title: Honduran National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Associated Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Nidia Roxana Maradiaga-Flores (28), an illegal alien from Honduras, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to two years and two months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft, false representation of a Social Security number, and making a false claim of United States citizenship for employment purposes. Maradiaga-Flores was found guilty on January 14, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Archer Western-de Moya Group Joint Venture II (Joint Venture) is enrolled in E-Verify, a web-based system through which employers electronically confirm the employment eligibility of their employees. Maradiaga-Flores was an illegal alien from Honduras with no lawful status in the United States. On March 23, 2022, Maradiaga-Flores applied for employment with the Joint Venture in Pinellas County and filled out an I-9 form for use in the E-Verify system. On that form, Maradiaga-Flores falsely identified herself as a United States citizen and used another person’s means of identification to defeat the E-Verify system. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Transportation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration–Office of the Inspector General, the United States Border Patrol, the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.


title: Leader of Multi-State Check Fraud Conspiracy Convicted

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A New York man who led a multi-state check fraud scheme pled guilty today, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Inspector in Charge Felicia George of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Philip Spampinato of the Transportation Security Administration Office of Law Enforcement/Investigations Detroit . Nazaly Mason Smith, age 33, originally from Maryland, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for a scheme where he was responsible for over $1,500,000 in losses. At the hearing, Smith admitted to leading a check fraud conspiracy where he provided his subordinates with fake identification documents and stolen personal identifiable information (PII) for several victims. Smith then trained them to memorize the victims’ PII, open bank accounts in the victims’ names, and later fraudulently deposit the stolen checks. Sentencing before United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith will occur after a presentence report is prepared. Smith faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 30 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of not more than $1,000,000, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, TSA Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Dorval Norwood and K. Craig Welkener.


title: Drug Dealer Sentenced To Ten Years In Federal Prison For Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine And Firearms Possession

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Kiet Ly was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer handed down the sentence. Ly, 46, of San Francisco, was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 9, 2025. Ly pleaded guilty on December 10, 2025, to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon, as well as to the related supervised release violations. According to the plea agreement, Ly admitted to having been convicted on or about September 21, 2016, of a felony offense, namely, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine in United States v. Ly, Case No. 3:16-CR-00297-CRB. While Ly was on supervised release for that case, law enforcement searched the car that Ly was driving on or about July 19, 2025. They found 117 grams of methamphetamine and a Glock pistol loaded with seven bullets. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement. In addition to the prison term, Judge Breyer also sentenced the defendant to a four-year period of supervised release and ordered that he be sentenced to one year for the supervised release violations to be served concurrently. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Chen is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Gabriel Flesher. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by ATF and the San Francisco Police Department.


title: Multiple defendants indicted on federal drug trafficking charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants have been indicted by the May term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia on federal drug trafficking charges. Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include: Tyriquez McFadden , 39, and Nichael Lessey , 44, both of Augusta, charged in a five-count indictment with Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute 28 Grams or More of Crack Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon; Jacquez Sturgis , 36, of Augusta, indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; and, Roman Kelly , 51, of Augusta, indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute 50 Grams or More of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; and Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. The charges carry statutory penalties up to life in prison, along with substantial financial penalties and a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. The cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency and local law enforcement partners and are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Kyle Davis and Kelsey L. Scanlon.


title: Former Reno Nurse Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – A Reno man, previously employed as a registered nurse, who admitted to sending and receiving child sexual abuse materials was sentenced Wednesday by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to 84 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. The government recommended 151 months and lifetime supervision. According to court documents and information provided in court, between March 2024 and August 2024, Ryan Horton used the Kik messenger application to send and receive images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. A subsequent search of Horton’s cellphone conducted by the FBI revealed over 5,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including children as young as toddlers engaged in sexually explicit conduct with adults. Horton pleaded guilty to one count of distribution and receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. "The images shared by Mr. Horton exemplify the serious issue of child exploitation," said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. "By sharing and trading abusive images, his actions perpetuated a vicious cycle of harm. Horton possessed thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse; much of it was particularly violent, even depicting the abuse of children as young as toddlers. We extend our gratitude to the dedicated members of the FBI's Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force and the U.S. Attorney's office for investigating these critical cases to hold dangerous child predators accountable." First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement. In addition to the term of imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Horton will be required to register as a sex offender and keep the registration current in each of the following jurisdictions: (1) where he resides; (2) where he is an employee; and (3) where he is a student. The case was investigated by the Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force comprised of the FBI, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, Sparks Police Department, and the Washoe County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Keenan 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: New York Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice as Part of Six-Defendant Prosecution of Nationwide, Multi-Million Dollar Fraudulent Investment Scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – JAMES MICHAEL KAFES (“KAFES”) , age 57, a resident of Carmel, New York, pleaded guilty today before United States Judge Susie Morgan to Count 8 of an eight-count indictment charging KAFES and a co-conspirator, Josiah David (“David”) , with conspiracy to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1503(a) (Count 8), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, KAFES and David conspired to obstruct the due administration of justice, namely a federal grand jury investigation in the Eastern District of Louisiana concerning the operation of companies that sought investments to launch a medical reimbursement account program. Specifically, KAFES and David agreed, and arranged, for David to withhold material responsive to a federal grand jury from production and discouraged an owner-investor from meeting with federal investigative authorities. Additionally, on or about March 27, 2025, KAFES testified falsely while under oath before a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana. The federal investigation began as a result of a spin-off investment opportunity David and KAFES marketed related to The Total Financial Group (TTFG), a Louisiana business incorporated in 2005 that was located in, Covington, Louisiana, until its operations ceased in 2017. Denis Joachim incorporated, owned, and operated TTFG. TTFG and Joachim created and marketed a Medical Reimbursement Account program called “Classic 105,” which had three fundamental parts: monthly administration fees charged to employee-participants and employer-clients for participating in the program, a loan from a lender to employee-participants that would effectively offset the amount of an employee-participant’s monthly fee that the employee-participants never needed to repay, and an insurance policy secured on the life of the employee-participant and payable to the lender at the time of the employee-participant’s death to repay the loan amount. David , and a company under his control, Provision Corporation, LLC (“Provision”) , formed an association with Joachim and TTFG to market Classic 105 to prospective employer-clients and to seek, ultimately unsuccessfully, financial institutions to fund the loan component of Classic 105. Federal law enforcement authorities executed search warrants at Joachim’s residence and TTFG’s office in Covington, Louisiana in January 2017, effectively shutting down TTFG. Joachim was charged by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Louisiana, and thereafter pleaded guilty, based on the fraudulent development, marketing, and sale of Classic 105. Nevertheless, soon after the search warrant, David and KAFES signed a “letter of intent” promising Joachim they would establish a program that would be a successor to Classic 105. David and Provision then created a successor entity, The Premier Healthcare Solution, LLC (“Premier”) , for two purported purposes: to develop and administer a program modeled on and that was a continuation of Classic 105 (the “New 105 Plan”) and to solicit investors to purchase “units” in Premier by representing that investor-owners would profit significantly once the New 105 Plan “launched.” Premier and David also entered into a consulting agreement with Joachim that agreed to pay Joachim up to $20,000 per month, which they referred to as “royalty payments,” despite Premier having no clients and generating no outside revenue. In fact, the New 105 Plan never launched. KAFES was the President of Premier . While David was advertised as merely KAFES’s assistant, in reality he was responsible for its development, operation, and management and was its primary representative. The New 105 Plan had the same components as Classic 105. To convince potential and current investor-owners to contribute, David , KAFES , and the entities they oversaw, made numerous false statements and material omissions in their marketing efforts. Among the false representations David , KAFES , and their entities made were that the New 105 Plan was close to launch, that the New 105 Plan and its underlying intellectual property were “patent protected,” that Premier had already solidified funding for the loan component from financial institutions, and that law firms had vetted the New 105 Plan and found it to be legal and legitimate. David , KAFES , and their entities also withheld material information from current and prospective investors, including falsely characterizing their relationship with and obligations to Joachim, failing to disclose that DAVID (under his original name, “Dennis Lee”) had multiple felony convictions, suits filed against him for violations of state securities and/or consumer protection laws, public warnings about him issued by multiple state regulator entities, and a stipulated order for a permanent injunction and final judgment entered based on charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission, as well as understating David’s role in the program. In total, investor-owners made purchases and contributions totaling over $4,000,000. David , KAFES , and Premier sent over $550,000 of these funds to Joachim in more than 120 transactions. KAFES face up to five years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing before Judge Morgan has been scheduled for August 27, 2026. The trial of KAFES’s co-defendants is scheduled to begin on June 8, 2026. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Department of Labor – Employee Benefits Security Administration and Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. U.S. Attorney Courcelle also recognized the contributions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Criminal Division, is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Tren de Aragua leader extradited on terrorism and international drug distribution charges following Homeland Security Task Force investigation

