for a five-year prison term, prosecutors noted the danger of the drugs the brothers trafficked in the community, and evidence that Mr. Perez had engaged in drug trafficking previously. “On December 15, 2017, Mr. Perez caused a multi-vehicle collision while driving under the influence. He then attempted to escape the scene by offering another driver up to $2,000 to drive him away. After Mr. Perez was located by law enforcement, he was observed to have bloodshot eyes and the odor of intoxicants. Police officers later conducted a court-authorized search of Mr. Perez’s vehicle and recovered 411 grams of heroin, six scales, five phones, and a box of Ziploc baggies. Mr. Perez failed to appear in court as directed by a summons in 2018. There was an active warrant for Mr. Perez based on this criminal conduct for over seven years, until he was arrested in 2025.” U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead ordered Benito Perez Aguilar to serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. However, he likely will be deported following prison due to a lack of legal status in the United States. Last month Antonio Perez Aguilar was sentenced to four years in prison. He had already been convicted in 2018 of Solicitation to Delivery of a Controlled Substance, Cocaine, in state court, for purchasing $105,000 worth of cocaine. He was sentenced to four months in prison in that case. The case was investigated by the DEA. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Yemini.


title: Former CFO sentenced to two years in prison for $35 million theft from start-up tech firm

body_text: Seattle – A Mercer Island, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to two years in prison for four counts of wire fraud for taking and misusing some $35 million from his former employer, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Nevin Shetty, 42, was found guilty on November 7, 2025, following a nine-day jury trial. At the sentencing hearing Judge Tana Lin told Shetty, “The loss had significant and severe effects on the company. Your actions threw into complete turmoil the lives of those 60 people (who were laid off) …. You almost put the company out of business…. You were playing with money that wasn’t yours.” “Mr. Shetty brazenly schemed to line his own pockets with his employer’s money. Through years of pretrial litigation and then at trial, he steadfastly deflected blame and even went so far as to claim that his fraud was somehow meant to help his former company,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “His lies did not fool the jury.” According to records in the case, Shetty was hired as the CFO of a private software company in March 2021. The company was raising capital for its work in multiple rounds of funding. The company, with Shetty, drafted a policy governing how the money raised should be kept safe while the company worked to grow its business. The company adopted an investment policy statement that called for company cash to be invested only in money market accounts or other conservative investments. The company’s overriding objective was to preserve its capital for use in operating and growing the business. Even though Shetty helped draft the policy and disseminate it to the board of directors for approval, he secretly moved approximately $35 million in company funds to a cryptocurrency platform he controlled as a side business. Shetty created that side business, called HighTower Treasury, in early 2022. It had no other outside customers. In April 2022, shortly after he was told he could not continue as CFO at his employer due to concerns about his performance, Shetty secretly transferred the funds out of his employer’s account. Between April 1 and 12, 2022, using wire transfers he ordered from a Chase bank branch near his home, Shetty moved $35,000,100 of his employer’s money to an account for HighTower Treasury. No other executives or board members at the company knew of these transfers. Shetty, through HighTower, then placed the money in a realm of cryptocurrency sometimes referred to as decentralized finance or “DeFi.” Shetty chose high-yield DeFi lending protocols that promised to generate returns of 20% or more. Shetty’s idea was that HighTower would pay Shetty’s company a comparatively small, fixed amount and keep the remainder of the returns for itself. As an owner of HighTower, Shetty stood to personally share in those profits, which could have been substantial. In the first month alone, Shetty’s scheme earned roughly $133,000 of profit for himself and his HighTower business partner. However, the cryptocurrency investments that Shetty made with the stolen funds soon began declining and by May 13, 2022, the value of the investments was nearly zero. After the $35 million was essentially gone, Shetty told two of his fellow executives what he had done. He was immediately fired. In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Kopczynski wrote to the court, “Shetty’s serious crime deserves stern punishment. This was a calculated scheme motivated by greed and meticulously carried out over many months. Shetty created a web of lies. He lied to people up and down the chain of command at [his employer], people at outside institutions like Stifel and Chase, and to his HighTower business partner…. Adapting to the massive loss from Shetty’s fraud required [his former employer]to lay off 60 people. Those are 60 people whose lives and careers were irrevocably damaged by Shetty’s greed.” “In less than one month, Mr. Shetty stole $35 million from his employer that he knew was meant to be kept in conservative investments to help grow the company,” said Jonathan Dean, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Instead, he lost almost of all it through risky cryptocurrency investments. As the company’s CFO, Mr. Shetty was not only part of the investment planning but also had the access and trust to move the money. I commend the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who worked tirelessly on a difficult case to bring this embezzler to justice.” Shetty was ordered to pay $35,000,100 and will be on supervised release for three years after prison. Judge Lin imposed a special condition that he not serve as an officer or director of a company without prior permission from the probation office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Grace Zoller.


