title: Felon Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A man living in Tulsa and previously convicted of raping a teenage girl was sentenced today for failing to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Antonio Juan Paredes, 36, to 21 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Paredes will also be required to register as a sex offender. In 2014, Paredes pled guilty to forcibly raping a 13-year-old in McCurtain County. He was sentenced for first-degree rape and ordered to serve 15 years, with the first 10 years being suspended. In 2015, Paredes was charged in federal court with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. He pleaded guilty in 2016 and was ordered to serve 24 months' imprisonment. Paredes McCurtain County sentence was revoked, and he was ordered to serve two years concurrently with the Eastern District of Oklahoma sentencing. Paredes was rearrested in 2022 and charged in federal court for failing to comply with the terms of his supervision by quitting his job and moving to Arkansas. He was additionally charged with failing to register as a sex offender and pleaded guilty in both cases. Paredes was ordered to serve 24 months’ imprisonment for both charges. Court documents show that Paredes was released in March 2024 and failed to report to the U.S. Probation and Parole Offices and that he failed to register as a sex offender, again. He was ordered to serve 12 months’ imprisonment. In August 2025, the marshals found that Paredes had been living in an apartment in Tulsa since his release in 2024. He was charged and arrested in the Northern District of Oklahoma for failing to register as a sex offender. Paredes will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The U.S. Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.


title: West Columbia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

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

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C.— Phillip O’Neal McCoy, 45, of West Columbia, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Evidence presented in court revealed that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives identified McCoy as a felon involved in the unlawful sale of firearms and narcotics in the West Columbia area. On Jan. 5, 2024, McCoy distributed a quantity of crack cocaine while also in possession of additional controlled substances. Five days later, on Jan. 10, 2024, McCoy sold a loaded semiautomatic pistol while in possession of additional controlled substances. Federal law prohibits McCoy from possessing firearms and ammunition based on prior convictions for pointing and presenting a firearm, first-degree assault and battery, domestic violence, and multiple convictions for distributing various controlled substances. McCoy was also on probation at the time of this federal offense. U.S. District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Phillip O’Neal McCoy to 77 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the West Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case. ###


title: Tulsan Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Scott James Berkshire, 64, to 168 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Berkshire will also be required to register as a sex offender. In July 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that included sexually explicit images of two minor children. Agents obtained a search warrant for the account associated with the tip and found that Berkshire was the account holder. Court records show that Berkshire was involved in several chat rooms discussing the sexual abuse of children. In one chat, Berkshire chatted with an undercover agent about meeting to engage in sexual intercourse with a child under 12-years-old. When agents searched Berkshire’s devices, they found photos and videos of children under 12 years old being sexually abused. Berkshire will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury prosecuted the case. This investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations Tulsa-led Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task force. This operation is a proactive investigation by local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement within the Northern District and is focused on predators seeking to exploit children. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Four Georgia Men Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Four Columbus, Georgia, men have now been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking organization centered in Columbus. The prosecution stemmed from Operation Sweet Silence, a multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking in the Columbus area. The defendants were sentenced as follows: Undrae Hayes , also known as Skizite, 38, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; Malik Williams , also known as YSN Bird, 27, was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine; Dahvontay Richardson , 28, was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine; and Jeffrey Kimbrough , 29, also known as YSN Trap, was sentenced to three years’ probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The investigation into these defendants and their drug dealing included court authorized wiretaps on co-defendant Fernando Brown’s cellular telephone, physical surveillance and other investigative techniques. According to filed court documents: On April 14, 2023, law enforcement conducted physical surveillance at 2403 Garden Drive, Columbus, Georgia. This address had been previously identified, through both physical and pole camera surveillance, as a location from which co-defendant Fernando Brown distributed narcotics. At approximately 10:00pm, Agents observed a silver Honda sedan arrive at the location. The passenger of the vehicle entered the residence, returned to the vehicle several minutes later with an unknown object/bag in his hand, and left. The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) conducted a traffic stop of the silver Honda sedan and the passenger, later identified as Hayes, exited the car and fled on foot. Officers witnessed Hayes carrying a small backpack in his hands which he discarded. He was apprehended a short time later and the bag was retrieved. A search of the bag revealed eight clear plastic baggies containing 208.863 grams of methamphetamine, one clear plastic baggie containing nine grams of a brownish powder substance suspected to be heroin, a digital scale, and a box of plastic baggies. On June 2, 2023, Fernando Brown contacted Williams about conducting a drug transaction in the parking lot of Pyramid Food Mart in Columbus. Brown informed Williams he was “dry” and needed some product for his “play” at Pyramid. The FBI set up surveillance and observed Brown meeting with an individual who matched the physical description of Williams. Brown was observed interacting with the driver of a pick-up truck parked next to his vehicle and briefly appeared to place something into the pickup truck. Following the transaction, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on Williams' car, from which Williams fled. Intercepted calls captured Williams speaking with Brown during the pursuit with Williams repeatedly asking Brown for his location and saying that he was traveling towards Brown. Williams' Toyota Camry was found abandoned. Agents searched the Camry and located about 2,992 grams of marijuana divided into 13 plastic bags, along with cocaine. Additionally, based on intercepted calls during a court authorized Title III wiretap on co-conspirator Fernando Brown's phone, agents with the FBI and DEA determined Richardson distributed cocaine and marijuana on behalf of Brown. On May 24, 2023, intercepted calls showed Richardson sold an ounce of cocaine to a customer at a Dollar Tree in Columbus, Georgia at the behest of co-conspirator Brown. Calls were also intercepted between co-defendant Fernando Brown and Kimbrough facilitating the distribution of narcotics. On June 11, 2023, FBI and DEA intercepted calls where Kimbrough and Brown were discussing “zips.” On that same date, Brown advised Kimbrough to “grab that mambo serve them a cutie out of the mambo go in the closet in the bathroom.” Agents believed “mambo” was in reference to marijuana and “cutie” typically denotes a quarter pound of drugs. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes of the Middle District of Georgia, Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis of the FBI Atlanta Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the DEA Atlanta Field Division made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI, the DEA, and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, with critical assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office; the Sacramento, California Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office. Trial Attorney Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.


title: Brandon Woman Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine and Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Temeko Evans (47, Brandon) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and the distribution of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Evans pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, Evans conspired with her co-defendant, Torrey Taylor, to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Between February 11 and March 26, 2025, detectives from the Tampa Police Department conducted a series of controlled purchases from Evans and Taylor, including approximately two ounces of crack cocaine and two ounces of methamphetamine. Taylor was sentenced to six years in federal prison on November 20, 2025. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.