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka Chuqui, 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership. Colombian authorities arrested him in Colombia March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan of the Southern District of Texas. According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals. As a TdA leader, he allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution and murder. A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero aka Johan Petrica, 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez aka Juancho, 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano aka El Viejo, 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores. The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20, 2025. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine. Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning either individual is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan. This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. This case is part of the HSTF 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 U.S. 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 Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution. Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Bangor Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking

body_text: BANGOR, Maine : A Bangor man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiring to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Bradley Bellfleur , 33, to six years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Bellfleur pleaded guilty on July 23, 2024. According to court records, Bellfleur was enrolled in the Penobscot Adult Treatment and Recovery Court in Bangor as part of his sentence for a 2022 burglary conviction. While enrolled in that court, investigators received information that he was trafficking fentanyl. A search of his residence recovered fentanyl and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Additional evidence—such as messages obtained from his cellular phones—showed that Bellfleur was working with individuals from Massachusetts and obtaining fentanyl on a regular basis for distribution in the Bangor area. Bellfleur was convicted of manufacturing methamphetamine in 2016. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated this case, with assistance from the FBI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, the Bangor Police Department, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office. 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 Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. ###


title: Lackawanna County Man Sentenced To 240 Months’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jimmy Bell, age 33, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 13, 2026, to 240 months’ imprisonment and a term of supervised release by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marihuana, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute marihuana, one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Bell had plead guilty on an earlier date. As part of his guilty plea, Bell admitted that on or about May 26, 2023, in Lackawanna County, he conspired with his co-defendants to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 2KG of methamphetamine and nearly 4KG of marihuana. Bell, a previously convicted felon, also admitted that he possessed a rifle with an obliterated serial number and additional ammunition and a Smith & Wesson .38 special handgun with an obliterated serial number and additional ammunition in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Gerard Donahue prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Venezuelan Gang Member Sentenced for "Jackpotting" and Ordered to Pay Restitution

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: OXFORD, MS – A Venezuelan man with ties to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) international gang was sentenced today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud by United States District Judge Michael P. Mills. Darrin Daza-Segura, 26, living as an illegal alien in Dallas, Texas, was sentenced today to ten months with three years of supervised release. Additionally, he is to pay the victim $47,250 in restitution. According to court documents, upon release of this prison sentence, the defendant will be surrendered to the custody of ICE for removal from this country. He will not be allowed to re-enter without the written permission of the Secretary of Homeland Security. Commonly known as “Jackpotting,” Daza-Segura and his co-defendant Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa travelled throughout Mississippi and reprogrammed bank ATMs to disperse large amounts of cash. They successfully stole $47,000 from ATMs at Mississippi banks and attempted to steal much more. ATM Jackpotting is a significant problem throughout the country and is a known crime commonly perpetrated by members of the TdA gang from Venezuela. Winder Alexander Canelon-Tiapa has also pled guilty in this case is set to be sentenced before Judge Mills on May 28, 2026. U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “These Venezuelan gang members have been categorized as terrorists. In Mississippi, you can trace where they go from Interstate 55 and Highway 45. They do not live here but have come to victimize our citizens in North Mississippi. We are not going to stand for such actions in this district.” The Cyber Crime Division of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case. “Criminals are always finding new, innovative ways to steal your hard-earned money," said Attorney General Fitch. “And when it gets in their hands, sometimes it funds their criminal enterprises. Working together with our federal, state, and local partners, we were able to stop a dangerous TdA gang member from defrauding Mississippians and potentially using your money to finance their crimes.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case.


