title: Cholo Abdi Abdullah Sentenced To Life In Prison For Conspiring To Commit 9/11-Style Terrorist Attack On Behalf Of al-Shabaab

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, and Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today that CHOLO ABDI ABDULLAH was sentenced to life in prison by U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres following his conviction for multiple crimes that included conspiring to provide—and providing—material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Today’s sentencing followed ABDULLAH’s conviction after a jury trial that concluded on November 4, 2024. “Cholo Abdi Abdullah was a highly trained al-Shabaab operative who was dedicated to recreating the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks on behalf of a vicious terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Abdullah pursued his commercial pilot license at a flight school in the Philippines while conducting extensive attack planning on how to hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in America. As he later admitted to the FBI, he was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack. I commend the years of outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office who disrupted Abdullah’s murderous plot and brought him to face justice in a U.S. court. He will now spend life behind bars, where he will not be able to harm innocent Americans.” “Today, justice has been served,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Abdullah, an al-Shabaab terrorist, sought to replicate the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airliner to take down a building on U.S. soil. We thwarted this plot due to the relentless efforts of U.S. law enforcement and thereby likely saved many innocent lives. His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.” “Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist and trained pilot Cholo Abdullah was justly punished today for his plotting to commit a 9/11-style terrorist attack,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “This case serves as reminder individuals still wish to inflict violence upon our country in the name of the terrorism. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains steadfast in its relentless determination to protect the American people from terrorists and their heinous desires.” According to court documents and the evidence at trial: al-Shabaab Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as al-Shabaab, is a terrorist organization and al Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia and active in other locations in East Africa. Since its formation, al-Shabaab has relied on violence, including assassinations, suicide bombings, armed assaults on hotels, restaurants, beaches, and an array of civilian targets to pursue its goals. Those goals include al Qaeda’s broader objective to overthrow the U.S. government and create an Islamic caliphate. In 2012, the then-Emir of al-Shabaab swore allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, the then-Emir of al Qaeda who succeeded Osama bin Laden after his death in 2011, which led to al-Zawahiri announcing that al-Shabaab “will hereby merge into al Qa’ida.” On February 26, 2008, the U.S. Secretary of State designated al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization (“FTO”) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Since its designation, al-Shabaab has repeatedly declared its intent to target the West and kill Americans. In April 2008, for example, in response to the U.S. designation of al-Shabaab as an FTO, al-Shabaab released a statement expressly declaring its intent to target the U.S. The next month, in May 2008, al-Shabaab publicly declared that its fighters would “hunt the U.S. government,” and threatened that governments supporting the U.S. and Ethiopia should keep their citizens out of Somalia. Consistent with its threats, al-Shabaab has repeatedly engaged in mass-casualty attacks targeting Americans. al-Shabaab’s “Operation Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized” Campaign In May 2018, al-Shabaab announced that it would participate in an al Qaeda-driven campaign to retaliate against the U.S. for its decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, called “Operation ‘Al-Qudsu Lan Tuhawwad (Jerusalem will never be Judaized).’” al-Shabaab subsequently claimed, in public statements, responsibility for multiple major terrorist attacks carried out under Operation “Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized.” One of al-Shabaab’s attacks was the January 15, 2019 assault on the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi, Kenya (the “DusitD2 Attack”), which included, among other things, a suicide bomber detonating an explosive device in front of a U.S. citizen, killing him; and four other armed individuals attacking the hotel grounds with AK-47s and grenades, killing more than 20 additional people. al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, and in a propaganda video explained that the DusitD2 Attack was “successful, by the grace of Allah, and resulted in the deaths of more than 50 disbelievers, including Americans and other Western nationals.” ABDULLAH Joins the al-Shabaab Aviation Plot to Re-Create the September 11 Terrorist Attacks ABDULLAH joined al-Shabaab in 2015 and spent approximately a year at a series of safehouses in Somalia where he worked with high-ranking al-Shabaab members and received military-style training that included how to fire an AK-47 assault rifle and how to make different sized explosives. During his training, ABDULLAH was recruited by senior al-Shabaab operatives for a “greater plan,” one that was “bigger than the fighting and the explosives.” Specifically, ABDULLAH agreed to join al-Shabaab’s international scheme to execute a mass-casualty terrorist attack, which would involve ABDULLAH training to become an airline pilot so that he could hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in the U.S. Between October 2017 and July 2019, ABDULLAH became a student at a flight school in the Philippines and spent hundreds of hours training to become a commercial pilot. ABDULLAH’s flight school tuition was financed by al-Shabaab, which raises funds through an elaborate system of extortion in Somalia that it refers to as “taxation.” Images of ABDULLAH at the flight school are displayed below, with the instructors’ faces redacted: During his enrollment, ABDULLAH participated in multiple training programs for his private and commercial pilot licenses, as well as to obtain the required ratings necessary to fly commercial aircraft. These requirements included hundreds of hours of classroom instruction, work in flight simulators, hands-on flight training, and written examinations. At the time of his arrest in the Philippines in July 2019, ABDULLAH had completed all but one of the requirements for his commercial pilot licenses and had nearly completed the “instrument rating” required to get a job as a pilot with a major airline. ABDULLAH Agreed to Murder U.S. Nationals for al-Shabaab Following his arrest, ABDULLAH admitted to FBI agents that he was training to become a pilot on behalf of al-Shabaab so that he could hijack a plane. As part of his attack planning, ABDULLAH had researched certain transit visas that would allow him to enter the U.S., tested the feasibility of taking a knife on board an airplane, and admitted that he expected others to be killed or injured when he hijacked the plane. ABDULLAH himself expected to die in the attack. While training at the flight school, ABDULLAH continued to research his attack plans. ABDULLAH searched online multiple times for information concerning airplane cockpit doors, as well as airline jobs, instructor training, and possible interview questions for airline jobs. In December 2018, ABDULLAH searched for information concerning security on airplanes, including whether air marshals are on every flight, and “Boeing 737 cockpit door.” ABDULLAH visited websites discussing pilots carrying guns inside airplane cockpits, and viewed an article on how to open an airplane cockpit door from the outside. In January 2019, ABDULLAH was briefed by his al-Shabaab handler about the DusitD2 Attack. ABDULLAH’s handler was a high-level al-Shabaab operative who coordinated the DusitD2 Attack and arranged for the use of a suicide bomber during the assault on the hotel and office complex. ABDULLAH admitted to FBI agents that his handler told ABDULLAH that his friend in al-Shabaab had died “for the cause” during the DusitD2 Attack, and that ABDULLAH and his handler used that as “encouragement” for ABDULLAH to become stronger. ABDULLAH then repeatedly searched online about the DusitD2 Attack, including for footage of the suicide blast. Just two days later, ABDULLAH accelerated his attack planning by researching “Delta flights,” and the “Tallest building in Atlanta,” specifically focusing on the Bank of America Plaza, a 55-story building standing 1,023 feet tall according to the website ABDULLAH visited as part of his research. Throughout his flight training, ABDULLAH also provided his al-Shabaab handler with detailed progress reports that described his research and attack planning. In these reports, ABDULLAH described how he had taken flights to determine which airline seats had the best views of the flight deck door. ABDULLAH also compiled research on post-September 11 hijacking attempts and described how the “brothers during 9/11 did something completely unexpected in a more creative way, ‘study for piloting.’” In that same report, ABDULLAH concluded that “the only successful hijack after 9/11 was the one of the [E]thiopian [A]irlines and it is so because it was hijacked by the pilot himself.” ABDULLAH’s progress report then described a list of “My ideas” that ABDULLAH created and arrived at for a successful hijacking operation. His number one idea was that “for a very successful mission, we need a pilot in the cockpit (which means I should apply for the airlines).” Before ABDULLAH could complete his commercial pilot license training and carry out the final, deadly steps of the Aviation Plot, he was arrested, in July 2019, by authorities in the Philippines. He was transferred to U.S. custody in December 2020. As a result of this conduct, on November 4, 2024, ABDULLAH was found guilty at trial of six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals abroad, which carries a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, which carries a mandatory minimum of 20 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. * * * ABDULLAH, 35, of Kenya, was not sentenced to any supervised release. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. Mr. Clayton also thanked the FBI Counterterrorism Division; the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, the Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Sabrina Jim Munoz and trial attorney John Cella of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.