title: Texas Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Enticing Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Joshua Allen (34, Houston, TX) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber to 15 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for two counts of enticing or coercing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. The court also ordered Allen to forfeit a cellular phone, which was used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. Allen pleaded guilty in August 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, between October 2022 and April 2024, Allen used a social media application to persuade, induce, and entice minors to send him images and videos of child exploitation material in exchange for monetary payments. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: USP Cannan Inmate Charged with Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carey Lynn Pappan, age 31, of Guthrie, Oklahoma, was indicted by a federal grand jury on assault charges. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on October 22, 2025, Pappan, an inmate at the United States Penitentiary Canaan, assaulted another person resulting in serious bodily injury. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: New York Man Admits Fencing Jewelry Stolen from Mall Stores and Kiosks Across the U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, today announced that SALIM SAKAL, 55, of Brooklyn, New York, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to an offense related to his buying and selling jewelry stolen from mall-based stores and kiosks across the country. According to court documents and statements made in court, between May 2023 and April 2024, an organized jewelry theft ring of Colombian nationals burglarized jewelry stores and kiosks in malls in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia. The total losses from the burglaries exceed $4.4 million. Members of the conspiracy also cased additional jewelry stores and kiosks in Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Delaware. Sakal was the co-owner of Ramoun Jewelry, located in Corona, New York, which sold jewelry and gold to retail customers. The business also purchased jewelry and gold from third parties. Sakal conspired with members of the organized jewelry theft ring to receive, store, and sell jewelry stolen from seven burglaries between August 2023 and April 2024. Sakal paid his co-conspirators cash for the stolen merchandise for a fraction of the actual retail amount, and then sold it to others, including those he knew would melt down the gold. Ramoun did not have a valid second-hand dealer license required under the laws and regulations of New York City, and he did not maintain required records, including the identifying information of the sellers, a description of the items purchased, and the date and time of the purchase. To date, none of the stolen jewelry has been recovered by law enforcement. Sakal pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell and receive stolen goods, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Sakal has agreed to pay restitution of $2,471,457, jointly and severally with others convicted in this case. Sakal is released on a $1,000,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for April 17. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI New Haven’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force with the assistance of the Milford (Conn.) Police Department, the Hamilton Township (N.J.) Police Division, the Delaware State Police, the Henrico County (Va.) Police Division, the New York State Police, the New York Police Department, the Pensacola (Fla.) Police Department, the Paterson (N.J.) Police Department, the Mentor (Ohio) Police Department, the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Police Department, the Greece (N.Y.) Police Department, and the Lombard (Ill.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David T. Huang and Conor M. Reardon. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Middle District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of New York, and Southern District of New York, and FBI Field Offices in New York, Dallas, Miami, and Tampa for their assistance.


title: Eastern District of Louisiana  U.S. Attorney’s Office  Collects Over $900,000,000 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana (“USAO”) collected $898,444,168.50 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2025. Of this amount, $27,361,565.95 was collected in criminal actions and $871,082,602.55 was collected in civil actions, through the efforts of the Office’s Monetary Penalties and Recovery Unit (MPRU). Further, the MPRU, as detailed below, also collected $3,700,536.80 in forfeited assets. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department of Justice’s (“Department”) litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States, as well as criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, that distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and assistance programs. In addition to those amounts, the MPRU, working with partner agencies and divisions, also separately forfeited $3,700,536.80 in assets and 200 firearms connected to criminal activity in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. Representative examples of the MPRU’s collection and forfeiture efforts include: In April 2025, the USAO recovered $868,965,517.00 from BP Exploration & Production Inc. that was imposed as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The MPRU collected approximately $15 million in fines and restitution on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and First National Bank of Pennsylvania following a guilty plea from a corporate entity, Murex Management, LLC, for violations of 18 U.S.C.§§ 1005, and 2, as it relates to a fraudulent transaction with a financial institution and aiding and abetting. From October 2024 to April 2025, the MPRU collected approximately $4.7 million in restitution on behalf of Medicare from the sale of defendant Shiva Akula’s healthcare agencies, following the filing of Writs of Execution after Akula was found guilty at trial of healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347. As part of the investigation and prosecution of defendant Joseph West, Jr., the MPRU successfully seized and forfeited $162,597.27 in fraud proceeds tied to the defendant’s wire-fraud conspiracy. In connection with a narcotics investigation, the MPRU identified and forfeited real property connected to the drug-trafficking activities of defendant, Curtis Williamson, Jr., effectively depriving him of the proceeds and instrumentalities of his crime. “These statistics demonstrate the steadfast commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana to seek financial restitution for victims of civil or criminal wrongdoing. Our office achieves such financial justice through the aggressive collection of civil judgments, through criminal fines and restitution, through the seizure of criminal proceeds, as well as through the forfeiture of firearms used to commit crimes” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “In accordance with our mission to protect the public, our Monetary Penalties and Recovery Unit will continue, not only to hold accountable those who have profited from their crimes, but also to take guns out of the hands of those who used them to victimize others.” U.S. Attorney Courcelle thanks Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra Giavotella, Financial Litigation Assistant United States Attorney Churita Hansell, as well as the Office’s outstanding support professionals Jerrilyn A. Dufauchard, Laquana Bates, Christina Garcia, Danielle Smith-Graham, Daishawn Smith, and David Vigier for their hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice.


title: Scranton Heart Institute Agrees To Pay $48,709.20 To Settle False Claims Act Allegations

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scranton Heart Institute (SHI) has agreed to pay $48,709.20 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting false claims for payment to Medicare for CPT codes associated with PET scan services in violation of the applicable Medicare rules and regulations. According to the United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, between December 10, 2020 and May 31, 2023, SHI knowingly and willfully received renumeration offered or paid by a mobile PET scan company to induce SHI to refer its Medicare patients to that company for PET scans, in the form of (1) significant hourly payments designated as payments for professional supervision of the mobile imaging services, and (2) allowing SHI to bill for and retain the Medicare professional component reimbursement for the mobile imaging services. Therefore, the United States contends that SHI submitted false claims to Medicare associated with imaging services using certain CPT codes that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute. Additionally, the United States contends that the renumeration SHI received from the mobile PET scan company created a financial relationship between SHI’s physician and the mobile PET scan company that did not satisfy any exception to the physician self-referral law. “Kickback schemes can jeopardize medical decision making, which may significantly impact patient care and program costs,” said Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG is committed to working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partners to investigate alleged violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute in the Medicare program.” This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Haken and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania with assistance from the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. # # #


title: United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia hits quarter billion-dollar milestone in Fiscal Year 2025