title: Stephenson County, Ill. Man Sentenced to 150 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Stephenson County, Ill. man has been sentenced to 150 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting numerous children, including infants and toddlers. For more than a decade, MATTHEW KAUFMAN enticed multiple children to engage in sexually explicit conduct and recorded it. Kaufman coerced and enticed some of the children via the social media application Snapchat. He stored hundreds of videos and images of the abuse on his electronic devices. Kaufman is a registered sex offender who was convicted in 2008 of a felony offense for possessing child pornography. The following year, he began the abuse that gave rise to this federal conviction and 150-year sentence. Kaufman, 45, of Lena, Ill., pleaded guilty in 2025 to three counts of production of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Iain D. Johnston on Thursday imposed the 150-year prison term and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Kaufman was also ordered to pay $28,000 in restitution to his victims. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department provided valuable assistance. “Over the course of at least thirteen years, defendant, a convicted sex offender, preyed upon vulnerable children for his own sexual gratification,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “By repeatedly and violently sexually abusing multiple young girls, defendant has proven that he is truly a predator and that each of the images and videos he created depict a crime scene.” If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to https://www.missingkids.org/ or calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced in D.C. in Connection with Multi-Kilogram Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: WASHINGTON - Marcus Devonta Williams, 47, of Brookeville, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 70 months in connection with his role as the Washington, D.C.-area distributor in a large-scale cocaine trafficking conspiracy that funneled multi-kilogram quantities of the drug from New York into the Washington metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “Marcus Williams played a central role in a cocaine trafficking pipeline that moved multi-kilogram quantities of dangerous drugs from New York into the Washington metropolitan area,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He distributed cocaine to re-sellers throughout the region and profited substantially from that criminal activity. Today’s sentence reflects the serious harm caused by large-scale drug trafficking and demonstrates our commitment to holding accountable those who flood our communities with illegal narcotics.” Williams pleaded guilty before Judge Amir H. Ali on Feb. 4, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, Judge Ali ordered Williams to serve five years of supervised release and to pay a $150,000 money judgment. Federal prosecutors had requested a 78-month prison term. According to court papers, beginning in the summer of 2024, the FBI investigated a large-scale cocaine conspiracy operating in the Washington, D.C., area, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. Williams served as the D.C.-area point person for the conspiracy, receiving multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine transported from New York by co-defendant Daryl Smith-Winfree. Williams then distributed it to re-sellers and individual buyers throughout the region. Between February and April 2025, law enforcement made four controlled purchases of cocaine from Williams. During that same period, surveillance documented Williams meeting with Smith-Winfree in Wilmington, Delaware, in a manner consistent with drug supply transactions. On March 24, 2025, GPS tracking data placed Williams' vehicle in a Walmart parking lot in Wilmington, where surveillance footage showed Smith-Winfree's vehicle pull alongside. Williams entered Smith-Winfree's vehicle briefly, then returned to his own truck carrying a brown paper bag. The following day, Williams met co-defendant Tavon Valentine Lee in a Silver Spring, Maryland, parking lot. Lee entered Williams' vehicle empty-handed and departed two minutes later carrying a brown paper bag, which he deposited in a trash receptacle. Law enforcement recovered the bag, which contained packaging consistent with a kilo of cocaine, cocaine residue on cutting and mixing instruments, and a parking receipt bearing Williams' vehicle's license plate number. Montgomery County police stopped Lee shortly after and recovered about 257 grams of cocaine and a loaded firearm from his vehicle. Later that day, law enforcement stopped Williams and recovered more than $33,000 in cash from his vehicle. On June 3, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at Williams' Brookeville, Maryland, residence and a construction trailer associated with him, recovering about five to six ounces of cocaine, about $31,000 in cash, a money counter, and drug packaging materials. That same day, Howard County police stopped Smith-Winfree en route to resupply Williams and recovered about three kilograms of cocaine hidden in his vehicle. The $31,000 in cash recovered from Williams’ residence. A warrant for Smith-Winfree's iCloud account revealed digital ledgers tracking cocaine quantities supplied to Williams totaling 5.5 kilograms between January and February 2025. Williams agreed he was accountable for at least five kilograms of cocaine. Smith-Winfree, 44, pleaded guilty on January 28 before Judge Ali to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and was sentenced to 96 months in prison. The investigation was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Arlington County Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and Michael L. Barclay. 25cr163 Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Waterville Man Sentenced for Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a Minor

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Neil Wing , 39, to 21 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Wing pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025. According to court records, Wing began communicating with an undercover detective posing as a 12-year-old girl on the online chat platform Kik. These conversations quickly became sexual in nature, with Wing repeatedly asking for pictures. Wing subsequently sent the undercover detective a sexually explicit image of himself naked in the bathroom. Wing was interviewed while a search warrant was being executed at his residence and admitted to sending the image. Homeland Security Investigations and the Maine State Police Major Crimes Unit–Special Victims investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2025, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received over 21 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Former Law Enforcement Officer Sentenced in Connection With Arson and Wire and Bank Fraud Conspiracies

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a former Maryland law-enforcement officer for his role in a wire-fraud conspiracy. Judge Lydia Griggsby sentenced Philip James Dupree, 42, of Pikesville, to 70 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, arson, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud in connection with schemes to defraud an insurance company and three different financial institutions. Judge Griggsby ordered Dupree to pay $65,049.14 to the affected insurance company and $3,521 to the affected credit union. The 70-month sentence was ordered to be served consecutively to an unrelated sentence imposed in the District of Columbia. Dupree, a former Fairmount Heights Police Department officer, and his co-conspirator, Mark Ross Johnson, Jr., 38, of Camp Springs, a former Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) officer, conspired with others to carry out the schemes. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced Dupree’s sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office, and Chief George Nader, PGPD. According to court documents, co-conspirators joined forces to commit two separate fraud schemes. Through the schemes, co-conspirators filed false police reports and falsified loss claims to obtain and attempt to obtain funds from an insurance company along with three different financial institutions. In November 2018, as part of the insurance fraud scheme, Dupree and Johnson coordinated to burn Johnson’s Ford F450 truck that was experiencing mechanical and electrical problems. Dupree “discovered” the burning vehicle while on duty in Fairmount Heights and filed an impound report containing false statements regarding the recovery of the truck. Johnson then used the report number in support of his claim filed with the insurance company for a total loss on the truck. He also submitted altered telephone records to his insurer to hide that he participated in a 16-minute conversation with Dupree just before Dupree “discovered” the truck. A fire investigator, hired by the insurer, testified that the Ford F450 fire was intentionally set, and originated in the passenger compartment of the truck. The insurer, relying in part on the police report and altered telephone records, paid out more than $68,000 to the lien holder on the truck. Then, from May 2019 until June 2019, Dupree, Johnson, and others conspired to defraud three financial institutions. They coordinated the withdrawal of money from their financial accounts through ATMs so they could fraudulently claim their money was stolen. Then the co-conspirators sought reimbursement from their financial institutions. In executing the scheme, Dupree and Johnson coordinated submitting police reports to PGPD. Through these reports, they falsely claimed their debit cards were stolen and then were used to withdraw funds from various ATMs without permission. One police report that Dupree submitted to support his claim of a stolen debit card was a complete fake. The report was never submitted to the Prince George’s County Record Management System. Additionally, the report included the name of a non-existent police officer as the preparer. It also carried over Johnson’s name as the “victim” from the separate report Johnson asked a co-conspirator to generate to submit to his credit union. The co-conspirators submitted fraudulent claims to the victim financial institutions seeking reimbursement for the purportedly unauthorized ATM withdrawals. Johnson’s sentencing is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, at 2:30 p.m. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and PGPD for their work in the investigation and praised the Fairmount Heights Police Department for its assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Baldwin who prosecuted the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Sexual Abuse Materials Charges