title: District of Arizona Charges 160 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Dec. 13 through Dec.19, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 160 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 95 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 55 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 9 cases against 10 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Marina Elizabeth Hernandez-Ardon : On Dec. 17, 2025, Hernandez-Ardon was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. According to the complaint, a Border Patrol agent requested a records check of a vehicle traveling on I-8 Eastbound, which confirmed the vehicle’s driver, Hernandez-Ardon, had an expired Employment Authorization Card. Driving alongside the vehicle, Border Patrol agents observed what appeared to be an individual in the rear passenger seat attempting to conceal themselves under a blanket. Agents initiated a traffic stop and observed Hernandez-Ardon in the driver’s seat and two individuals lying down on the floorboard of the rear passenger compartment under a blanket. The two passengers, citizens of Mexico, were found to have entered the United States without legal authorization. Hernandez-Ardon is a citizen of El Salvador. 25-02201MJ. United States v. Jose Armando Talamantes-Magallanes: On Dec. 15, 2025, Talamantes-Magallanes was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. According to the complaint, Border Patrol agents noticed a breach in the border fence about a half of a mile west of Border Monument 177 and five sets of footprints walking northbound. The agents followed the footprints and located Talamantes-Magallanes and five other individuals concealed in the bushes and dressed in camouflage and carpeted shoes to conceal their footprints. Agents determined the defendant was transporting the five individuals into the United States, and immigration checks confirmed that Talamantes-Magallanes and the five other individuals are citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. 25-02183MJ. United States v. Frances Walker and Yael Rosales . On Dec. 16, 2025, Walker and Rosales were charged by complaint with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens. As charged in the complaint, Border Patrol agents initially tried to stop a red Honda Civic on suspicion of alien smuggling as it traveled north on Federal Route 19 on the Tohono O'odham Nation. The driver, Rosales, failed to yield then briefly stopped and two individuals, later determined to be illegal aliens, ran from the Civic. Rosales again failed to yield and was eventually stopped by local law enforcement. After departing the first vehicle, the aliens were picked up by a second vehicle, driven by Walker. That vehicle was stopped at the State Route 86 Border Patrol Checkpoint, and Walker and the aliens were taken into custody. 25-MJ-13128-MSA. RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-178_December 19 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Thompson Man Sentenced To 72 Months In Prison For Trafficking In Stolen Human Remains

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Pauley, age 43, of Thompson, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 22, 2025, to 72 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property. Chief Judge Brann also ordered Pauley to pay a $2000 fine and serve three years on supervised release following his sentence. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Pauley admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary. Pauley purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen. Pauley also sold many of the stolen remains to others, at least one of whom also knew they had been stolen. Previously, other individuals were also indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state. Maclean and Taylor sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, including Matthew Lampi. Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments. “The trafficking of stolen human remains through the US Mail is a disturbing act that victimizes already grieving families while also creating a potentially hazardous situation for Postal employees and customers,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “I hope our efforts, and these sentencings, bring some amount of closure to those affected by this terrible crime.” “Today’s sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “I want to thank our partners at the Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney's Office for their diligent efforts in this case.” Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, Katrina Maclean, Cedric and Denise Lodge, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison; Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Ensanian was sentenced to six months in prison; Denise and Cedric Lodge were sentenced to 12 months and a day and 96 months in prison. Joshua Taylor and Katrina Maclean are awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan Martin is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney Announces $6.8 Million Settlement With New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital For Paying Kickbacks To A Westchester Oncology Practice In Order To Obtain Referrals