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WV - In Fiscal Year 2025, the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit (ACE Unit) of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia (USAO NDWV) reached a major milestone by recovering over a quarter of a billion dollars in False Claims Act (FCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA) damages and civil penalties since the unit formed and actively began tracking this data in 2003. The ACE Unit is responsible for civilly recovering damages resulting from government fraud, such as health care fraud, COVID-19 fraud, and contractor fraud. The ACE Unit also seeks civil penalties and administrative remedies against health care professionals engaged in the illegal diversion of controlled substances. “Combatting fraud, waste, and abuse of government funds and preventing the illegal diversion of controlled substances, such as opioids, are among our top priorities,” said United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Congratulations to the ACE Unit on reaching this milestone and be aware we intend to increase our efforts in the new year to continue to maximize these types of recoveries.” The ACE Unit was able to reach the $250,000,000 threshold by collecting $5,324,902 in recoveries in Fiscal Year 2025. In the largest civil settlement, four labor organizations agreed to pay a total of approximately $5.1 million dollars to settle allegations they violated the FCA by applying for and obtaining loans under the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for which they knew or should have known they were ineligible. Additionally in Fiscal Year 2025, the USAO NDWV recovered close to $1.5 million in restitution for crime victims and asset forfeiture actions. The office also obtained the forfeiture of firearms and other items of property involved in criminal offenses.


title: Justice Department Recognizes Arizona’s Successful Completion of Disability Access Reforms at Statewide Corrections Facilities

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today the successful completion of reforms required under an agreement with the Arizona statewide prison system, the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation, and Reentry (ADCRR). The Department concluded its Nov. 16, 2023 agreement with ADCRR, which resolved the Justice Department’s findings that ADCRR violated Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by discriminating against incarcerated individuals with vision disabilities, including those who are blind or have low vision. “The Civil Rights Division continues its commitment to upholding the Americans with Disabilities Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We commend ADCRR for its work to protect the ADA rights of people with disabilities, including those who are blind or have other vision disabilities, incarcerated in state facilities.” Under the agreement , ADCRR implemented a series of reforms, including revising policies and practices, training personnel, providing necessary modifications, aids, and services, and providing assistive technology to people with vision disabilities in ADCRR custody. ADCRR also implemented screening and documentation procedures and appointed ADA coordinators to facilitate implementation of the agreement across the state. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, and full participation for people with disabilities, including people who are incarcerated. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ADA.gov.


title: Former Official Admits Embezzling from St. Louis Circus

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former official with a St. Louis-based non-profit circus on Wednesday admitted embezzling over $123,000 from December 2022 through at least September 2023. George S. Pace, 63, of Ladue, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four counts of wire fraud. He admitted using a credit card that he’d obtained without the knowledge or approval of the circus to pay thousands of dollars of personal expenses, including payments to nail salons, restaurants, and for skin care treatments. He used a second card for thousands of dollars more in unapproved expenses, including horseback riding related expenses and payments to restaurants. When another circus official reviewed the second card’s expenses, Pace lied and claimed the card had been stolen. Pace presented the official with forged account statements falsely showing that he had resolved the charges. Pace also diverted checks drawn on the circus’ bank account to himself instead of using them to pay down a line of credit. Pace’s diversion of the line of credit payments caused thousands of dollars in interest to be accrued by the circus. Finally, Pace deposited thousands of dollars of donor checks made out to the circus into his personal account. In the plea agreement, Pace admitted defrauding the circus out of over $123,015.94. Pace was on the board of directors beginning in 2020 and later became board president. In his plea agreement, Pace also admitted fraudulently applying for two U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans totaling $29,400. The SBA denied the loans. Pace is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4. Each wire fraud charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll is prosecuting the case.


title: Local doctor who tied up, repeatedly raped a woman in 1989 sentenced to 15 years in prison for making false statements to FBI

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A Sycamore Township man who admitted to tying up and repeatedly raping a woman in 1989 was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to the statutory maximum 180 months in prison for making false statements about the rapes to federal agents. Frederick Louis Tanzer, 67, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to three counts of the false‑statements crime. “Before admitting that he was the man who committed these horrific rapes in 1989, Tanzer lied to the FBI. His DNA confirmed his guilt, and evidence points to Tanzer being a serial rapist,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Tanzer poses a grave risk to the public and deserves to be in prison not only for his lies but also for the despicable attack he was trying to cover up.” “The strong investigative work by the Cincinnati Police Department and the FBI led to Frederick Tanzer’s identification and his admission of his heinous crimes,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “I commend the investigators who never gave up in their pursuit of justice for the victim.” According to court documents, on Aug. 1, 1989, Tanzer broke into the home of Dana Beatty (then Dana Sandbo) in Cincinnati and repeatedly raped her over the course of five and a half hours . Tanzer, masked and dressed from head to toe in black Lycra, held a knife to the victim’s throat, dragged her into her bedroom, blindfolded her with surgical tape, bound her hands and feet to her bed frame, and then repeatedly, and with extreme violence, raped her vaginally, anally and orally. The case remained unsolved for nearly 35 years. In 2024, the FBI, working with the Cincinnati Police Department, confirmed that DNA taken from Tanzer’s coffee cup matched the semen left by the man who attacked Dana Beatty in 1989. When approached about the rapes, the defendant made several distinct and materially false statements to a federal agent and a Cincinnati Police Department detective, including denying having seen or interacted with the victim on the date of the attack. The statute of limitations for the crimes committed during the 1989 attack expired in approximately 1995. Tanzer was arrested in December 2024 and has remained in custody since. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cincinnati Division; and Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Hennie announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman. The IRS-Criminal Investigation Cincinnati Field Office assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Rossi and Julie D. Garcia are representing the United States in this case. While the United States Attorney’s Office typically does not identify crime victims, Dana Beatty is identified here by name at her request. # # #