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – A Stark County man, and previously convicted sex offender, has been sentenced to federal prison for child pornography offenses. Shane Stouffer, 46, of Canton, Ohio, has been sentenced to 240 months (20 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Christopher A. Boyko, after pleading guilty in January to the following charges in the indictment: Receipt of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct Possession of Child Pornography, or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, agents conducting investigations into suspected CSAM activity on social media platforms identified Stouffer in 2025. During a search warrant execution at his residence, which he shared with co-defendant Daniel J. Dobies, 57, investigators found electronic devices belonging to Stouffer which contained approximately 158 videos and 43 images which were CSAM. The files included depictions of children under the age of 12 being raped and molested. During the investigation, agents conducted a criminal history search of Stouffer and Dobies. Stouffer was convicted in October 1999 for Rape and Gross Sexual Imposition involving minor victims and was again convicted of Gross Sexual Imposition involving a minor victim in 2014. Dobies also had prior convictions related to sexual abuse including Gross Sexual Imposition in 1991, and Attempted Rape in 1993. Dobies also pleaded guilty to charges of receipt and distribution, as well as possession, of CSAM and is scheduled to be sentenced June 11. The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Canton Resident Agency and the Canton Police Department with assistance from the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Stark County Sex Offender Registry. Assistant United States Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC . To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org , or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah Recognizes Law Enforcement During National Police Week

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah hosted the 2026 United States Attorney’s Awards for Law Enforcement Ceremony. The event took place during National Police Week (May 10 -16, 2026) to honor the courage, sacrifice and dedication of law enforcement officers everywhere. The United States Attorney’s Award recipients from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners were recognized for their individual exceptional work and distinguished achievements and contributions to the mission of the Department of Justice. This year’s ceremony is in special memory of fallen officers, Officer Eric Estrada and Sergeant Lee Sorenson of the Tremonton-Garland Police Department, who paid the ultimate sacrifice on August 17, 2025. “We owe Utah’s local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies a profound debt of gratitude. Our men and women in blue work diligently to protect the citizens of Utah at great personal sacrifice, and as we were reminded recently, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We are thrilled to participate in National Police Week by honoring these sacrifices and the selfless commitment to protect and serve.” To learn more about National Police Week visit https://www.policeweek.org/ .


title: California Man Sentenced to 120 Months In Prison For Fraudulently Obtaining $46 Million In Public Benefits And Laundering Proceeds To China

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brian R. Cleland, age 72, a resident of Los Angeles, California, was sentenced on May 14, 2026, to 120 months in prison by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to launder monetary instruments in the amount of approximately $46.4 million. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cleland previously pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, and admitted that he and his coconspirators Bruce Jin, Age 61, and Carlos A. Grijalva, age 60, both of Los Angeles, California, along with other unnamed coconspirators, conspired to obtain state unemployment compensation funds, and other public funds, through fraudulent means. Cleland, Jin, Grijalva, and others entered into a series of agreements to make it appear as if they were operating legitimate businesses selling masks and other COVID19 personal protective equipment. The funds that the defendants obtained and laundered through their companies were derived from fraudulently obtained state unemployment compensation (“UC”) benefits. Economic Impact Payments, or “stimulus payments,” were also obtained through fraudulent means. Unnamed members of the conspiracy, including some believed to be located in China, established thousands of accounts at banks across the United States using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims. From there, fraudulent UC claims were generated and paid to these accounts, including accounts in the names of people residing in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. These fraudulent UC claims were also generated by fraudsters based in China. As a result of this fraudulent activity, millions of dollars in fraudulent UC payments were made by Pennsylvania, Virginia, Florida, and other states. After UC funds were paid out, they were then transferred from identity theft victims’ accounts to companies controlled by Cleland, Jin, and Grijalva. For instance, Jin, through companies that he controlled known as Ample International and Jin Commerce, received over $12 million in UC funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. In addition, the defendants used ACH processing—a type of electronic bank-to-bank transfer—to obtain over $45 million in fraudulent funds from the accounts of identity theft victims. This money mostly went from the accounts of identity theft victims to companies controlled by Cleland and Grijalva, including MexUS Service, Group Mex USA, CCB Group, GC Accounting, and CLECO. After that, Cleland and Grijalva transferred over $30 million to Jin’s companies and over $6 million to a company controlled by an associate of Jin. After Jin received the fraudulent funds, either from identity theft victims’ accounts or from Cleland and Grijalva through ACH processing, he then made international wire transfers totaling over $35 million to a bank account associated with a company in China, which is known in the Indictment as “COMPANY 2.” Jin also transferred over $2 million directly to the individual in China who controlled that company, who is referred to as “COCONSPIRATOR 2” in the Indictment. Cleland was also ordered to pay approximately $46.4 million in forfeiture. “Brian Cleland and his co-conspirators stole millions from struggling Americans during a national emergency — hiding behind fake businesses while robbing the American people of crucial unemployment benefits and other public funds. Deplorable schemes like this end now,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “Let this sentence serve as a warning to those who attempt to exploit tax-payer funded programs; The Office of Inspector General, our law enforcement partners, and Vice President Vance’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud — will find you, investigate you, and hold you accountable to the highest extent of the law.” "Fraud schemes targeting the funds which aid the American people undermines the programs built to support those in need," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Working alongside our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains committed to protecting the integrity of these programs and pursuing those who exploit them through fraud and deception.” Jin was sentenced on April 30, 2026, to 144 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit over $59 million in US currency, along with other properties. Grijalva has pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19, 2026. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ravi Romel Sharma and K. Wesley Mishoe and U.S. Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick B. Gushue prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Jury Finds D.C. Man Guilty of First-Degree Sexual Abuse Against Two Victims