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), Naomi D. Gruchacz, announced today that the United States has filed and settled a healthcare fraud lawsuit against NEW YORK-PRESBYTERIAN HUDSON VALLEY HOSPITAL (“NYPHV”), which, prior to 2015, was known as Hudson Valley Hospital Center (“Hudson Valley”). The settlement resolves allegations that NYPHV improperly paid millions of dollars to a Westchester-based oncology practice (the “Oncology Practice”) to induce patient referrals to the hospital, which NYPHV then billed to Medicare and Medicaid. Specifically, the Complaint alleges that in 2011 and 2012, NYPHV entered into three contracts with the Oncology Practice. Together, those contracts provided that NYPHV would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to the Oncology Practice in exchange for, among other things, work on a proposed melanoma center (the “Melanoma Center”), work on a proposed breast cancer center (the “Breast Center”), and the development and management of an intraoperative radiation therapy service line (the “IORT Service Line” and, collectively, with the agreements concerning the Melanoma Center and the Breast Center, the “Agreements”). After entering into the Agreements, Hudson Valley and NYPHV subsequently made millions of dollars in payments to the Oncology Practice. But in reality, many of these payments were not made in exchange for the services identified in the Agreements. Instead, the Oncology Practice frequently failed to perform or document the central services identified in the Agreements. All the while, NYPHV continued to receive referrals from the Oncology Practice that generated millions of dollars in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid. Under the settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, NYPHV agreed to pay a total sum of $6,836,764.30 plus interest, with $6,469,410.32 to be paid to the United States and the remainder to be paid to New York State. As part of the settlement, NYPHV also admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the Government in its complaint, including that NYPHV paid the Oncology Practice over $4 million pursuant to the Agreements for work that was either not performed or not performed as called for in the Agreements, or for which NYPHV lacks any time records. “Hospitals and physicians are expected to make medical decisions based on the needs of their patients, not improper financial arrangements,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When hospitals provide improper payments to induce patient referrals, they compromise the integrity of federal healthcare programs that serve New Yorkers. We cannot afford corruption in our healthcare industry.” “Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, like those alleged in this case, can improperly influence referral decisions and undermine the integrity of federal health care programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi D. Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG is committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs and ensuring that provider decisions are not compromised by inducements.” As alleged in the Government’s Complaint: In 2011 and 2012, NYPHV entered into the three Agreements with the Oncology Practice. The Agreements provided, respectively, that NYPHV would pay the Oncology Practice an annual fee in exchange for, among other things: one of the Oncology Practice’s physician principals (“Physician A”) serving as the Medical Director of a proposed Melanoma Center at the hospital (the “Melanoma Directorship Agreement”); the Oncology Practice’s other physician principal (“Physician B”) serving as the Medical Director of a proposed Breast Center at the hospital (the “Breast Center Directorship Agreement”); and the Oncology Practice developing, managing, marketing, and integrating the IORT Service Line as part of the hospital’s Department of Radiation Oncology (the “IORT Management Services Agreement”). Each of the three Agreements expired in 2016. By October 2016 at the latest, NYPHV was, or at minimum should have been, aware that the Oncology Practice was performing only a portion of the work called for under the IORT Management Services Agreement and was not performing the majority of the work being called for under the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. In addition, despite the fact that all of the Agreements expired in 2016, NYPHV continued to pay the Oncology Practice the fees in the Agreements through 2019. All told, between January 2011 and December 2019 (the “Covered Period”), NYPHV paid over $4 million in fees to the Oncology Practice in connection with the Agreements—including payments for work that was not performed—to induce the Oncology Practice to refer its patients to NYPHV for oncology-related medical services in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. As a result of this conduct, NYPHV submitted false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid for services provided to these patients in violation of the False Claims Act. Under the settlement, NYPHV admitted, among other things, that: Between 2011 and 2019, Hudson Valley and NYPHV together paid the Oncology Practice over $4 million pursuant to the Agreements for work that was either not performed, not performed as called for in the Agreements, or for which NYPHV lacks any time records. The Oncology Practice was required to submit these records to Hudson Valley, and later NYPHV, under the Melanoma and Breast Center Directorship Agreements. By October 2016, NYPHV was, or at minimum should have been, aware that the Oncology Practice was performing only a portion of the work called for under the IORT Management Services Agreement and was not performing the majority of the work being called for under the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. Nevertheless, NYPHV continued paying the Oncology Practice its fees under each of these agreements for another three years. The Oncology Practice and Physician A never developed or established the Melanoma Center as envisioned by the Melanoma Directorship Agreement and, accordingly, Physician A did not perform the primary duties of a Medical Director as envisioned by the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. Further, at least by 2012, Physician A did not provide 50 hours of work per month toward developing or establishing the Melanoma Center and NYPHV was unable to identify any time records from the Covered Period documenting Physician A’s or their designee’s work related to the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had previously been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HHS-OIG. This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Bergman is in charge of the case.


title: Cholo Abdi Abdullah Sentenced to Life in Prison for Conspiring to Commit 9/11-Style Terrorist Attack on Behalf of Al-Shabaab