title: Shiprock Man Charged with Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges after allegedly assaulting a man during a dispute. According to court records, on September 18, 2025, Brian Adam Archuleta , 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly engaged in an argument with the victim that escalated into a physical assault. Archuleta struck the victim multiple times in the face, causing a right orbital wall fracture and requiring ten stitches. Archuleta is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Archuleta faces 10 years in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case. view the Criminal Complaint (Archuleta).pdf A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Long Island Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Nearly $12 Million Tax Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Damaris Beltre, a former tax preparer in Freeport, New York, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Sanket J. Bulsara. When sentenced, Beltre faces a maximum sentence of 53 years’ imprisonment, as well as restitution of approximately $12 million. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the guilty plea. “Beltre brazenly defrauded the government and callously put her clients in jeopardy to line her own pockets,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s guilty plea should serve as a warning to anyone who, like this defendant, views federal programs and the federal treasury as their own personal piggybanks, that you will be arrested and vigorously prosecuted.” Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the United States Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, the Freeport Police Department, and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for their assistance on the case. “Beltre was a shady tax preparer with a complete disregard for U.S. law or the American public she failed when she fraudulently claimed tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19-related tax credits. She hoarded funds meant for those with a legitimate need just to fatten her own pockets. With today’s plea, she can move forward with facing the full consequences of her actions,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis. As set forth in court filings and at today’s guilty plea proceeding, Beltre owned and operated multiple corporate entities offering tax preparation and other financial services in Freeport, New York. From approximately January 2021 through April 2024, Beltre personally prepared, and supervised employees in the preparation of, false and fraudulent individual income tax returns, and associated schedules and forms, for her client-taxpayers, which were submitted to the IRS. The tax returns that Beltre prepared and caused to be prepared for her clients listed false dependents and fraudulently claimed tens of millions of dollars in COVID-19-related tax credits and motor fuel income tax credits to directly reduce tax liability and provide substantial refunds to which her clients were not entitled. Beltre’s clients paid over $1 million in fees for her services preparing these false returns, which included a percentage of any tax refund issued. For example, in April 2023, a federal agent acting in an undercover capacity (the UC) hired Beltre to prepare his individual income tax return. If prepared accurately, the UC would have owed the IRS approximately $205. By contrast, the defendant prepared an income tax return for the UC which contained false and fraudulent statements and baseless tax credits, and which thereby claimed a refund of over $14,243. Beltre charged the UC $2,200 in fees to prepare and submit the fraudulent tax return. As a result of this years-long scheme, the IRS improperly issued nearly $11 million in tax refunds to the defendant’s clients, and failed to collect several million dollars as a result of fraudulently reduced tax liabilities. In a separate Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme, from approximately April 2020 through July 2022, Beltre filed and caused to be filed false payroll reports and income tax returns with the IRS on behalf of her corporate clients to fraudulently obtain PPP loans from the SBA, totaling approximately $1 million. Beltre used these proceeds, and those generated from the tax preparer fraud scheme described above, for personal expenses, including paying personal debts, to fund a home in the Caribbean, and to purchase a car and jewelry. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder and Victim Witness Coordinator Stephanie Marroquin. The Defendant : DAMARIS BELTRE Age: 58 Freeport, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-081 (SJB)


title: Carrollton woman pleads guilty to harboring illegal aliens and participating in massive methamphetamine distribution operation

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: Atlanta – Jackelyne Marroquin has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute over 760 pounds of methamphetamine and harboring illegal aliens to facilitate the drug trafficking operation. “Marroquin harbored illegal aliens to operate a metro-Atlanta drug distribution ring,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of unwavering law enforcement dedication, this insidious trafficking network has been dismantled, and well over a million dollars’ worth of lethal drugs have been removed from our streets. The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will continue to protect the public by ensuring North Georgia is never a haven for criminal cartels.” “Today’s guilty plea reinforces that DEA will not tolerate drug traffickers,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Those who fuel the drug trade while putting communities and vulnerable individuals at risk will face serious consequences.” “Jackelyne Marroquin trafficked illicit drugs and utilized illegal aliens in the furtherance of that crime,” said John B. Stevens, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal. “The U.S. Marshals, along with our partners in the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, will never stop our pursuit of criminals. The mission of enhancing public safety is vital, and we are honored that it is our responsibility. No matter how long a criminal runs, we will find them, and they will pay.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In March of 2024, Marroquin rented a home in Stone Mountain, Georgia that was used by a drug trafficking organization to store and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that the methamphetamine was imported from Mexico in bags of charcoal. During the investigation, agents found buckets of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) at multiple stash houses used by the organization, including the Stone Mountain stash house. MSM is a dietary supplement drug traffickers use to “cut” or mix with methamphetamine to maximize profits. On April 2, 2024, the DEA and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Stone Mountain residence. Inside of the residence, law enforcement found approximately 760 pounds of 99 percent pure methamphetamine, with a street value of between $1,450,000 and $1,900,000. Agents discovered that two illegal aliens from Mexico, Jonathan Guzman Esquivel and Alfonso Calderon-Rodriguez, had been living at and trafficking drugs from the residence, the inside of which was sparsely furnished and covered with charcoal dust. The investigation revealed that Marroquin had provided the two illegal aliens with the use of her rented residence as well as money for expenses. Sentencing for Jackelyne Marroquin, 33, of Carrollton, Georgia, is scheduled for April 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. Jonathan Guzman Esquivel, 34, and Alfonso Calderon-Rodriguez, 30, both of Uruapan, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and were each sentenced in the fall of 2024 to serve five years and ten months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service, with valuable assistance provided by the DeKalb County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Unit and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew LaGrone is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy M. Palumbo. 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. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement 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. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga


title: Philadelphia Business Owner Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Wire Fraud and Tax Evasion

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that John Frances “Jack” Griffin, 62, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 36 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Chad F. Kenney for wire fraud and tax evasion. Judge Kenney also ordered Griffin to pay $899,948 in restitution — $776,205 of that going to the victims of the fraud and the remaining $123,743 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). As detailed in court filings and statements, Griffin was the principal and founder of Second Story Farming Inc., which did business as Metropolis Farms. Second Story Farming had several lines of business, including growing crops in vertical farms to sell to customers, developing sustainable vertical farming technologies, and selling vertical farming systems to customers. Vertical farming refers to a practice of growing crops indoors vertically in horizontally stacked layers to reduce the amount of space needed. In 2017, Griffin, through Second Story Farming, sold vertical farming systems along with the equipment, supplies, materials, and operational instructions necessary to operate them, to two companies. Before doing so, Griffin provided financial projections to them that grossly overstated the anticipated revenues that could be generated by the vertical farms and grossly understated the anticipated expenses necessary to operate them. The purchasers relied on those projections when they bought the vertical farms from Griffin. Rather than use those funds to provide them with vertical farms he promised, Griffin used most of the money to pay, among other things, his own personal expenses, such as his mortgage and clothes from Nieman Marcus. From 2015 through 2018, Griffin received more than $650,000 in income from his work at Second Story Farming. Despite earning this income, Griffin did not file tax returns for any of those years. Instead, Griffin tried to conceal that he received income, by, among other things, withdrawing cash from his personal and business bank accounts, paying personal expense from his business’s bank accounts, and transferring funds from his business to his wife. This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Francis Weber and Trial Attorney Catriona M. Coppler of the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Tax Section.


