title: Paterson Firearms Trafficker Sentenced to 76 Months in Prison for Firearms and Drug Offenses

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Paterson, New Jersey man was sentenced on April 20, 2026 to 76 months of imprisonment for his role in trafficking firearms and drugs, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Tony “Red” Crowe, 33, of Paterson, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an Information charging him with one count of dealing firearms without a license, two counts of being a felon in possession, and one count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Over the course of a several-month investigation into the illegal trafficking of firearms and narcotics in Paterson, New Jersey, an undercover law enforcement agent purchased multiple firearms, including an AR- and AK-style rifles, as well multiple kilograms of fentanyl from Crowe. He made thousands of dollars from this illegal activity. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel sentenced Crowe to 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka, and officers with the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Thomas Adamo, with the investigation leading to these charges. 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 is also part of the Paterson Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in 2020 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Paterson’s Department of Public Safety for the purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Paterson. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals, the Paterson Department of Public Safety, the Paterson Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Parole, Bergen County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, and N.J. Department of Corrections. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit. ### Defense counsel: Pasquale F. Giannetta, Esq.


title: Tri-Area Community Health Agrees to Pay $513,000  to Resolve Medicare Billing Allegations

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – Tri-Area Community Health, (TACH) located in Laurel Pike, Virginia, has agreed to pay $513,729.90 to the United States to resolve allegations it improperly billed Medicare for Annual Wellness Visits. TACH previously repaid $321,075.56 toward the total settlement amount. Tri-Area Community Health is a Federally Qualified Health Center that operates six independent clinic locations within the Western District of Virginia. TACH provides Annual Wellness Visits to Medicare beneficiaries that are ultimately billed to Medicare. From August 2022 through December 2025, TACH provided Annual Wellness Visits to Medicare beneficiaries that were provided by pharmacists without physician oversight, without a physician being present physically or virtually, and/or otherwise without appropriate physician supervision, that were ultimately billed under the names of physicians who were not involved with the visits. TACH cooperated with the government’s investigation, initiated its own internal review, and assisted with identifying the improperly reimbursed claims. The resolution was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Counsel to the Inspector General. First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew G. Howells investigated the matter with assistance from HHS-OIG. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. tach_settlement_agreement_0.pdf


title: Theodore Bland of Stowe, Vermont Pleads Guilty to Murdering Two Men During and in Relation to Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that earlier today, Theodore Bland, 29, of Stowe, Vermont, pleaded guilty to federal firearm and drug charges, including causing the deaths of two men while carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking. The guilty pleas were entered before United States District Judge William K. Sessions III. Sentencing was scheduled for September 14, 2026 at 10am. According to court records, between approximately September 7, 2023 and October 15, 2023, Bland conspired with others to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl to drug customers in and around Lamoille County, Vermont. On October 12, 2023, Bland shot and killed two men at a residence in Lowell, Vermont for the purpose of taking the bulk cocaine base and fentanyl that the men had in their possession. Following the murders, Bland provided a portion of the stolen drugs to co-conspirators to distribute to drug customers. Bland also distributed portions of the stolen drugs to various people to ensure their cooperation and assistance in concealing the murders. Bland moved the bodies of the men to a wooded area in Eden, Vermont, and attempted to conceal them. After the murders, Bland took possession of two firearms that had been possessed by the men, and traded one of the firearms to a drug supplier in exchange for additional quantities of cocaine base and fentanyl that Bland intended to distribute. The United States had previously filed a notice indicating the intent to seek the death penalty. After his plea, Bland faces up to a lifetime term of imprisonment, and a mandatory minimum of 10 years of imprisonment. The actual sentence, however, will be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. If the District Court accepts the plea agreement negotiated by the parties, defendant Bland will be sentenced to life imprisonment. First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the FBI, the Morristown Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department. The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Turner and Dana Hill. Bland is represented by Bruce D. Koffsky, Esq., David Sleigh, Esq., and Francis L. O’Reilly, Esq. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Man who shut down I-90 with hand-held explosive device sentenced to prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 42-year-old King County resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for his unlawful possession of a destructive device which shut down Interstate 90, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Sokphana Soeung was arrested October 12, 2024, following a slow speed chase and confrontation with law enforcement during which Soeung brandished a tennis ball explosive and a lighter. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said Soeung, “displayed an alarming disrespect for the law and posed a risk to the community. Someone could have been badly hurt, including yourself.” According to records filed in the case, Bellevue Police responded to Enatai Beach Park around noon on October 12, 2024, because of reports of two men sleeping in a car with the motor running. When contacted by police, Soeung drove away, running over spike strips that punctured all four tires on the car. Law enforcement followed and Washington State Patrol (WSP) joined the slow speed chase when the car pulled onto Interstate 90 in the westbound direction. While on Mercer Island, a WSP trooper executed a maneuver to stop the car. At that point, Soeung jumped from the car holding a black ball device in one hand and a lighter in the other. Ultimately, police tackled Soeung, and he dropped the ball shaped item and the lighter. An investigation revealed that the ball shaped item was a tennis ball filled with explosive powder with a fuse. In the car law enforcement found a second explosive device made with sparklers taped together. The investigation shut down I-90 for a lengthy period while the bomb squad determined there was no danger to the public or the I-90 bridge. In asking for a two-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that Soeung has a lengthy criminal history driven by drug addiction. “The defendant’s decision to possess an explosive device and utilize it in the manner that he did on October 12, 2024, is alarming. Fleeing from law enforcement on a major interstate brimming with unsuspecting drivers in stolen car while high on fentanyl is concerning enough. Electing to flee on foot with a tennis ball “bomb” and lighter in hand placed everyone present at risk of injury or worse, including the defendant.” The case was investigated by the Bellevue Police Department, Washington State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Y. Gregson.