title: Napa Man Indicted For Threatening Senior Government Official

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted a Napa man for threatening violence against a senior government official. Haddow Mills, 64, made his initial appearance in federal court earlier today. According to the indictment filed Jan. 28, 2026, and unsealed today, on Sept. 25, 2025, Mills sent an email threatening to murder a Senate-confirmed federal government official in Washington, D.C. (identified in the indictment as the “Victim”). The email stated, “I will hunt [the Victim] down and kill him.” In the months leading up to the threat, Mills allegedly sent the Victim’s ex-spouse dozens of harassing and threatening emails, including an email that stated, “I still am hunting down [Victim’s first name]. He is a dead man walking.” Mills allegedly sent many other emails that also contained threats against the Victim, the Victim’s ex-spouse, and their children. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Acting U.S. Marshal Peter Marketos for the Eastern District of Virginia made the announcement. Mills was released on bond. He is next scheduled to appear in district court on May 21, 2026, for a status conference before U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Mills faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for transmitting an interstate communication with a threat to kidnap or injure in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 875(c). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Moore is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, with assistance from the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and Arlington County Police Department in Virginia. Mills Indictment and Penalty


title: Repeat Drug Trafficking Offender in Moses Lake Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice has sentenced Gregory Wilson, 55, of Moses Lake, Washington to a 15-year term of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of court supervision upon his release stemming from his repeated drug trafficking activities. According to court documents and information discussed during the sentencing hearing, in 2015 Wilson was convicted of selling large quantities of methamphetamine and sentenced to 120 months in federal prison; however, he was released a few years later pursuant to a compassionate release motion, over the United States’ objection, after serving less than half of his initial sentence (1:15-CR-2065-SAB). In his compassionate release motion, Wilson assured the Court he was a changed man—he just wanted to be with his elderly parents and minor child. His term of supervised release was terminated early, over the United States’ objection. Within 6 months of the termination of his supervised release, the Moses Lake Police Department received information Wilson was again engaged in significant drug trafficking activities and began the current investigation. A state investigation was initiated in 2023 at which time Moses Lake Streets Crimes Unit conducted a controlled buy of methamphetamine from Wilson and a search of his Moses Lake area residence. He was arrested on state charges and soon bonded out. From evidence obtained during the 2025 federal investigation, it became clear Wilson had never ceased his drug trafficking activities. As the federal investigation progressed, law enforcement was able to locate him traveling from Yakima with a drug load of methamphetamine and fentanyl bound for the Moses Lake community. Based upon the evidence from both the state and federal investigations, he was indicted for his pervasive drug trafficking activities from 2023-2025. This sentence reflects the seriousness of his criminal conduct. “Prolific drug traffickers like Mr. Wilson have proven that they will deceive the Court to obtain benefits and reductions they are not entitled to in order to be set free to continue harming our communities,” said First Assistant Pete Serrano. “Reduction programs only work if they are applied to those who are truly qualified. Sadly, what occurred here was the early release of a dangerous Defendant into the community with no safety measures in place to monitor his activities. Thanks to the tireless dedication of our state and federal law enforcement partners and the commitment of our office to bring this Defendant to justice, we were able to remove this threat from the Moses Lake community.” “Drug traffickers who repeatedly choose to profit by distributing dangerous narcotics in our communities will face the full force of the United States justice system. Let this serve as a clear message to anyone who traffics in deadly drugs: ATF and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue you, dismantle your networks, and hold you accountable for the harm you inflict on our communities. ATF and the Moses Lake PD Street Crimes Unit remain ever vigilant in our fight to keep our Eastern Washington communities safe,” stated Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “I am proud of and thankful for our partnership with ATF as it allows us to amplify our Street Crimes Unit and pursue pervasive drug dealers who choose to distribute their poison into our community,” said Moses Lake Police Department Chief Dave Sands. This case was investigated by the Moses Lake Police Department Street Crimes Unit in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard. 2:25-CR-00053-TOR-1


title: Sex Offender Sentenced For Failing To Register

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nicholas Hammer, age 47, formerly of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to thirty-eight months in prison for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender. The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service. On March 25, 2025, Hammer pleaded guilty to the charge. Hammer was convicted of Rape—First Degree on January 4, 2001, in the State of Oklahoma and is required to register as a sex offender. According to investigators, Hammer failed to register and update his registration from October 10, 2024, until November 4, 2024, despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Hammer will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.