title: Drug Dealer Kills Victim with Fentanyl, Will Spend 25 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced James Mason Daugherty, 33, to 25 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl which killed a 33-year-old man. Inmate Daugherty pleaded guilty on May 22, 2025. According to the court documents and other information presented in court, in December of 2021, the New Bern Police Department (NBPD) learned Inmate Daugherty sold fentanyl in New Bern. Law enforcement conducted seven controlled purchases of fentanyl from Inmate Daugherty. On May 16, 2022, the 33-year-old victim died from fentanyl Inmate Daugherty sold him. Inmate Daugherty admitted this about his victim “that’s the third person I killed off a dope.” Daugherty named the additional two victims he admitted killing with fentanyl saying, “I gave them the dope that killed ‘em.” Daugherty also admitted to selling fentanyl to another person on the same day, and first responders rushed to administer Narcan narrowly saving another victim from dying. State officials arrested Inmate Daughtery, released him on bond, and ultimately gave him just a probationary sentence for selling fentanyl. Then, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNC federally indicted him for killing the 33-year-old-victim. When the feds arrested him, he remained detained. Following his arrest, law enforcement located and searched his cell phone and discovered that he knew he had killed three people with the fentanyl he sold them, he continued to sell fentanyl while on release and probation from the state, up until his federal arrest and detention. “Fentanyl kills everyone it touches. These filthy drug dealers know how deadly it is, and they just don’t care. The only way to stop a murderous greedy pig like this is to remove him off the streets, away from our children and families. This murdering drug dealer won’t kill anyone else’s family member until 2050, at least. Good riddance.” said US Attorney Ellis Boyle. W. Ellis Boyle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the New Bern Police Department, and Craven County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Englander and Jennifer C. Nucci 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 number 4:24-CR-00013-M-RN.


title: Montgomery County Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Defrauding FEMA of Over $1.7 Million in Hurricane Ida Disaster Benefits

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jasmine Williams, 34, of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to five years in prison by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for a scheme to defraud the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”) in the wake of Hurricane Ida. Williams was charged by indictment in April 2024 with one count of fraud related to a major disaster declaration, 24 counts of wire fraud, and seven counts of mail fraud. She pleaded guilty to all 32 charges in September of last year. As presented in court filings, in September 2021, President Joseph R. Biden issued a major disaster declaration for much of the eastern part of Pennsylvania, after the remnants of Hurricane Ida struck the Commonwealth. This declaration authorized FEMA to provide financial assistance to residents whose homes and properties were damaged by the hurricane. As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Williams recruited others over social media, advertising that she could assist them in applying for FEMA benefits. Court filings show that Williams solicited participants in her scheme, whether they were renters, owners, or homeless. Williams then submitted fraudulent documents to FEMA on behalf of almost 200 others, including fraudulent leases, letters from landlords, utility bills, earning statements, and home repair estimates. In exchange, Williams requested half of the payout for herself, amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars. When one participant did not pay, Williams took to social media, posting the participant’s personally identifiable information and an extended video criticizing her for not paying the 50% Williams charged. Williams also used social media to solicit images of damaged homes to submit in support of the fraudulent applications. In total, the Court determined that FEMA paid $1,744,982.64 in assistance based on false representations made by Williams from October 2021 through March 2023. This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, with assistance from FEMA Fraud Prevention and Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ruth Mandelbaum and S. Chandler Harris.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Springfield, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for drug trafficking. Marcus Hicks, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2025 was convicted of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of cocaine base, also known as crack cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Hicks was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023 . On Nov. 21, 2022, Hicks possessed 97 grams of cocaine, 15 grams of crack cocaine and two and one-half pounds of marijuana intended for distribution. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Holyoke Police Chief Brian Keenan; and Superintendent Lawrence Akers of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening a Federal Law Enforcement Officer

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty to threatening a federal law enforcement officer. Kenneth Pacheco, 22, pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, 2026 to one count of threatening a federal law enforcement officer before U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick who scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2026. Pacheco was arrested and charged in October 2025. He remains in custody. In May 2025, law enforcement received a tip from an anonymous complainant alleging that an individual using the online moniker “Amir Haqqani” was using a Facebook account to make threats against the complainant and other individuals. In response, Pacheco was interviewed by law enforcement. In July 2025, a relative of Pacheco expressed concerned that Pacheco may pose harm to himself and in response, law enforcement spoke with Pacheco again. On Oct. 7, 2025, Pacheco responded to these interventions by lashing out with threats aimed at friends, acquaintances and a federal agent. Specifically, Pacheco threatened that people would “get hurt,” that he would “put people in the [] hospital” and that he would “blow” the agents “brains out.” The charge of threatening a federal law enforcement officer provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Looney of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: H Block Gang Member Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Drug Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A member of the violent Boston-based gang, H-Block, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for drug conspiracy charges. Trea Lankford, a/k/a “Montana,” a/k/a “Heffna Boss Don,” a/k/a “Tre Cain,” 34 of Boston, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In October, 2025, Lankford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Lankford was one of 10 H-Block gang members and associates charged in August 2024 following a multi-year investigation of H Block beginning in 2021 in response to an uptick in gang-related drug trafficking, shootings and violence. According to court documents, over 500 grams of cocaine, cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl, as well as over 20,000 doses of drug-laced paper were seized during the investigation. According to the charging documents, the H Block Street Gang is one of the most feared and influential city-wide gangs in Boston. Originally formed in the 1980s as the Humboldt Raiders in the Roxbury section of Boston, the gang re-emerged in the 2000s as H Block. Current members of H Block have a history of violent confrontation with law enforcement, including an incident in 2015 when a member shot a Boston Police officer at point blank range without warning or provocation. From 2022 through 2023, Lankford, a long-time H Block gang member, participated in a conspiracy to distribute various controlled substances, including fentanyl, powdered cocaine and cocaine base (crack). On numerus occasions, Lankford conducted drug deals on various dates with an undercover officer, often accompanied by co-conspirators. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The investigation was supported by the Massachusetts State Police; Massachusetts Department of Corrections; Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office; and the Braintree, Quincy, Randolph and Watertown Police Departments. Assistant United States Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case along with Jeremy Franker of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime & Racketeering Section. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Multiple High-Powered Firearms