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Maurice Spears, 34, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury for charges stemming from the sexual abuse of two different women, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Spears was found guilty of six counts of first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of felony threats, and one count of misdemeanor sexual abuse. The verdict was returned today, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Jason Park scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2026. According to the government’s evidence, on April 15, 2024, Spears went on a single date with the first victim. They ended up back in the defendant’s storage unit, where he was living. Inside the storage unit, the defendant threatened to kill the victim and her children if she left. Spears told her that he planned to force her into prostitution and that he had law enforcement in his pocket, even showing her a fake police badge. The defendant forced the victim to spend the next three days with him, walking her all over the District of Columbia. The defendant twice sexually assaulted the victim inside his storage unit. He later took her to Virginia and kept her in a motel room. Eventually, the victim’s family was able to learn the defendant’s identity and track him to the motel room, where they rescued her and took her to the hospital. On July 26, 2024, the second victim met Spears when they were both at a services provider for homeless individuals. The defendant promised to help the victim get some shoes. When the victim ran into Spears the next day, he started to follow her around and refused to leave her tent when she asked him to. Eventually the defendant started threatening her, telling her that he was connected to law enforcement and that he had people who would harm her if he told them to. For the next five days, Spears refused to let the victim out of his sight. He repeatedly sexually assaulted her, including in her tent and at a storage facility where she rented a unit. Eventually, the victim was able to call 911 and escape from the defendant. Spears was arrested on September 9, 2024, and has been in custody since. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Swanson and Sarah Roessler. 2024 CF1 009131


title: Previously Deported British Citizen Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering U.S.

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN O’ROURKE, also known as JOHN CASEY, 27, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien. According to court documents and statements made in court, O’Rourke has used several other aliases including “John O’Rouke,” “Michael Casey,” “John Joyce,” “Robert Davanzo,” “David Collins,” and “James McCormack.” On October 7, 2024, U.S. Border Patrol apprehended O’Rourke, under an alias, and four other individuals near Fort Covington, New York, close to Canadian border. An investigation revealed that O’Rourke did not have legal status in the United States and, on October 15, 2024, he was removed by foot from New York to Canada. O’Rourke subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. On February 18, 2025, O’Rourke was arrested under the name John Casey in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and charged with state offenses including evading responsibility and breach of peace. On March 2, 2026, O’Rourke was arrested under the name John Casey in Pleasonton, California, on an arrest warrant issued by a judge in Torrington, Connecticut, charging O’Rourke with larceny in the first degree, making home improvements without a valid home improvement certificate, and mispresenting or impersonating a registered contractor. O’Rourke also has a pending state case in Danbury, Connecticut for larceny. Additional investigation revealed that O’Rourke has pending cases stemming from arrests under various aliases in Suffolk County, New York, in November 2023; Everett, Washington, in September 2025; Linden, New Jersey, in December 2025; and Snohomish County, Washington, in January 2026. He also is being sought by law enforcement in Surrey, England. O’Rourke has been detained since his arrest in California on March 2, 2026. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for August 6, at which time O’Rourke faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years. This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj. N. Patel. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Rockford Restaurant Owner Sentenced to Five and a Half Years in Prison for Burning Down His Restaurant and Filing False Insurance Claim

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

body_text: ROCKFORD — The owner of a Rockford restaurant has been sentenced to five and a half years in federal prison for burning down his restaurant and filing a false insurance claim. JAMES PURIFOY intentionally started a fire inside the 15th and Chris restaurant, 201 15th Ave. in Rockford, on Jan. 22, 2023. To hide his involvement from law enforcement, Purifoy left the premises before police and fire personnel arrived to put out the fire. Purifoy admitted to obstructing the subsequent arson investigation by providing false statements to the Rockford Police Department, Rockford Fire Department, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Purifoy later filed a fraudulent insurance claim, which paid him $305,400. Purifoy, 51, of Rockford, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to a federal arson charge. U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed the 66-month prison term during a hearing on Wednesday in federal court in Rockford. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge for ATF’s Chicago Field Division, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Timothy Morris, Jr., Division Chief of the Rockford Fire Department The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation and prosecution. “Arson is a seriously dangerous crime which can have devastating consequences,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Maveus argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “An intentionally set fire unnecessarily risks the lives of bystanders and first responders. Others who engage in reckless and deceitful behavior must be on notice that they will be held accountable.” “The City of Rockford Fire Department worked closely with the ATF throughout this long investigation,” said Division Chief Morris. “The joint effort between the ATF and City Fire Investigators resulted in a case closure. This outcome reflects our department's commitment to holding those who intentionally set fires fully accountable, protecting our community, our firefighters, and the integrity of the insurance system that citizens and residents depend on.”


title: South Bend Man Sentenced to 109 Months in Prison For Unlawful Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Terrence Baker, 46 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Baker was sentenced to 109 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. “As a convicted armed robber who also had a felony conviction for possession of cocaine, the Defendant had no business possessing a firearm when he shot approximately 8 times at an occupied house located in a residential neighborhood in South Bend. Police Officers responded and observed multiple bullet holes in the side of the two-story house. Law enforcement located and collected spent casings and reviewed text messages sent by Baker threatening the occupant of the home over a $500 dispute. When officers found Baker a couple weeks later, he was in possession of the same .380 caliber handgun used in the shooting,” U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred said. “As part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and thanks to the efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the South Bend Police Department with the cooperation of St. Joseph County Prosecutor Ken Cotter and his office, AUSA Hannah Jones and AUSA Joel Gabrielse were able to prosecute him in federal court” said U.S. Attorney Adam Mildred. “Preventing gun violence requires close coordination between our federal, state, and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners. In this case, the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), provided a critical investigative link that helped identify and remove another violent offender from our community. The outcome in this case reflects our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well as the South Bend Police Department and I am grateful for their continued collaboration and investigative assistance,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T Jones and Joel Gabrielse. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former Manager of Fraternal Order of Police Lodges Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Kevin Ryan Straw, 40, was charged by information and pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Thursday before U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove. According to the information and his plea agreement, between 2021 and 2024, Straw served as President of Metropolitan Lodge 32, Fraternal Order of Police, based in Louisville, Ky., and, at various times, served as the Vice President and Government Affairs Chair of the Kentucky State Fraternal Order of Police, based in Frankfort, Ky. Straw devised a scheme to defraud both FOP Lodges and numerous individual victims of money through materially false pretenses, representations, and promises. Straw defrauded individuals through an investment fraud scheme, defrauding at least ten individuals out of a total of $80,200. In addition, Straw misappropriated $49,760 from Metro Lodge 32 through cash withdrawals he falsely claimed were made to transfer the funds to a different Metro Lodge 32 account. Finally, Straw charged $15,501.48 in personal expenses to the State FOP credit card and requested reimbursement from the State FOP for $41,562.97 in travel expenses not incurred. In total, Straw defrauded $187,024.45 from Metro Lodge 32, the State FOP, and the investment fraud victims. According to his plea agreement, Straw agreed to pay $187,024.45 in restitution. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Paul Humphrey, Chief, Louisville Metro Police Department, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the Louisville Metro Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith. Straw is scheduled to be sentenced on August 11, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. — END —