title: Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 7.5 Years in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 90 months of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on her conviction of distribution and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Marissa Lynn Segal, 32, also ordering Segal to pay approximately $13,000 in restitution to victims of her crimes. According to information presented to the Court, on July 14, 2025, Segal distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors—including photographs and videos of infant victims and victims engaged in acts of bestiality—via a mobile application. One of the infant victims was just four months old, and the evidence presented to the Court established that Segal had knowledge that the victim was being abused contemporaneous with the creation of the child sexual abuse material, which she then redistributed. Segal also possessed child sexual abuse material including images and videos depicting prepubescent minors. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Segal. 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 (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Harrison Man Sentenced to 55 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting a Minor

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: Fayetteville, Arkansas – A Harrison man was sentenced on April 24, 2026, to 660 months in federal prison, without the possibility of parole, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of three (3) separate minors via production of child pornography. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, Justin Neil Perkuhn , age 39, photographed himself bathing with two minors, ages four and six, while engaged in sexual contact with one of the minors. In a separate incident, Perkuhn created a surreptitious video through a window of an 8-year-old female while she bathed. Perkuhn’s crimes came to light after Arkansas State Police received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Perkuhn had uploaded items of child pornography to a cloud storage account. In the ensuing investigation, officers served a search warrant at Perkuhn’s residence and discovered multiple devices containing child pornography. Officers later discovered that Perkuhn had created a voyeuristic video of an adult female through her bathroom window as she exited the shower. Perkuhn was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in April of 2025 and entered a plea of guilty in July of 2025. U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. Arkansas State Police, Harrison Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Still prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Man Who Trafficked Fentanyl and Cocaine into Waterbury Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JORDAN JAMISON, also known as “J” and “JO,” 30, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Paramus, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine. Judge Oliver also ordered Jamison to pay a $350,000 fine. According to court documents and statements made in court, a DEA New Haven District Office Task Force investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics, physical and electronic surveillance, and other investigative techniques, determined that Jamison and an associate were trafficking fentanyl and cocaine into the Waterbury area, utilizing an apartment on High Street in Naugatuck and a house on Hunthill Road in Waterbury to store and package narcotics, and distributing the drugs to a network of street-level sellers. On February 5, 2025, Jamison and his associate travelled together on a flight to California and, later that day, attempted to mail a package from Monterey Park to Connecticut. Investigators seized the package, which contained approximately one kilogram of fentanyl and three kilograms of cocaine. On February 11, 2025, a court-authorized search of the Naugatuck stash location revealed approximately 5.4 kilograms of fentanyl and 1.4 kilograms of cocaine packaged for street distribution, and more than 300 grams of xylazine , an animal tranquilizer used by narcotics traffickers as a fentanyl additive. Jamison has been detained since his arrest on February 13, 2025. On January 29, 2026, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. In April 2020, Jamison was sentenced in New Haven federal court to two days of imprisonment, a $3,600 fine, and forfeiture of $6,056, for a heroin trafficking offense stemming from his role in a Waterbury-based narcotics trafficking ring . This investigation has been conducted by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, DEA Los Angeles Airport Group, DEA New Jersey Division Office, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Paramus Police Department, and Hackensack Police Department. The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan J. Keefe and Natasha M. Freismuth.