body_text: BOSTON – A Nashua, N.H. man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to trafficking nine firearms, including two semiautomatic rifles, into Massachusetts in over a one-month period. Dennis T. Michaud, Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in firearms. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2026. Michaud was arrested and charged in March 2025 . Beginning in or around February 2025, Michaud was identified as an illegal firearms dealer. From Feb. 7 through Feb. 11, 2025, undercover law enforcement contacted Michaud through Snapchat to arrange for the purchase of a semiautomatic rifle. During those communications, Michaud stated that he was located in New Hampshire and that he could bring the firearm to Massachusetts. On Feb. 11, 2025, in Pepperell, Mass., Michaud met with a confidential source operating at the direction of law enforcement to conduct the transaction. There, Michaud provided the confidential source with a Good Time Outdoors CXV Core 15 .223/5.56 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a 30-round .223/5.56 caliber magazine in exchange for $900. On Feb. 18, 2025, Michaud agreed to sell three additional firearms. Later that day, Michaud met the source at an agreed upon location in Pepperell, Mass. where he provided the following three firearms as well as accompanying ammunition and accessories in exchange for $2,100: a Taurus Raging Hunter .454 Casull Revolver and approximately five rounds of .454 Casull ammunition; a Rossi Interarms M68 .38 Special Revolver and approximately five rounds of .38 Special ammunition; and a Walther PPS 9mm Pistol with approximately six Walther PPS 9mm magazines and various firearm parts and/or accessories. In addition, on Feb. 27, 2025, Michaud agreed to sell two more firearms: a Radical Firearms RF-15 .223/5.56 caliber semiautomatic short-barreled rifle along with a 30-round .223/5.56 caliber magazine and a Sig Sauer P227 Equinox .45 caliber pistol along with a 10-round Sig Sauer P227 .45 caliber magazine. During the transaction Michaud provided the confidential source the two agreed-upon firearms and ammunition. Michaud also stated that possessing the semiautomatic short-barreled rifle would constitute “three felonies” due to the stock and 30-round magazine affixed to the firearm. On March 20, 2025 Michaud sold three more firearms, two magazines and ammunition to the confidential source in exchange for $2,250: a Century Arms 7.62x39mm YSKA AK Rifle; a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Pistol; and a Taurus PT-22 .22 caliber Pistol. The defendant was immediately taken into custody following the transaction. Michaud does not possess a federal firearms license. The charge of trafficking in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Nashua (N.H.), Worcester and Pepperell Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Arizona Man Who Shot at Border Patrol Agents Charged with Assault on a Federal Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Full Accountability

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – An Arizona man has been charged with Assault on a Federal Officer after he shot at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter that was assisting in his apprehension. “There is no ambiguity here, shooting at any law enforcement officer—including federal agents—is a violent felony that attacks the rule of law and undermines universal American values. We will pursue every available charge to ensure the subject is held fully accountable under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The quick and coordinated reaction to the threat posed by this subject from all levels of Arizona law enforcement was key and demonstrates why local and federal cooperation keeps communities safer.” According to the criminal complaint, filed in federal District Court on Jan. 27, U.S. Border Patrol agents were involved in a reactive human trafficking pursuit in rural southern Arizona, near Arivaca, when the suspect allegedly opened fire on the helicopter, manned by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent. A Border Patrol agent on the ground then engaged and shot at the suspect, Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Sahuarita. He was taken into custody, treated for his wounds and transported to a local hospital. Through the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement, it was determined that Schlegel was also wanted on a federal warrant for escape from custody, was convicted of multiple felonies—including alien smuggling—and has an order of protection against him in Pima county. The complaint alleges violations of 18 USC 111 (Assault on a Federal Officer), 18 USC 922(g) (Prohibited Possession of a Firearm), and 8 USC 1324 (Transportation of an Illegal Alien). The United States Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate further violations of federal law. A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The FBI, Tucson office, is investigating the incident with assistance from Pima County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. CASE NUMBER: 26-01491MJ RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-010_ Schlegel # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Hawaii Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Elderly Victim Out of Nearly $2 Million

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A Hawaii man was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for defrauding a 79-year-old Orange County victim out of nearly $2 million via false promises to broker the sale of the victim’s yacht and by taking out unauthorized loans against the victim’s Irvine condominium, which left the victim homeless. John Tamahere McCabe, 42, of Kailua, Hawaii, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fred W. Slaughter, who also ordered him to pay $1,814,000 in restitution. From July 2017 to January 2024, McCabe devised and executed a scheme to defraud the victim. McCabe offered to help the victim sell his yacht and promised to transfer the sale’s proceeds to the victim. What the victim did not know was McCabe used fabricated documents to change the ownership of the yacht to McCabe’s name. Once the yacht was in his name, McCabe then diverted the proceeds to his own personal bank account and used most of the proceeds for his own personal purposes. McCabe further convinced the victim to transfer his million-dollar Irvine residence into a McCabe-controlled limited liability company (LLC), claiming that it would protect the victim’s most-valuable asset and provide tax benefits. Without the victim’s knowledge or consent, McCabe caused himself to be the sole manager of the LLC and caused $1 million in loans to be taken out and secured by the victim’s residence, draining all its equity. Once McCabe spent most of the loan proceeds, he defaulted on the loans and the victim’s residence was sold at a foreclosure sale, leaving the victim homeless. Through this scheme, McCabe defrauded the victim out of approximately $1,814,000. The FBI investigated this case with the help of the Irvine Police Department. Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier prosecuted this case. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. English, Spanish and other languages are available. Information about the Department of Justice’s Elder Fraud Initiative is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice .


title: Groton Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offense

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RYAN CAMERON, 23, of Groton, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 90 months of imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release for a child exploitation offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2023, Cameron was convicted in state court of illegal dissemination of intimate images of a 15-year-old female. In April 2024, while Cameron was on state probation, his probation officer conducted a home visit and discovered Cameron was in possession of a cell phone in violation of the conditions of his probation. Subsequent forensic analysis of the phone revealed that it contained videos of child sexual abuse and messages between Cameron and others in which Cameron solicited and distributed child pornography. The phone also contained recordings of Cameron sending sexually explicit images and videos of himself to young girls on Snapchat. Cameron has been detained since May 20, 2024, when he was arrested on unrelated state charges. On January 3, 2025, he pleaded guilty in federal court to receipt of child pornography. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the New Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Hale County Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of Children

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Hale County man has been sentenced on charges related to attempted sex trafficking and drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Kenneth Dylan Williams, 39, of Gallion, Alabama, to 135 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. In September 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to attempted sex trafficking of children and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on August 9, 2024, a West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force (WAHTTF) undercover (UC) officer posted an advertisement on a commercial sex website posing as a 19-year-old female in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The following day, Williams sent a text message to the UC responding to the advertisement. During the exchange, the UC stated that she was only 15 years old and asked Williams if he wanted to continue to arrange a meeting. Williams requested a call with the UC to reassure himself that the UC was “real.” After the call, Williams confirmed the meeting location with the UC. Williams then traveled over an hour from his home to meet the UC at the set location in Brookwood, Alabama, and was arrested. During the arrest, officers recovered a Samsung Galaxy cell phone, wallet, and cash from Williams. A Tuscaloosa police officer searched Williams’s vehicle and recovered a clear plastic bag containing 25 grams of methamphetamine, a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, a loaded Sig Sauer 10mm pistol, a black ski mask, and leather gloves. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The ATF investigated the case along with the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force and the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.