title: Lancaster Medical LLC agrees to pay $500,000  to resolve allegations related to Paycheck Protection Program eligibility

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that Lancaster Medical LLC, a former medical practice located in Depew, NY, has agreed to pay $500,000 to resolve allegations arising under the False Claims Act (FCA), that it fraudulently obtained a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which it was not eligible to receive. This action is part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Lancaster Medical LLC applied for and received a PPP loan in April of 2020, which was fully guaranteed by the SBA in the amount of $249,290. The United States alleges that Lancaster Medical LLC violated the FCA by falsely certifying its eligibility for the PPP loan. Lancaster Medical LLC was not eligible for the PPP loan because its assets had been sold pursuant to an asset sale in 2019—months before it applied for the PPP loan. The United States further contends that the PPP loan proceeds were used for impermissible purposes, such as personal expenses for Lancaster Medical LLC’s former owners. The United States further contends that after being informed that the PPP loan was not approved for forgiveness, Lancaster Medical LLC did not repay the loan. The civil settlement also resolves pending civil forfeiture litigation in the United States District Court for the Western District of New York, United States of America v. One 2020 BMW X5, Vin: 5UXCR6C00L9C83972, Titled and Registered to Kevin G. Cleary , 23-cv-272. In that action, the United States was seeking the forfeiture of a vehicle that it contends was proceeds of and traceable to the proceeds of Lancaster Medical LLC’s PPP loan. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Jason Buckley, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr., and the United States Attorney’s Office. The FCA matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Coriell and Jonathan W. Ferris, and Investigator Peggy McFarland. The Civil Forfeiture matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Clare Kane. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination or admission of liability. # # # #


title: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison For Controlled Substance Offense

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Charles Pheal, Jr., 35 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Pheal was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. “The Defendant sold 100 methamphetamine pills while on probation for burglary of a dwelling and domestic battery where he kicked open a door of a residence and slapped a mother in the presence of three minor children. His criminal history also includes a misdemeanor domestic battery conviction where he broke into a residence through the window of a child’s bedroom and struck the child’s mother causing swelling to her left eye and scratches on her hands and knuckles. He was sentenced for that misdemeanor domestic battery on the same day that he was sentenced in a different case for carrying a handgun without a license. The criminal justice system’s efforts at the Defendant’s rehabilitation have failed because he chose to continue his career of antisocial behavior by peddling poison in our community,” US Attorney Adam Mildred said. “While drug dealing, Mr. Pheal alleged to be selling ecstasy; however, his drugs were methamphetamine, a highly addictive and deadly substance. Methamphetamine is often mixed with illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, which are driving the overdose and poisoning deaths in the United States. Mr. Pheal’s actions are yet another example of the cruelty of drug traffickers. They always lie. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the LaPorte County Drug Task Force, along with their prosecution partners, will continue to collaborate to bring drug dealers to justice and to keep the Hoosiers of northern Indiana safe. Northern Indiana is not where drug dealers should want to do their evil work. Mr. Pheal is realizing that now,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the DEA North Central Laboratory and LaPorte County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.


title: Owner of Health Care Software Company Convicted of 1 Billion Dollar Medicare Fraud Conspiracy