title: Ada Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Assault Charges

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Isaiah Marshall Harjo, age 28, of Ada, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment alleged that on September 25, 2025, Harjo assaulted the victim, resulting in serious bodily injury. The Indictment further alleged that on that same day, Harjo assaulted a second victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm. The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ada Police Department. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Harjo will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.


title: Carter County Resident Sentenced For Robbery And Felony Assault

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Timmy Lynn Tatum, age 18, of Sulphur, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for one count of Robbery in Indian Country, and 87 months for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. The Court ordered the terms served concurrently. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sulphur Police Department, the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police. On April 1, 2025, Tatum pleaded guilty to the charges in federal district court. According to investigators, on June 30, 2024, Tatum broke into a Sulphur home, attacked and beat the victim with a firearm, and robbed the victim at gun point. Tatum left the residence, taking several items of value. The crimes occurred in Murray County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Tatum will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.


title: Valparaiso Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison

body_text: HAMMOND – On March 5, 2026, Vernon R. Tate II, 39 years old, of Valparaiso, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Tate was sentenced to 87 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. Tate was also ordered to pay monetary assessments that support services for victims of human trafficking and child sexual abuse. According to documents in the case, in October 2023, Tate distributed multiple images containing child sex abuse material to an undercover FBI agent on an encrypted messaging platform. The images Tate distributed included depictions of infants and prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater This case was 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Snow Hill Check Fraudster Sentenced to Almost 3 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Eric Lamont Salvant, 35, to almost three years in federal prison for his role in a sophisticated check-fraud ring. Inmate Salvant pleaded guilty to the charge. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Inmate Salvant conspired with two others to obtain stolen checks through an encrypted messaging app. They altered those stolen checks and created new counterfeit checks. Once the checks had been altered or counterfeited, Inmate Salvant and his coconspirators deposited them into bank accounts held in the names of various money mules recruited by Inmate Salvant, then quickly converted the proceeds to cash. When a bank teller in Shallotte alerted police to their attempt to deposit a counterfeit check, Police searched their car. Inmate Salvant attempted to hide a bag full of over 50 stolen and counterfeit checks and over 30 debit cards in a variety of names on a grocery-store shelf while the police arrested his coconspirators outside. “Despite the many technological advances in our financial system, some fraudsters are still up to their old tricks,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Checks can be stolen and used to cheat banks or innocent citizens out of honest money, especially when sent through the mail. Citizens and businesses in our district should carefully monitor payments made by check to ensure delivery and deposit as intended. Our office will continue to protect the good people of Eastern North Carolina by holding fraudsters to account and working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt the criminal networks that enable these shameless crimes. Cheaters. Never. Win.” W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Cogburn prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-48-M-KS.


title: Harrison County Man Indicted on Charges of Threatening the President and ICE

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Clarksburg, West Virginia man has been federally charged with making threats against President Donald J. Trump and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Threats of violence and death against President Trump and our brave law enforcement partners will not be tolerated in the Northern District of West Virginia,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey. “We take threats seriously, regardless of how they are made, and will prosecute those who make them to the fullest extent of the law.” Cody Lee Smith, 20, was indicted on two counts of threats to murder the President, one count of influencing and retaliating against federal officials by threat of murder, and one count of influencing a federal official by threat of murder. According to the indictment, Smith made a series of public posts on Instagram that encouraged and threatened the murder of President Trump, citizens who support the President (including members of the military), Israelis, and “all government officials.” The indictment also alleges that Smith sent a direct message via Instagram to Donald J. Trump, Jr., stating he would kill his father, President Trump, by cutting his “jugular.” In a phone call with the ICE tip line, Smith also threatened to kill ICE agents in Clarksburg, West Virginia and employee staffing the tip line. "The safety and security of law enforcement personnel is our highest priority at Homeland Security Investigations," said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf. "HSI is committed to actively pursuing anyone who threatens the brave agents and officers who protect our communities. We will work tirelessly to investigate these threats and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.” “The safety and security of those we protect is our highest priority and all threats against the President of the United States will be investigated and prosecuted,” said Tad Lipscomb, the Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Charleston, West Virginia Resident Office. “We are grateful for our law enforcement partners at HSI, the FBI, the West Virginia State Police, and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia for their assistance during this case.” Smith faces up to 5 years for each of the presidential threat charges and faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each of the remaining counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the West Virginia State Police and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office. 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. An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. View the indictment here .