title: Rheumatologist Agrees To Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related To Unapproved Drugs

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Steven L. Mendelsohn, a medical doctor specializing in rheumatology, has agreed to pay $549,554.26 to resolve False Claims Act allegations arising from the submission of reimbursement claims to Medicare for prescription arthritis drugs that were not approved by the Food & Drug Administration for marketing and distribution in the United States, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced today. This settlement resolves allegations that, in 2019, Dr. Mendelsohn sought reimbursement from Medicare for immunosuppressive drugs that were administered intravenously to his patients to treat rheumatoid arthritis that were not purchased from a licensed or authorized drug distributor. The United States alleged that the drugs were intended for foreign markets. Those drugs were thus not approved by the FDA for marketing and distribution in the United States. “When patients receive intravenous drugs, they have no insight into what is being put inside their bodies. The FDA plays an important role in ensuring only safe and proper pharmaceuticals are used,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Dr. Mendelsohn sidestepped that oversight to buy cheaper drugs abroad yet receive full reimbursement from Medicare at the expense of the American taxpayer. This settlement holds him accountable and ensures that Medicare funds are only used for FDA-approved drugs.” “Health care professionals are legally obligated to uphold the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Protecting the safety of Medicare patients is essential, and HHS-OIG is committed to ensuring taxpayer dollars are not spent on unapproved or unauthorized treatments that put patients at risk.” “The FDA’s comprehensive regulatory framework is designed to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of drugs distributed to American consumers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Juan Berrios, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Miami Field Office. “We commend the efforts of the Department of Justice to protect public health and hold accountable those who place profits over patient safety.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Holly H. Snow handled this affirmative civil enforcement matter with assistance from the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Last Defendant in Akron Drug Conspiracy Case Sentenced to Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – The last of seven defendants has been sentenced to prison for his role in a trafficking conspiracy that peddled opioids and other drugs throughout communities in Summit County and the surrounding areas. Jonnell L. Ammons, aka Nell, 36, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 125 months (10 years and four months) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after a federal jury convicted him in September 2025 of the following charges: Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Use of a Communication Facility to Facilitate a Felony Drug Offense In addition to the sentence on the drug charges, he was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, from about May 2023 to January 2024, Ammons was engaged in illicit activities with an Akron-area drug trafficking organization known for dealing in methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. As one of seven co-conspirators, he played a key role in pushing illegal drugs out into the communities of Northeast Ohio. The individuals in the conspiracy used residential and commercial buildings in Akron to store the illicit drugs before selling them. Members of the conspiracy also used firearms as a means of security to protect their drugs in storage before selling. Throughout the investigation, agents seized methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and three loaded firearms. More than $8,500 in cash, a Rolex watch, and a Chevrolet Corvette, were also seized by federal agents. The following co-defendants in the case are currently serving sentences in federal prison for their roles in the conspiracy: Terrance D.N. McCormick, aka, TNasty, 41; 420 months (35 years) Jonez S. Ammons, aka, Nez, 34; 151 months (12 years and 6 months) Karim S. Davis, 33; 42 months (3 years and 6 months) Tyler J. Sands, 24; 140 months (11 years and 7 months) Ashley E. Steiner, 36, 102 months (8 years and 6 months) Jonte J. Averiett, aka, Sticks, 24, 30 months (2 years and 6 months) All defendants resided in Akron. This wiretap case was investigated by the DEA Cleveland Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Peter E. Daly and Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.


title: “Free Palestine” radical who urged overthrowing the government charged with stalking President Biden in 2024

body_text: ATLANTA – Adam Benjamin Hall was arrested and appeared in federal court today on a federal charge of traveling in interstate commerce with the intent to kill then-President of the United States Joseph R. Biden, Jr. “Threats against the President are gravely serious and must be treated as such,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Hall’s alleged actions went beyond mere words and included traveling to Georgia with a firearm to murder President Biden. Political violence is never acceptable and must be countered by swift intervention and meaningful consequences.” “Our highest priority is protecting the President of the United States, and every potential threat is treated with the utmost seriousness,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert Donovan of the U.S. Secret Service, Atlanta Field Office. “Our agents, working in close coordination with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, worked tirelessly to advance this investigation. Hall’s arrest is representative of the effectiveness of our combined efforts to safeguard our nation’s leadership.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: on June 27, 2024, Adam Benjamin Hall allegedly drove from Alabama to Atlanta planning to sneak into the presidential debate hosted by CNN that evening so he could kill then-President Biden. A screenshot of a map allegedly found on Hall’s phone contained a location marker indicating that the phone was three blocks from the debate site approximately 28 minutes before the debate’s scheduled start time (when adjusted to local time). Hall’s phone also allegedly contained a note that Hall termed his “exposé” or “manifesto.” The note was addressed “[t]o all the Palestinian journalists . . . and in remembrance of the ones who lost their lives along the way.” It further stated in part: “Hopefully my actions snap you all awake long enough to thoroughly understand the point I will make in this exposé.” “Our enemies are not in any other country but our own and Israel’s.” “It’s time we overthrow these bastards and threaten to pull a f--king D-Day on Tel Aviv . . . .” “On the week of July 4th, forget your f--king barbecues and pool parties. Instead do the patriotic thing by marching on Capitol Hill, the White House, and the Supreme Court armed with whatever you have . . . . Unless the feds shoot first, you must not engage. If they are unwilling to comply after a few hours, then I permit you to march into those buildings and do what is necessary to regain control of our country from the deep state.” Hall’s manifesto concluded “Free Palestine” next to an emoji of the flag of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Palestinian Authority. Adam Benjamin Hall, 23, of Crane Hill, Alabama, was charged by a criminal complaint on January 26, 2026, with interstate stalking. He was arrested today and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Staci G. Cornelius in federal court. Notwithstanding Hall’s arrest, the investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed later. Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Pottsville Man Indicted For Production And Distribution Of Child Pornography

body_text: SCRANTON -- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bryce Robert Elliott, age 21, of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for the production and distribution of child pornography. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Elliott, sometime between December of 2024 and January of 2026, engaged in the production of videos depicting sexual activity with a toddler, which he then distributed over the internet. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . The maximum penalty under federal law for each count is 50 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Everett Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – An Everett man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing, distributing and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The defendant committed these offenses within months of being released from federal prison. Robert Sokolowski, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2025 , Sokolowski pleaded guilty to one count each of possession of child pornography; distribution of child pornography; and receipt of child pornography. In September 2024, Sokolowski lost his cell phone on an MBTA Green Line trolley. After the phone was turned in, an employee attempting to identify the owner of the lost phone discovered images of CSAM on the phone. The phone was found to contain hundreds of images and videos depicting CSAM, depicting children as young as toddlers. This case is Sokolowski’s third federal conviction for CSAM offenses. In 2015 , Sokolowski was convicted in U.S. District Court for possession of CSAM and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. In 2015, Sokolowski was convicted a second time in U.S. District Court for possession of CSAM and sentenced to 150 months in prison. He committed the offenses in this case seven months after being released from prison for the 2015 offense. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the MBTA Transit Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Brooklyn Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Murder-For-Hire Plot And Stalking A Journalist And Prominent Critic Of The Iranian Government