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: Cholo Abdi Abdullah was sentenced to two consecutive life terms in prison following his conviction for multiple crimes that included conspiring to provide — and providing — material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. Today’s sentencing followed Abdullah’s conviction after a jury trial that concluded on Nov. 4, 2024. “Today, justice has been served,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Abdullah, an al-Shabaab terrorist, sought to replicate the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airliner to take down a building on U.S. soil. We thwarted this plot due to the relentless efforts of U.S. law enforcement and thereby likely saved many innocent lives. His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.” “Cholo Abdi Abdullah was a highly trained al-Shabaab operative who was dedicated to recreating the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks on behalf of a vicious terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Abdullah pursued his commercial pilot license at a flight school in the Philippines while conducting extensive attack planning on how to hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in America. As he later admitted to the FBI, he was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack. I commend the years of outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office who disrupted Abdullah’s murderous plot and brought him to face justice in a U.S. court. He will now spend [decades] behind bars, where he will not be able to harm innocent Americans.” “Al Qaeda affiliated terrorist and trained pilot Cholo Abdullah was justly punished today for his plotting to commit a 9/11-style terrorist attack,” said Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia of the FB. “This case serves as reminder individuals still wish to inflict violence upon our country in the name of the terrorism. The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force remains steadfast in its relentless determination to protect the American people from terrorists and their heinous desires.” According to court documents and the evidence at trial: al-Shabaab Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, commonly known as al-Shabaab, is a terrorist organization and al Qaeda affiliate based in Somalia and active in other locations in East Africa. Since its formation, al-Shabaab has relied on violence, including assassinations, suicide bombings, armed assaults on hotels, restaurants, beaches, and an array of civilian targets to pursue its goals. Those goals include al Qaeda’s broader objective to overthrow the U.S. government and create an Islamic caliphate. In 2012, the then-Emir of al-Shabaab swore allegiance to Ayman al Zawahiri, the then-Emir of al Qaeda who succeeded Osama bin Laden after his death in 2011, which led to al-Zawahiri announcing that al-Shabaab “will hereby merge into al Qa’ida.”. On February 26, 2008, the U.S. Secretary of State designated al-Shabaab as a foreign terrorist organization (“FTO”) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224. Since its designation, al-Shabaab has repeatedly declared its intent to target the West and kill Americans. In April 2008, for example, in response to the U.S. designation of al-Shabaab as an FTO, al-Shabaab released a statement expressly declaring its intent to target the U.S. The next month, in May 2008, al-Shabaab publicly declared that its fighters would “hunt the U.S. government,” and threatened that governments supporting the U.S. and Ethiopia should keep their citizens out of Somalia. Consistent with its threats, al-Shabaab has repeatedly engaged in mass-casualty attacks targeting Americans. al-Shabaab’s “Operation Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized” Campaign In May 2018, al-Shabaab announced that it would participate in an al Qaeda-driven campaign to retaliate against the U.S. for its decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, called “Operation ‘Al-Qudsu Lan Tuhawwad (Jerusalem will never be Judaized).’”. al-Shabaab subsequently claimed, in public statements, responsibility for multiple major terrorist attacks carried out under Operation “Jerusalem Will Never Be Judaized.” One of al-Shabaab’s attacks was the Jan.15, 2019 assault on the DusitD2 hotel and office complex in Nairobi, Kenya (the “DusitD2 Attack”), which included, among other things, a suicide bomber detonating an explosive device in front of a U.S. citizen, killing him; and four other armed individuals attacking the hotel grounds with AK-47s and grenades, killing more than 20 additional people. al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the attack, and i a propaganda video explained that the DusitD2 Attack was “successful, by the grace of Allah, and resulted in the deaths of more than 50 disbelievers, including Americans and other Western nationals.” Abdullah Joins the al-Shabaab Aviation Plot to Re-Create the September 11 Terrorist Attacks Abdullah joined al-Shabaab in 2015 and spent approximately a year at a series of safehouses in Somalia where he worked with high-ranking al-Shabaab members and received military-style training that included how to fire an AK-47 assault rifle and how to make different sized explosives. During his training, he was recruited by senior al-Shabaab operatives for a “greater plan,” one that was “bigger than the fighting and the explosives.”. Specifically, he agreed to join al-Shabaab’s international scheme to execute a mass-casualty terrorist attack, which would involve Abdullah training to become an airline pilot so that he could hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in the U.S. Between October 2017 and July 2019, Abdullah became a student at a flight school in the Philippines and spent hundreds of hours training to become a commercial pilot. Abdullah’s flight school tuition was financed by al-Shabaab, which raises funds through an elaborate system of extortion in Somalia that it refers to as “taxation.”. Images of Abat the flight school Abdullah are displayed below, with the instructors’ faces redacted: During his enrollment, Abdullah participated in multiple training programs for his private and commercial pilot licenses, as well as to obtain the required ratings necessary to fly commercial aircraft. These requirements included hundreds of hours of classroom instruction, work in flight simulators, hands-on flight training, and written examinations. At the time of his arrest in the Philippines in July 2019, Abdullah had completed all but one of the requirements for his commercial pilot licenses and had nearly completed the “instrument rating” required to get a job as a pilot with a major airline. Abdullah Agreed to Murder U.S. Nationals for al-Shabaab Following his arrest, Abdullah admitted to FBI agents that he was training to become a pilot on behalf of al-Shabaab so that he could hijack a plane. As part of his attack planning, he had researched certain transit visas that would allow him to enter the U.S., tested the feasibility of taking a knife on board an airplane, and admitted that he expected others to be killed or injured when he hijacked the plane. He himself expected to die in the attack. While training at the flight school, Abdullah continued to research his attack plans. He searched online multiple times for information concerning airplane cockpit doors, as well as airline jobs, instructor training, and possible interview questions for airline jobs. In December 2018, he searched for information concerning security on airplanes, including whether air marshals are on every flight, and “Boeing 737 cockpit door.”. He visited websites discussing pilots carrying guns inside airplane cockpits, and viewed an article on how to open an airplane cockpit door from the outside. In January 2019, ABDULLAH was briefed by his al-Shabaab handler about the DusitD2 Attack. His handler was a high-level al-Shabaab operative who coordinated the DusitD2 Attack and arranged for the use of a suicide bomber during the assault on the hotel and office complex. Abdullah admitted to FBI agents that his handler told him that his friend in al-Shabaab had died “for the cause” during the DusitD2 Attack, and that Abdullah and his handler used that as “encouragement” for him to become stronger. He then repeatedly searched online about the DusitD2 Attack, including for footage of the suicide blast. Just two days later, he accelerated his attack planning by researching “Delta flights,” and the “Tallest building in Atlanta,” specifically focusing on the Bank of America Plaza, a 55-story building standing 1,023 feet tall according to the website he visited as part of his research. Throughout his flight training, Abdullah also provided his al-Shabaab handler with detailed progress reports that described his research and attack planning. In these reports, he described how he had taken flights to determine which airline seats had the best views of the flight deck door. He also compiled research on post-September 11 hijacking attempts and described how the “brothers during 9/11 did something completely unexpected in a more creative way, ‘study for piloting.’”. In that same report, he concluded that “the only successful hijack after 9/11 was the one of the Ethiopian Airlines and it is so because it was hijacked by the pilot himself.”. His progress report then described a list of “My ideas” that he created and arrived at for a successful hijacking operation. His number one idea was that “for a very successful mission, we need a pilot in the cockpit (which means I should apply for the airlines).” Before Abdullah could complete his commercial pilot license training and carry out the final, deadly steps of the Aviation Plot, he was arrested, in July 2019, by authorities in the Philippines. He was transferred to U.S. custody in December 2020. As a result of this conduct, on November 4, 2024, Abdullah was found guilty at trial of six counts: conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison; providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; conspiring to murder U.S. nationals abroad, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison;. conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison; conspiring to destroy aircraft, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum penalty f life in prison. In addition to the prison term, Abdullah, 34, of Kenya, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. The National Security Division (NSD) praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. NSD also thanked the FBI Counterterrorism Division; the FBI Legal Attaché Offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Manila, the Philippines; the FBI’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency; the New York State Police; the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division; the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division; the U.S. Department of Defense; the Kenyan Directorate of Criminal Investigations, including the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the Joint Terrorism Task Force-Kenya; the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Kenya; the Philippine National Police; the Philippine Department of Justice; the Joint Terrorism Financial Investigations Group-Philippines; and the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Jonathan L. Bodansky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from paralegal specialist Sabrina Jim Munoz and trial attorney John Cella of the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.


title: Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS KINGSLEY, 42, of Agawam, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 16, 2024, Enfield Police arrested Kingsley after a traffic stop and he was found in possession of three privately made firearms (“ghost guns”) and 45 rounds of ammunition. On April 18, 2024, while Kingsley was detained in state custody, HSI special agents conducted a search of his vehicle in Agawam and seized 14 fully assembled firearms, several Glock machine gun conversion devices, and more than 2,000 rounds of various caliber ammunition. Kingsley’s criminal history includes felony convictions for drug, firearm, assault, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Kingsley pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; unlawful possession of a machine gun, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and unlawful possession of a weapon in violation of the National Firearms Act, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Kingsley has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2026. This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Enfield Police Department, and the Agawam Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Lembo.


title: Maryland Tech Executive Indicted, in Connection With Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal Government