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A federal jury in the Southern District of Florida convicted the founder and owner of HealthSplash yesterday for his role in operating a platform that generated false doctors’ orders and prescriptions to defraud Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs out of more than $1 billion. Photo of defendant Brett Blackman “The Department of Justice crushed one of the most egregious fraud schemes in Florida history,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This illegitimate operation stole more than $1 billion from American taxpayers — including hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries. This was cold, calculated, industrial-scale theft targeting the sick and elderly, coercing vulnerable people into buying unnecessary medical equipment. We will not rest until every fraudster ripping off the American people is held accountable.” “The defendant orchestrated a massive telemarketing scheme that used foreign call centers and spam mailers to target our country’s senior citizens and defraud government health care benefit programs,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Fraud Division will continue to aggressively prosecute health care fraud schemes, hold criminals accountable, and protect the integrity of America’s health care system.” “This was not health care. It was a billion-dollar fraud machine,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Jason A. Reding Quiñones. “The defendant built and operated a platform that generated false doctors’ orders, used foreign call centers to target seniors, and helped push medically unnecessary equipment through Medicare and other federal health care programs. Seniors were exploited. Taxpayers were robbed. Programs meant to care for the elderly, veterans, service members, and families were treated like a cash register. This conviction is a major victory for patients, taxpayers, and the rule of law, and it sends a clear message: if you steal from federal health care programs in South Florida, we will find you, prosecute you, and make sure fraud does not pay.” "The scale of greed in this case is staggering. Brett Blackman and his co-conspirators systematically preyed upon hundreds of thousands of elderly and vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries, converting a platform meant for modern healthcare into a $1 billion vehicle for outright fraud,” said Brett Skiles, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Miami. “Today's verdict sends a definitive message to unscrupulous healthcare executives and fraudulent networks alike: no matter how complex you make your web of sham contracts and shell companies, law enforcement will unravel it, and you will be held fully accountable." According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brett Blackman, 42, of Johnson County, Kansas, and his co-conspirators aggressively targeted hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries to get them to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces and other items. They then arranged for purported telemedicine doctors to sign bogus prescription orders for these items, so that their co-conspirators could bill Medicare for them. All told, Blackman and his co-conspirators billed Medicare and other federal health care benefit programs over $1 billion for this unnecessary equipment. Blackman owned, controlled, and was the CEO of HealthSplash, which acquired Power Mobility Doctor Rx, LLC (DMERx) in September 2017. DMERx was an internet-based platform that generated false and fraudulent doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment (DME) and prescriptions for other items. As part of the scheme, Blackman and his co-conspirators connected pharmacies, DME suppliers, and marketers with telemedicine companies that would accept illegal kickbacks and bribes in exchange for signed doctors’ orders created using the DMERx platform. Blackman and his co-conspirators took a cut for themselves in exchange for the referrals. Photo of mansion used in defendant's music video “This conviction further underscores our dedication to protecting the integrity of military healthcare from large-scale exploitation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “Fraud of this magnitude drains vital resources and jeopardizes the care promised to our service members, retirees, and their families. DCIS, alongside our partners, remains steadfast in rooting out and dismantling these schemes, ensuring every conspirator faces justice.” “This verdict shows exactly what happens when people exploit Medicare for personal gain,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS‑OIG). “The actions of this defendant severely undermined the integrity of the Medicare program. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to relentlessly pursue those who try to profit by defrauding federal health care programs.” “This conviction sends a clear message that those who exploit VA programs and services for personal profit will be found and held accountable,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Greg Wentz with the VA Office of Inspector General Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to uncover complex fraud schemes, protect veterans and taxpayers, and ensure accountability.” The fraudulent doctors’ orders and prescriptions generated by DMERx falsely represented that a doctor had actually examined and treated the Medicare beneficiaries when, in fact, the doctors were simply paid to sign orders and prescriptions without any meaningful interaction with the beneficiary, and in some cases, no interaction at all. Doctors signed these orders and prescriptions without regard to whether the equipment was medically necessary. Testimony and evidence presented at trial from an undercover agent who posed as a Medicare beneficiary showed the scheme in action—starting with a foreign call center that pushed the undercover agent to agree to multiple braces to a doctor signing bogus orders for the braces using Blackman’s DMERx platform. The doctor’s order for one of these undercover agent beneficiaries claimed that the doctor conducted various tests that can only be performed in person even though the doctor never even spoke with the undercover agent “patient.” The DME suppliers and pharmacies that were paying illegal kickbacks for these orders billed Medicare and other insurers for more than $1 billion. Medicare and the other insurers paid more than $450 million based on these claims. According to evidence presented at trial, Blackman and his co-conspirators concealed the scheme through sham contracts and by manipulating the doctors’ orders to avoid Medicare audits. The jury convicted Blackman of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, and conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters. Blackman’s co-defendant, Gary Cox, was convicted in a prior trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison. Blackman faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud conviction, five years for the conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks conviction, and five years for the conspiracy to defraud the United States and to make false statements in connection with health care matters conviction. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for August 26, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. HHS-OIG, FBI, VA-OIG, and DCIS investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Darren C. Halverson and Reginald Cuyler Jr. of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Trial Attorneys Shane Butland and Jennifer E. Burns assisted in the prosecution. Trial Attorney Evan N. Schlom with the Fraud Section’s Special Matters Unit provided valuable assistance. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the Fraud Division. The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Madison Man Sentenced to Over 8 Years for Drug Trafficking and Gun Possession

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jalen Hayes, 26, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on May 6, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 97 months in federal prison for possessing controlled substances intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Hayes pleaded guilty to these charges on February 10, 2026. In 2025, Hayes was under state supervision after being released from prison for an armed drug trafficking case. On July 5, 2025, he fled from a traffic stop. On July 25, 2025, officers arrested Hayes, who was carrying a backpack. Hayes set the backpack down and mouthed to his girlfriend, “get the bag.” Officers searched the backpack and found a loaded 9mm handgun, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, marijuana, oxycodone, and Xanax pills. A search of Hayes’s phone showed he was advertising controlled substances for sale in social media posts and had purchased the 9mm handgun. Hayes was prohibited from legally possessing firearms and ammunition because of prior felony convictions, including convictions for armed robbery, armed drug trafficking, and distributing drugs in jail. At sentencing, Judge Peterson observed that Hayes having a loaded gun meant he was ready to use it. Judge Peterson said that drug dealing is inherently violent and that risk increased by Hayes carrying a gun. Noting an epidemic of gun violence in the community, Judge Peterson said the purpose of the sentence was to send a message to Hayes and the community. The charges against Hayes were the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). # # # #


title: Tren de Aragua Leader Extradited on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigation

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A 24-year-old Venezuelan national is set to make his initial appearance in Houston federal court for providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization and significant drug trafficking offenses. Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is alleged to be a high-ranking leader of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership. Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia on March 31, 2025, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He has now arrived in Houston and is set for an initial appearance on May 15 at 10 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan for the Southern District of Texas. According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. The charges allege the proceeds were used to further TdA’s criminal goals. As a TdA leader, Flores allegedly oversaw criminal activities in Colombia such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and murder. A federal grand jury in Houston returned a second superseding indictment Dec. 16, 2025, which also charges three other TdA leaders - Yohan Jose Romero also known as "Johan Petrica," 48, Juan Gabriel Rivas Nunez also known as "Juancho," 45, and Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano also known as "El Viejo," 38, for conspiring to provide and providing material support to TdA. Mosquera Serrano is also named in the conspiracy and distribution of cocaine charges along with Flores. The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist on Feb. 20, 2025. If convicted, Flores faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Mosquera Serrano is on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List. Jose Romero and Rivas Nunez are also fugitives. Anyone with information concerning these individuals is asked to contact the FBI via WhatsApp or Telegram at 281-787-9939. Those with information may also contact their local FBI office, nearest American Embassy or Consulate or can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . The Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program is also offering a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Jose Romero and up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Mosquera Serrano . Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith and Trial Attorneys James Keller and Kelly McGann of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). This case is part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include the Southern District of Texas, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York, Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and Districts of Nevada and Arizona; as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys and Department of Justice’s National Security Division. Additionally, Federal Bureau of Prisons; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations(ICE)(HSI); Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. This case is part of the 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 U.S. 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 Houston comprises agents and officers from FBI; ICE HSI; DEA; Texas Department of Public Safety; Houston Police Department; Harris County Sheriff's Office; ATF; USMS; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation and IRS Criminal Investigation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution. Colombian National Police (Policía Nacional de Colombia) and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación), Justice Department’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, and Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the provisional arrest and extradition of Flores to the United States. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: THREE ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM VENEZUELA PLEAD GUILTY TO OPERATING A SEX TRAFFICKING RING IN BATON ROUGE