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Donald Holstead, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office, James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, Jessica S. Tisch, announced that CARLISLE RIVERA, a/k/a “Pop,” was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his participation in a murder-for-hire plot directed by the Government of Iran targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist. RIVERA previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to commit stalking before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence. “The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The Government of Iran hired Rivera through an associate living in Iran to locate and murder Masih Alinejad in cold blood, right here in New York City. The Government of Iran has long sought to murder Ms. Alinejad, a U.S. citizen residing in New York City, because of her efforts to stand up to the Iranian regime and expose its discriminatory treatment of women, corruption, and human rights abuses. Today’s sentence should be a warning to anyone who would cast their lot with the brutal Iranian regime and seek to do their murderous bidding, especially on American soil: You will be stopped, you will be arrested, and you will be brought to justice.” “Today’s sentence underscores the consequences of conspiring with a regime that relies on violence and intimidation to survive,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to detect and protect against such plots and to hold accountable those who try to achieve the vile ends of the Iranian regime.” “The Iranian government repeatedly targeted a journalist and human rights activist living in New York, but thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners those efforts failed,” said FBI Assistant Director Donald Holstead. “Today's sentencing sends a strong message that anyone who conspires with foreign powers to harm people living in the United States will be held accountable.” “The Iranian government enlisted a convicted killer to stalk and murder an American journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, in an effort to forever silence her vocal criticism of its regime,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Carlisle Rivera served as a hired gun to facilitate the political assassination attempt ordered by an international adversary. May today’s lengthy sentence reflect the FBI’s unwavering stance against any domestic or foreign actor seeking to target our nation’s residents for nefarious agendas.” “The defendant in this case showed a pitiless, calculated disregard for human life—and today’s sentencing is the culmination of a coordinated, comprehensive effort to bring him and his co-conspirators to justice,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The plot to murder Masih Alinejad, directed by the government of Iran and its terrorist proxy, is further proof that the work of our Joint Terrorism Task Force is as important and relevant as ever. I want to thank all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their work on this critical, wide-ranging case.” As reflected in the charging instruments, other public filings, and statements in public court proceedings: In 2024, RIVERA was hired by his criminal confederate, FARHAD SHAKERI, to murder Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). The IRGC is a military and intelligence organization that directly reports to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is the Government of Iran’s primary instrument for providing financial and lethal aid to proxy terror groups in the Middle East. Among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting, among others, U.S. citizens residing abroad and in the United States. Ms. Alinejad is one of the IRGC’s principal targets. The IRGC and the Government of Iran’s intelligence services have long sought to kidnap or murder Ms. Alinejad because of her efforts to promote gender equality and civil liberties in Iran and to expose the regime’s corruption, oppression, and terrorism to the international community. In 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad in the U.S. for rendition to Iran; then, in 2022, the IRGC hired powerful, violent members of the Russian Mob to murder Ms. Alinejad. After those efforts failed, the IRGC turned to SHAKERI, who hired RIVERA to kill Ms. Alinejad. RIVERA and SHAKERI were incarcerated together in the New York State prison system after RIVERA’s 1994 conviction for murder and SHAKERI’s 1991 conviction for manslaughter. In 2024, SHAKERI was living in Iran and was an IRGC asset. SHAKERI offered RIVERA $100,000 to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad, and RIVERA agreed. RIVERA then recruited his friend, co-defendant JONATHAN LOADHOLT, to assist him in the murder plot. Using money sent by SHAKERI, RIVERA and LOADHOLT purchased a firearm and “burner” cellphones. The two men then spent several months attempting to find and kill Ms. Alinejad, including by following her to a public speaking event and repeatedly stalking the Brooklyn house where SHAKERI and the IRGC believed Ms. Alinejad lived. During their efforts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad, RIVERA and his co-conspirators shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their murder plot. For example, in or about February 2024, RIVERA and LOADHOLT messaged about an incoming payment from SHAKERI, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Ms. Alinejad was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In April 2024, RIVERA and his co-defendants exchanged a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad. In one voice note, RIVERA told SHAKERI that Ms. Alinejad was “hard to catch, bro. And because she hard to catch, there ain’t gonna be no simple pull up, unless there[’s] the luck of the draw.” In a subsequent voice note, RIVERA referred to the “slammer,” meaning a firearm he had obtained to kill Ms. Alinejad. On November 7, 2024, before he could complete his plan to kill Ms. Alinejad, RIVERA was arrested. At RIVERA’s residence, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, a firearm with a partially obliterated serial number. * * * In addition to the prison term, RIVERA, 50, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. In January 2026, LOADHOLT pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. LOADHOLT is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman in April 2026. SHAKERI remains at large. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents and analysts from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection New York Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division, and the New York State Police. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Michael D. Lockard are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as the Counterterrorism Section of Department of Justice’s National Security Division.


title: Former DOJ Contractor Charged with Mail Fraud in Theft of Cell Phones Valued at $1.3 Million

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Javan King, 42, of Laurel, Maryland, has been charged with stealing thousands of government cell phones when he worked for the Department of Justice, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. According to the criminal Information, which was filed on Tuesday and appeared on the Court’s docket today , between approximately 2021 and 2025 while he worked as an information technology contractor for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, King defrauded DOJ out of more than $1.3 million by successfully requesting that DOJ order thousands of mobile devices that the Department did not need. After phones were shipped to King at DOJ, he sold them to phone reselling businesses. In total, those businesses paid him more than $1.3 million for the phones. The Information, which charges King with one count of mail fraud, further alleges that the Department of Justice suffered an actual loss of over $1.3 million because of fees that it paid AT&T for the unnecessary phone lines and phones. This case is being investigated by the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman. An Information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 26cr15