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment, charging Victor Marquez, 53, a Maryland resident and owner of two information technology (IT) companies, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and major fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud the federal government. The scheme included rigging bids for IT contracts and receiving kickbacks in exchange for influence over IT procurements. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi, Justice Department – Antitrust Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; and Deputy Inspector General Kevin Gerrity, National Security Agency Office of the Inspector General (NSA-OIG). As alleged in the superseding indictment, Marquez and his co-conspirators used his access to sensitive procurement information to rig bids for procurements for large U.S. government IT contracts. Marquez and his co-conspirators concealed Marquez’s role in the scheme to ensure his continued access to sensitive procurement information. He received compensation in the form of kickbacks for steering procurements to his co-conspirators, who referred to the payments as the “Vic tax.” Through the scheme, Marquez obtained more than $3.8 million in funds that were built into the government’s purchase price. James Briar, 47, of Manassas, Virginia, an IT sales representative, and Robert Fay, 59, of Stevensville, Maryland, an IT sales executive, pled guilty in related cases. On August 11, 2025, Briar pled guilty to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks, and on October 1, Fay pled guilty to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and violate the Anti-Kickback Act. “These bad actors attempted to enrich themselves by using privileged inside access to defraud the federal government,” Hayes said. “This kind of corruption distorts the competitive process, wastes taxpayer dollars, and undermines public trust in government contracting. This office, along with our law-enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption while holding those accountable who dare to try to steal from our government.” “As the superseding indictment shows, defendant Victor Marquez and his co-conspirators broke trust with our military and stole millions of dollars from an agency that defends our homeland,” Assefi said. “Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators have already pled guilty, and the Antitrust Division will not rest until Marquez is imprisoned.” “The charges announced today should stand as a reminder that those who defraud the Department of Defense will be held accountable for their actions,” Dillard said. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process and will pursue all available remedies to root out fraud.” “The defendants leveraged personal relationships to make corrupt, under the table deals that enriched themselves at the taxpayers' expense,” Paul said. “The FBI and our partners will follow every investigative lead to ensure all those cheating the system are brought to justice.” “Ensuring the integrity of federal contracting is critical for an efficient and effective government,” Gerrity said. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners, and the Justice Department for their dedication and collaboration.” If convicted, Marquez faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years for the major fraud charge. Briar faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, for his role, and Fay faces a maximum 10-year sentence. Sentencing dates are forthcoming. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DCIS, FBI, and NSA-OIG who investigated this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Darren S. Gardner, and Trial Attorneys Elizabeth French, Anna Wang, and Ron Fiorillo, Department of Justice Antitrust Division – Washington Criminal Section, who are prosecuting this case. In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards . 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/community-outreach . # # #


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 84 Months’ Imprisonment For Drug Conspiracy Offense

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Patrick Russin, age 55, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 50 grams and more of methamphetamine. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Russin previously pled guilty to conspiring with his co-defendants Jamie Smicherko, Ryan Medar, Carlos Laurel, and others to distribute controlled substances in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania between October of 2023 to April of 2024. As part of that plea, Russin also admitted that he was responsible for distributing or possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine and over 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Co-defendants Jamie Smicherko pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing; Ryan Medar was sentenced to134 months in prison; and Carlos Laurel was sentenced to 27 months in prison. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Plains Township Police Depart, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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: Schuyler Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Methamphetamine Offense

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Anselmo Ramirez-Magana, 37, of Schuyler, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ramirez-Magana to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. On November 19, 2024, officers with the Schuyler PD conducted a traffic stop of Tiffany Gallardo and Ramirez-Magana. During the traffic stop, a second officer arrived and deployed a K-9 which indicated to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A search resulted in the seizure of 158 grams of pure methamphetamine. When Ramirez-Magana was being arrested, he stated that the drugs were his. This case was investigated by the Schuyler Police Department.


title: Lexington County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

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

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Jamar Tywone Kimpson, 52, of Swansea, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in 2021, workers at a local FedEx hub found three suspicious packages with a strong odor of marijuana. All three were addressed to the same person at an address in Swansea, South Carolina with return addresses of the recipient’s same name and address. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the parcels, and they were found to contain marijuana and THC edibles. Another search warrant was obtained for the residence, and a controlled delivery was made at the address. Kimpson took possession of the parcels and took them into the residence. During the search of the residence, three packages that were delivered were found unopened in the living room. Between the three packages, investigators found 28 packages of THC edibles, 65 bags of marijuana (approximately 1 pound each), 28 glass jars of marijuana, and quantities of marijuana in other forms. Investigators also located the receipt for the packages that listed tracking numbers for each. Another receipt indicated that an additional package was sent. It was seized by SLED and turned over to Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and was also found to contain marijuana and THC products. Multiple guns were found throughout the house and in cars in the yard, including a rifle hidden in the kitchen table’s bench seat. A 9mm pistol was found in Kimpson’s bedroom on a dresser on top of paperwork with Kimpson’s name on it. Two pistols were located on the driver’s side floorboard of a sedan that had paperwork with Kimpson’s name on it. A shotgun and a 9mm pistol were in another vehicle belonging to Kimpson. Kimpson is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon prior convictions for a weapons violation, an armed robbery, resisting arrest, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a stolen pistol, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of crack cocaine, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Kimpson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kimpson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. 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. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Columbia Police Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Jury Convicts Honduran Man for Assaulting a Federal Officer

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that on December 16, 2025, a jury found Marvin Aleman Zepeda, 37, originally of Honduras, guilty of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with a federal officer after a two-day federal trial in Omaha, Nebraska. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., presided over the trial. Zepeda faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Evidence at trial established that on June 10, 2025, law enforcement, including Deputy United States Marshals, were assisting with the execution of a court authorized civil search warrant at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha when they encountered Zepeda hiding in a crawl space. Despite receiving repeated commands from law enforcement to come out and surrender, Zepeda refused to comply. After more than 30 minutes of Zepeda failing to comply with law enforcement commands, two Deputy United States Marshals entered the crawl space to secure Zepeda. As the Deputy United States Marshals approached Zepeda, giving him commands to show his hands, Zepeda instead armed himself with a box cutter, or utility knife, with an open blade. Additional attempts were made to secure Zepeda’s compliance, including the presence of a K9 officer and K9. All told, it took nearly 90 minutes for law enforcement to ultimately secure Zepeda into custody. Zepeda will be sentenced on March 13, 2025, at 9:00 AM, before Chief Judge Rossiter in Omaha. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement, and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office assisted in securing Zepeda.


component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Relentless Justice 205 Child Victims Located and 293 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in Nationwide Crackdown, Including Two in the District of Nebraska The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country. “We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.” “Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.” “FBI Omaha will continue surging resources to track and lock up child sex predators lurking in our communities. Working closely with our local, state, and federal partners, we’ll utilize every tool available to apprehend subjects, remove children from deplorable situations, and bring some measure of healing for victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel of the FBI Omaha Field Office. Kody Dickes, 34, of Ashland, Nebraska, has been charged in the District of Nebraska in a three-count Superseding Indictment on December 9, 2025, with distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and production of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Dickes has been in federal custody since April 30, 2025. Dillon Summers, 54, of Cleveland, Tennessee, has been charged by complaint with felony Sexual Assault Use of a Communication Device in Douglas County, Nebraska. Summers was arrested in Tennessee on December 9, 2025. Those arrested are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon. As sextortion cases continue to rise, this operation highlights arrests of individuals who target vulnerable children online including the five leaders of Greggy’s Cult, as well as a Virginia man who persuaded a 14-year-old to produce CSAM. The victim attempted suicide after he allegedly told her to kill herself. This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including one from the District of Nebraska, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders, including one from the District of Nebraska. The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD’s mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience. These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc . The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org . The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov , or by calling your local FBI field office. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Previously Convicted Louisville Man Sentenced to 40 Years and 6 months in Federal Prison for Enticement of a Minor