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Osleidy Vanesa Chourio Diaz, age 28, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, announced U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall. Today’s conviction is the third conviction in this ongoing investigation. Previously, in April 2025, Josmar Jesus Zambrano-Chirinos, age 25, a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and in January 2026, Allbert Herrera Machado, age 25, also a Venezuelan national, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. According to admissions made during their guilty pleas, between February 2024 and April 26, 2024, Zambrano, Chourio Diaz and others were involved in a scheme to recruit women from outside the United States, to arrange for them to enter the United States illegally, and, using force, threats of force, fraud, coercion, and a combination of such means, to cause them to work as prostitutes. Machado knowingly agreed to assist the scheme. In furtherance of the scheme, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz rented an apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where at least two women lived and worked as prostitutes. In early 2024, Zambrano and Chourio Diaz assisted the first victim as she entered the United States illegally from Mexico. Zambrano discussed with the victim in advance that she would owe a substantial debt to Zambrano and others; that she would be working as a prostitute in the United States; and that while she would keep some of the funds from her prostitution activities, most of the funds would be applied to her debt. Zambrano also facilitated a second victim’s travel to Baton Rouge. Zambrano and Chourio Diaz arranged for the victim to work as a prostitute out of the apartment they had rented, and they led the victim to believe that she, too, owed them a large debt. Meanwhile, Machado resided at the apartment with the victims and controlled their day-to-day movements and activities. Machado would message customers to schedule sexual encounters with the victims and collect and control payments from customers, who paid in cash. He would also communicate with Zambrano and Chourio Diaz regarding the victims and would receive instructions regarding (a) how much and how often the victims should work, (b) what portion of the proceeds the victims could keep, and (c) whether and under what circumstances the victims could leave the apartment. On April 26, 2024, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a 911 call placed by one of the victims at the apartment. Deputies arrived at the residence and located Machado and two victims inside the apartment. During a subsequent search of the apartment, deputies recovered evidence confirming that the apartment was being used as part of a prostitution business, including stacks of cash, numerous used condoms, sexual items and devices, multiple cell phones containing messages from potential “clients” who were asking to meet, and several ledger books that appeared to document how much money each of the victims had made each day and how much of their debt remained. If convicted, each defendant faces a lengthy federal prison sentence, as well as the forfeiture of any and all proceeds from the offense. They are each also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing their sentences. U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office with valuable assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin M. Anderson and Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, lead the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Recognizes the Law Enforcement Community During National Police Week

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO – Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today recognized the tremendous service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers during National Police Week. “Serving as a sworn law enforcement officer is among the greatest callings in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “All of us at the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office consider it a privilege to work with the valiant men and women of law enforcement who serve our communities with honor, integrity, and bravery. National Police Week reminds us that behind every badge is a story of service, sacrifice, and family. To those brave officers in uniform, I say thank you for risking your life, wellbeing, and security to keep the rest of us safe. To the families of the fallen heroes who paid the ultimate price, we grieve your tragic loss and renew our commitment to supporting law enforcement each and every day and to continuing to fight the good fight on behalf of the people of the district that we serve.” In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation designating May 15 as the annual Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which that date falls as National Police Week. During National Police Week, our nation celebrates the contributions of law enforcement from around the country, recognizing their hard work, dedication, and loyalty. On Wednesday, the names of 363 officers killed in the line of duty, including Chicago Police Officer John Bartholomew, were added to the wall at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., during the 38th Annual Candlelight Vigil. Officer Bartholomew served CPD honorably for ten years and was tragically killed on April 25, 2026. He is survived by his wife and three children. To learn more about National Police Week, please visit www.policeweek.org .


title: San Joaquin County Man Charged For Unlawful Possession Of Ammunition In Connection With Fatal Shooting At Oakland Nightclub

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Jarvis Toussaint has been charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. Toussaint, who was already in federal custody for an unrelated offense, made his initial appearance in federal court in Oakland on May 13, 2026. According to the criminal complaint and court documents filed May 8, 2026, and now unsealed, Toussaint, 40, of Mountain House, CA, is alleged to have engaged in a shootout in a crowded downtown Oakland nightclub in the early morning of March 7, 2026, in which two people were killed, including an Oakland woman who was shot as she attempted to run from the gunfire. At least five others also suffered gunshot wounds during the incident. Although Toussaint fled the scene following the shooting, investigators identified him through a combination of surveillance video, automated license plate reader technology, car dealership records, Instagram evidence, cell phone location data, and DNA analysis. The semiautomatic pistol Toussaint used in the shooting has not been found, but investigators recovered at the scene the spent shell casings from the rounds he had fired. At the time of the shooting, Toussaint had previously been convicted of multiple felonies and was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and ATF Special Agent in Charge John Wester made the announcement. Toussaint is currently in federal custody. Toussaint is next scheduled to appear in magistrate court on May 19, 2026 for a status conference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajay S. Krishnan. A complaint merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the violation of possessing ammunition as a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonah P. Ross is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James and Analisse Iniguez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the ATF and the Oakland Police Department.


title: San Xavier Man Sentenced to 340 Months in Prison for Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Ski Redfeather Johnson, 37, of San Xavier, Arizona, was sentenced on May 7, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Scott H. Rash to 340 months in federal prison. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to four counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor. Between 2015 and 2020, Johnson engaged in abusive sexual contact with four different minor victims who were all under the age of 12 on multiple occasions at residences where he was living on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Johnson and the minor victims are enrolled members of the Tohono O’odham Nation. “Ski Redfeather Johnson repeatedly preyed upon and stole the innocence of four children,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This 28-year sentence reflects the relentless work of FBI Special Agents and Tohono O’odham Nation Tribal Police officers dedicated to protecting these children and bringing their perpetrator to justice.” “This sentence underscores the severity of Ski Johnson’s crimes and thanks to the courageous victim who came forward, he will spend the next 28 years in prison,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day. “The FBI and our partners remain devoted to identifying, investigating, and holding accountable those who seek to harm our most vulnerable.” The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office and the Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-8440 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-074_Johnson