title: PERRY FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO DISTRIBUTION OF METHAMPHETAMINE WHILE ON SUPERVISED RELEASE

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Robert “Bobby” Shane Willis, 46, of Perry, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine, with a sentencing enhancement due to a prior conviction for a serious drug felony. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Peddling deadly drugs in the Northern District of Florida is a one-way ticket to federal prison, but this defendant clearly didn’t learn his lesson the first time so he has punched his ticket for yet another extended period of incarceration. The citizens of this District deserve safe, drug-free streets, and that is exactly what my office will deliver by continuing to aggressively prosecute crimes and criminals like this until that promise is fulfilled.” Court documents reflect on March 5, 2025, the defendant sold 6.6 grams of 97% pure methamphetamine during an undercover law enforcement operation. Willis had previously served 108 months in federal prison for drug-trafficking and firearms charges. At the time he committed the current offense, he was still on federal supervised release for those prior convictions. Willis faces an enhanced sentence requiring a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison as well as a pending violation of supervised release for the prior felonies. The case involved a joint investigation by the Perry Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. Sentencing for Willis is scheduled for May 6, 2026, at 10:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: FORMER LOCAL FIREFIGHTER SENTENCED TO 75 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR PRODUCTION & POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Garey A. Buscaino, 48, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 75 years in federal prison on charges related to a decade-long pattern of producing and possessing child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Protecting our children from exploitation and the predations of sick individuals like this offender remains one of my office’s highest priorities. I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners who helped stop this predator from continuing to sexually exploit minor children and brought him to justice. As this substantial prison sentence demonstrates, my office will relentlessly pursue offenders who victimize our children, prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law, and seek maximum punishment for their heinous crimes.” Court documents reveal that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an online user in Northwest Florida possessed what appeared to be child pornography in a cloud account. Upon looking into the account and obtaining a search warrant for it, law enforcement determined that it not only contained child pornography from the internet but also what appeared to be hidden camera-produced pornographic videos of unsuspecting minor females. Based upon the content of the cloud account, and further investigation, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement determined the account belonged to Buscaino and obtained a search warrant for his local residence and firehouse, where members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force seized dozens of electronic devices from Buscaino. Those seized devices were determined to contain hidden camera-produced pornography videos of five minor females in various states of undressing in bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as thousands of graphic images and videos of child sexual abuse material from the internet. Some of these images and videos captured victims as young as toddlers being sexually abused. “Our agents worked diligently to identify the offender and secure the evidence needed to protect these victims,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “We appreciate the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida in ensuring this individual is held fully accountable and cannot harm another child. Protecting Florida’s children is one of our highest responsibilities, and we will continue to pursue anyone who seeks to exploit them.” "This sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes and the unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to protect children from exploitation," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas G. Ingegno. "We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure offenders are brought to justice and victims receive the support they deserve." Multiple victims of Buscaino’s crimes were present at the sentencing hearing in federal court. In addition to serving 75 years in federal prison, Buscaino was ordered to pay approximately $30,000 in restitution to the victims. He will also have to register as a sex offender for life. The case was jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Tidewater narcotics trafficker sentenced to over 10 years in prison

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced yesterday to 10 years and three months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, in 2025, Kenneth Matthews, 48, was receiving narcotics in Maryland and selling large quantities in the Tidewater area. On July 12, 2025, the Virginia State Police (VSP) located Matthews and conducted a traffic stop on his vehicle. A search of the vehicle was conducted after a narcotics canine alerted to the presence of narcotics. Investigators located more than 300 grams of fentanyl divided into distributable quantities, as well as a handgun and approximately $1,000. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and VSP investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric M. Hurt 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, 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 Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-54.