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced on December 15, 2025, for online coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, and transportation of a minor for sex. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. Nathaniel Covington, 25, was sentenced to 40 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for online coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, and transportation of a minor for sex. The Court ordered Covington to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim. Covington used an online social media application to meet a fourteen-year-old girl. He arranged to have the girl taken from Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky for a sexual encounter. Once in Kentucky, Covington used his cellular phone to record himself engaged in sexual acts with the minor. Several days after Covington took the victim from Tennessee, an amber alert was issued for the child and Covington was found in Clarksville, Indiana with her. Covington was previously convicted in 2019 in Ohio for Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a different fourteen-year-old. “Covington is a dangerous child predator,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner. “A 2019 Ohio conviction for Unlawful Sexual Conduct did not deter disgusting deviant behavior. Because of the important contributions from the Louisville Metro Police Department and the FBI, Covington will not have the opportunity to prey on any more children for at least four decades. Covington’s 40 years and 6 months federal sentence should be a siren to likeminded deviants that if they engage in this reprehensible conduct dire consequences will soon follow.” “The relentless pursuit of child sex predators is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” stated Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “While this sentence should send a clear message to offenders who prey upon our community’s innocent children, it does not mean we will let up. We will not stop until every criminal who seeks to exploit or abuse our children is found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.” LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, “Detectives with the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Office of Sexual and Physical Investigations (OSPI) focus on prosecuting the most heinous criminals, and this case shows their impact. Working with our partners in law enforcement ensured that a dangerous predator is now off the streets for decades. OSPI will continue pushing every case forward to protect victims and ensure those who commit these horrific crimes face full accountability.” There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jeffersonville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness and Danielle Yanelli prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced to More than 20 Years for Methamphetamine Conspiracy Mexican National Sentenced to More than 20 Years for Methamphetamine Conspiracy

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Antelmo Obeso-Valenzuela, 52, a Mexican citizen living in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Obeso-Valenzuela to 250 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Obeso-Valenzuela’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. On February 8, 2024, Obeso-Valenzuela sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover detective outside an apartment building in Papillion, Nebraska. The undercover detective communicated with a source of supply in Mexico to arrange the purchase. The source of supply directed the detective to the apartment building to meet Obeso-Valenzuela. On February 20, 2024, police arrested Obeso-Valenzuela and searched an Omaha residence and an apartment in the Papillion building. During the searches, agents seized approximately 63 pounds of methamphetamine and more than $14,000 in cash. A search of Obeso-Valenzuela’s cell phone found photographs and videos taken throughout February 2024 indicative of methamphetamine trafficking. The money seized will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds of drug dealing. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Metro Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine and Possessing Firearm

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Alexander Jackson, 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jackson to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jackson’s release from prison, he will begin an eight-year term of supervised release. In April 2024, an individual cooperating with law enforcement made two controlled buys from Jackson in Omaha. The first was for one ounce of methamphetamine. The second was for one ounce of methamphetamine and a 9mm handgun. Between 1991 and 2014, Jackson was convicted four times for drug dealing offenses in Douglas County District Court. Because of the 2014 prior conviction, Jackson faced an enhancement mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and eight years of supervised release for this federal offense. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.


title: Cozad Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Sean Westgate, 48, of Cozad, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United Sates District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Westgate to 235 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Westgate’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. From the summer of 2023 into early 2024, Westgate and three other individuals from Cozad conspired to bring pounds of methamphetamine from Colorado to the Lexington-Cozad area, where the drugs were distributed. As part of the investigation, law enforcement executed search warrants for Facebook records, which revealed individuals and residences involved in the distribution of methamphetamine. During a January 2024 search warrant at a co-conspirator’s residence in Cozad, investigators found a loaded handgun, ammunition, methamphetamine, and distribution paraphernalia. Cell phones obtained during the search warrant contained messages showing drug distribution. Recorded jail calls tipped investigators to the group’s travel plans to obtain more methamphetamine in Colorado. A search warrant for a tracking device led investigators to making a traffic stop on February 6, 2024. Westgate was a passenger in the vehicle, which contained methamphetamine, THC, and drug paraphernalia. A later search of Westgate’s Cozad residence turned up evidence of drug use and distribution paraphernalia. This case was investigated by the CODE Drug Task Force which is comprised of members from the Lexington Police Department, the Cozad Police Department, the North Platte Police Department, and the Nebraska State Patrol. Investigators from the West Metro Drug Task Force in Colorado also assisted in the investigation.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jacob Smith, 34, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Smith was previously employed as a family physician at CHI Health. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Smith to a total of 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith’s release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release. On January 17, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Omaha received information regarding an ongoing undercover chat on a social media platform in furtherance of a child exploitation investigation. Through the investigation, HSI was able to determine that the user of the social media account was Jacob Smith. On January 17, 2025, a federal search warrant was executed at Smith’s residence. During the search, eight electronic devices were seized. Search warrants were also executed for Smith’s various social media accounts. A forensic review was completed of the devices and accounts. In total, law enforcement located 8,955 images of child pornography pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Resulting in Death

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Deyon Downing, 30, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Downing to 240 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Downing is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On March 5, 2024, the victim was found unresponsive in an Omaha residence. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s overdose task force investigated the case and was able to track that the fentanyl pills came from co-defendant, Alexis Cuadras Graciano, in California to the co-defendant, Carlos Lopez Montoya, in Grand Island, who sold them to another co-defendant, Ventura Montoya Gonsalez. The fentanyl pills were then sold to co-defendant, Asia Blackburn, in Omaha, who sold them to Deyon Downing. Downing sold the pills to the victim before the victim died. The victim’s cause of death was acute acetyl fentanyl, fentanyl fluorofentanyl, paroxetine, and quetiapine intoxication. All the parties were in agreement to distribute fentanyl. Asia Blackburn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 320 months’ imprisonment. Ventura Montoya Gonsalez and Carlos Lopez Montoya have both pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Overdose Task Force.


title: Justice Department Announces Seizure of Stolen-Password Database Used in Bank Account Takeover Fraud

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: The Justice Department today announced the seizure of a web domain and database used in furtherance of a scheme to target and defraud Americans through bank account takeover fraud. The domain, web3adspanels.org, was used by those involved in the scheme as a backend web panel to store and manipulate illegally harvested bank login credentials. This domain seizure comes approximately one month after the FBI issued a Public Service Announcement relating to Account Takeover Fraud via Impersonation of Financial Institution Support. According to the affidavit filed in support of the domain seizure, the criminal group perpetrating the bank account takeover fraud delivered fraudulent advertisements through search engines, including Google and Bing. These fraudulent advertisements imitated the sponsored search engine advertisements used by legitimate banking entities. While the fraudulent advertisements appeared to send users to the websites of legitimate banks, victims were in fact redirected to fake bank websites controlled by the criminals. When victims entered their login credentials to access their bank accounts, the criminals harvested those credentials through a malicious software program embedded in the fake website. The criminals then used those bank credentials on the corresponding legitimate bank websites to access victims’ bank accounts and drain their funds. To date, the FBI has identified at least 19 victims throughout the United States, including two companies in the Northern District of Georgia, whose bank accounts have been compromised through this account takeover scheme, resulting in attempted losses of approximately $28 million dollars and actual losses of approximately $14.6 million dollars. The seized domain hosted a server that contained the stolen login credentials of thousands of victims, including the credentials of the victims mentioned above. Based on the FBI’s investigation, the seized domain continued to host a backend server used in furtherance of the bank account takeover fraud as recently as November 2025. Since January 2025, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 5,100 complaints reporting bank account takeover fraud, with reported losses exceeding $262 million. The public is encouraged to stay vigilant, including by regularly monitoring financial accounts, using “Bookmarks” or “Favorites” for navigating to login websites and guarding against phishing attempts. A splash page on the web3adspanels.org website notifies visitors that the domain has been seized by law enforcement. This domain seizure disrupts the criminals’ ability to access the stolen credentials and utilize those credentials to steal bank account funds. According to foreign officials, Estonian law enforcement also preserved and collected data from servers hosting the phishing pages and the stolen login credentials used in furtherance of the scheme. U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia, Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Morris of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Brian Mund of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the Estonian Office of the Prosecutor General, the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board and the Georgian Central Criminal Police Department. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Former Newark City Council Member Sentenced to 18 Months for Bribery, Kickback, And Tax Fraud Scheme; Co-Conspirator Sentenced to 25 Months

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Joseph A. McCallum, Jr. 70, a former member of the Newark Municipal Council who also served on the Board of Directors of the Newark Community Economic Development Corporation (“NCEDC”), was sentenced on December 2, 2025 to 18 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release for participating in a scheme to obtain bribes and kickbacks and subscribing to a false personal tax return for 2018. Malik Frederick, 65, a former consultant for developers seeking construction and real estate deals in Newark, was sentenced on December 4, 2025, to 25 months’ imprisonment and one year of supervised release for his role in the same scheme and for subscribing to a false personal tax return for 2017, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. “Combatting public corruption in New Jersey is a top priority for our Office. Crimes like these erode public trust and undermine confidence in the institutions meant to serve the community. We will continue to investigate and prosecute public officials and others who seek to enrich themselves at the public’s expense by engaging in bribery and kickback schemes. We thank our federal partners, including the FBI, IRS, and HUD, for their continued partnership in these cases.” - Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello McCallum previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an Information charging him with one count of wire fraud for devising a scheme, using interstate wire communications, to defraud Newark and the NCEDC of the right to McCallum’s honest services and one count of subscribing to a false personal tax return for calendar year 2018. Frederick previously pleaded guilty before Judge Martini to participating in the honest services wire fraud conspiracy and one count of subscribing to a false personal tax return. According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in court: From 2017 through February 2020, Frederick paid concealed bribes and kickbacks to McCallum, who was then a member of the Newark City Council, representing the West Ward of Newark, and an NCEDC Board member. These bribes and kickbacks were funded by developers, contracting companies, and other businesses seeking contracts and approvals principally related to development, construction, and real estate projects and deals in Newark. Frederick and others solicited these developers to hire Frederick’s consulting company for “access,” and were introduced to McCallum as the Councilman behind the project or deal of interest to them. McCallum then received concealed bribes and kickbacks from the fees that Frederick obtained from those who retained his company. In exchange, McCallum used his official positions on the City Council and NCEDC to provide assistance in support of the projects and deals of interest to the developers and others who retained Frederick’s company. For those who refused to pay or were hesitant to pay the fees that Frederick charged, McCallum and Frederick intended to prevent them from obtaining contracts and work from the NCEDC and the City of Newark. McCallum and Frederick took significant steps to conceal these bribes and kickbacks and other material aspects of their arrangement and dealings with these developers and others. The bribes and kickbacks that McCallum sought and received through Frederick included: On April 11, 2017, McCallum accepted a $16,000 check from Frederick’s company bank account in exchange for McCallum’s official assistance and favors for Frederick as specific opportunities related to construction projects in Newark arose that were of interest to the contracting company. On October 29, 2018, McCallum accepted a $25,000 check from Frederick’s company bank account in exchange for McCallum’s official assistance to Developer 1’s company in acquiring City-owned properties in the West Ward for a redevelopment project. From October 2019 through early 2020, McCallum also sought to obtain bribes from Frederick funded by Developer 2’s company, which was seeking to acquire and redevelop properties in Newark, including multiple City-owned lots in the West Ward and the City Council’s passage of a resolution for a redevelopment agreement related to those lots. On October 9, 2019, McCallum accepted $500 in cash from Frederick at a cigar lounge in Newark, funded by one of the monthly payments that Developer 2’s company made to Frederick’s company in relation to the redevelopment agreement that Developer 2 sought. In addition, in early 2020, McCallum, using Frederick to assist him, sought a balloon payment of $100,000 from Developer 2 once McCallum secured the City Council’s approval of the redevelopment agreement with the passage of the official resolution approving the deal. From October 2019 through January 2020, McCallum planned to share payments with Frederick from a business owner in Newark seeking to sell property to and from Developer 1, who was seeking to acquire and develop the property, in exchange for McCallum’s official assistance to ensure Developer 1’s acquisition and eventual development of City-owned lots adjoining the Seller’s Property. In addition to paying the bribes and kickbacks to McCallum and attempting to obtain payments to be used for bribes and kickbacks, Frederick sought to have a modular home company that was in negotiations with the NCEDC on a development project in Newark to retain Frederick’s company and obtain a $40,000 payment. Frederick intended to share the $40,000 payment with a NCEDC official (labeled “Co-Conspirator 2” in the Information) who referred Frederick to the modular home company and expected a portion of whatever Frederick would be paid. After the modular home company refused to retain Frederick’s company, it did not receive a contract from the NCEDC. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Shawn A. Rice, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francesca Liquori and Matthew Specht of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division. All other co-conspirators identified in the Information are presumed innocent until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Ray Hamlin, Esq. (for Joseph A. McCallum, Jr.) Hassen Abdellah, Esq. (for Malik Frederick)


title: Pueblo Man Sentenced To 248 Months for Drug and Firearms Convictions

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that David Wayne Watkins, 46, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced to 248 months in prison after being convicted by a federal jury last year on five counts, including possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle. According to the facts established at trial, Watkins was stopped by Pueblo Police in December of 2023 for a forged temporary license plate tag. During the stop, Watkins briefly ran from officers before his arrest. During his arrest, police recovered a loaded handgun from his waistband and a bag and wallet together containing $52,000 in cash, 378 fentanyl pills, and 25 grams of pure methamphetamine. When officers searched his car, they found one additional handgun, numerous firearm magazines and ammunition, clear baggies, and a bag with an additional 375 fentanyl pills. A search of his hotel room resulted in the recovery of a short-barreled rifle and additional ammunition. “We are committed to making Pueblo safer, and putting Mr. Watkins behind bars for the next 20 years advances that goal,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I am grateful to both our federal and local partners for the excellent work they did to get him and his illegal guns and drugs off the streets.” “Any community is safer when we can take illegal drugs and guns off the streets,” said Marvin Massey, Acting Special Agent in Charge for FBI Denver. “In this case, the strong FBI partnership with the Pueblo Police Department resulted in a repeat offender heading to prison and the community being in a better situation as a result.” “I want to commend the hard work and collaboration of our task force officers, special investigations detectives, and federal partners including ATF, DEA, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Chris Noeller, Chief of Police, Pueblo Police Department. “Their commitment to this lengthy investigation shows what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies work together to bring a dangerous offender to justice. We remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to hold offenders accountable and to ensure our community remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.” United States District Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the sentencing. The Pueblo Police Department and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution. 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. Case Number: 1:24-cr-00058-SKC


title: Jamestown man pleads guilty to meth charge

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ruben Medina, 20, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that on September 11, 2024, Medina was pulled over by a Jamestown Police officer because of an outstanding probation warrant. Initially, he refused to exit the vehicle but later complied and was taken into custody. A search of Medina recovered approximately 109 grams of methamphetamine. Previously, on June 25, 2024, a search warrant was executed at a Newland Avenue residence associated with Medina. Investigators seized cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, p-fluorofentanyl, suboxone strips, $200 cash, a digital scale, and a firearm. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #


title: Canadian man pleads guilty to money laundering charges

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Houssam El-Atat, 44, of Montreal, Canada, was extradited from Spain, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2021, an individual in Buffalo, NY, (Victim 1) and a marine sales company (Vendor 1) engaged in email communication regarding the purchase of a boat. These communications included specifications, pricing, and payment. In March 2021, Victim 1 received an email from the person he believed to be Vendor 1 with wiring instructions for payment. Victim 1 arranged for the full amount ($295,373.75) to be wired to Vendor 1’s company through a Bank of America account. Victim 1 subsequently learned that Vendor 1 had not received the $295,373.75 and that the wiring instructions provided to him for payment were fraudulent. After reviewing the email correspondence between himself and Vendor 1, Victim 1 realized his email account had been compromised. Subsequent investigation by the FBI determined that the Bank of America account where $295,373.75 was deposited was owned by an individual named A.Z., who was unaware that the funds he received from Victim 1 were the result of fraudulent activity. A.Z. stated to the FBI that he received the funds from an individual who claimed that he owed A.Z.’s recently deceased father $100,000 and was resolving the debt. Then, at the request of the individual, A.Z. sent $180,200.00 of the funds to an account at La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Bank in Canada. Bank records indicate that the funds were then rapidly disbursed to a number of apparent shell companies before being distributed to El-Atat. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera. Additional assistance was provided by the Sûreté du Québec Provincial Police. Sentencing is scheduled for April 29, 2026, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Buffalo man sentenced for his role in mail theft conspiracy

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Lamor Runell Bolden, 27, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail theft, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation to include six months home detention by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that on October 2, 2024, Bolden conspired with Eric Michael Robinson and Antonio Jones, Jr. to steal mail from mail receptacles in Cheektowaga, NY. In addition, the defendants also possessed a key used to open authorized mail receptacles. Bolden drove with Robinson and Jones to a mail facility in Cheektowaga at approximately 1:00 a.m. on October 2, 2024. Robinson drove and Bolden and Jones were passengers. Robinson parked the car behind a row of blue collection mailboxes outside the postal facility, Bolden and Jones got out of the car, and Jones opened the mailboxes with the stolen key and stole mail from the mailboxes while Bolden stood watch. The two then got back into the car and Robinson drove away. A short time later, their car was stopped by law enforcement. At the time the car was stopped, various opened and unopened pieces of mail were found inside. Bolden admits that he and his co-conspirators used the stolen key to open mailboxes at other locations around the Western District of New York. Antonio Jones, Jr. and Eric Michael Robinson were previously convicted. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Nicholas J. Bucciarelli, Boston Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons. # # # #


title: USDA Employee Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Multimillion-Dollar Food Stamp Fraud And Bribery Scheme

body_text: Sean S. Buckley, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that ARLASA DAVIS was sentenced to twenty-four months in prison for her role in a sprawling fraud and bribery scheme that generated over $66 million in unauthorized transactions under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”)—colloquially known as food stamps. DAVIS, a longtime employee of the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), abused her position within the division responsible for identifying SNAP fraud to sell confidential government information to criminals. DAVIS previously pled guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence. “Arlasa Davis exploited her role as a government employee to enrich herself while undermining a program designed to help New York families in need,” said Attorney for the United States Sean S. Buckley. “This conviction and sentence send a clear message that exploitation of funds intended for families will result in serious consequences.” According to the Indictment and statements made in public court proceedings and filings: DAVIS worked within the USDA division responsible for identifying SNAP fraud. She abused her privileged access to federal systems to sell hundreds of Electronic Benefits Transfer (“EBT”) license numbers to co-conspirators. DAVIS photographed handwritten lists of license numbers intended for qualifying stores with her personal cellphone and funneled them to an intermediary who sold them to co-conspirators, who in turn used those license numbers to fraudulently obtain EBT terminals for stores that were not authorized by the USDA to process SNAP transactions. In return, DAVIS received substantial bribes that were disguised in communications as, among other things, “birthday gifts” and “flowers.” * * * In addition to her prison term, DAVIS, 56, of Gardiner, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. DAVIS was also ordered to forfeit $48,470 and pay restitution of $36 million. Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the USDA Office of Inspector General and the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This matter is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia V. Kostopoulos and Joe Zabel are in charge of the prosecution.