title: Indian National Sentenced to 41 Months’ Imprisonment for Defrauding Telephone Providers and Insurance Companies of Millions of Dollars’ Worth of Merchandise

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Indian national was sentenced on April 21, 2026 to 41 months of imprisonment for his role as the leader of a conspiracy to defraud various telephone providers and insurance companies out of millions of dollars by using stolen or fake identities to submit fraudulent claims for replacement cellular devices and then reselling those devices outside the United States, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Dhananjay Singh, 35, an Indian national, previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transfer of stolen property. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From June 2013 through June 2019, Singh was involved in a widespread scheme to defraud cellular telephone providers and insurance companies using the U.S. mail system, as well as other third-party mail carriers. Singh and his co-conspirators used stolen and fake identities to submit false claims for lost, stolen or damaged cellular telephones, as well as other devices, in order to obtain replacement devices. Singh and his co-conspirators maintained a network of mailboxes and storage units across the United States, including in New Jersey, where the replacement devices would be shipped and then held before being sold to third parties outside the United States. The scheme resulted in millions of dollars of losses to the cellular telephone providers and insurance companies. In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Singh to 3 years of supervised release and ordered restitution of over $10 million dollars. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy in Newark and Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. in New York, postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; officers of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Frank Russo; and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Wood with the investigation leading to the charges. The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit. ### Defense counsel: Jeffrey Lichtman, Esq. and Jeffrey Einhorn, Esq.


title: Mission Man Sentenced for Assaulting a Federal Officer

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on April 21, 2026. Duane Rouillard, III, age 37, was sentenced to time served through April 22, 2026, equal to approximately three years and one month in custody, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Rouillard was indicted by a federal grand jury in Feburary 2023. He pleaded guilty on February 19, 2026. In December 2022, Rouillard was in custody at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Correctional Facility, in Todd County, South Dakota. On the evening of December 29, 2022, Rouillard assaulted a corrections officer by punching him multiples times in the head and face with a closed fist. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Rouillard was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Valdosta Repeat Offender Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession After Firing Shots Inside Store

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia man with a lengthy criminal history who was arrested after firing a round between customers standing inside a Valdosta, Georgia, convenience store was sentenced to serve more than 17 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm. Eric Jerome Tooley, 46, of Hahira, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 212 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on April 23, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Jan. 22. There is no parole in the federal system. “Convicted felons with guns who threaten public safety will be prosecuted federally and held accountable under the law,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We are working alongside law enforcement at every level to protect our communities and ensure armed repeat offenders are brought to justice.” “This defendant’s actions showed a complete disregard for human life—firing inside a business and endangering innocent bystanders,” said ATF Resident Agent in Charge Robert Davis. “ATF will continue to work alongside the Valdosta Police Department and our law enforcement partners to ensure repeat violent offenders are removed from our communities and held fully accountable in federal court.” “This case is a great example of the importance of collaboration between local, state and federal partners,” said Valdosta Police Department Chief Leslie Manahan. “We thank the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligence and leadership in prosecuting this violent offender and helping to protect our community.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, a Valdosta Police Department officer on patrol heard gunshots coming from the nearby Mega Mart on North Lee Street in Valdosta on Feb. 19, 2025. As the officer drove into the parking lot, he spotted Tooley heading toward a local grocery store; another bystander reported that three shots were fired inside the store. The officer and responding police safely apprehended Tooley near East Jane Street. Authorities obtained the Mega Mart video surveillance capturing Tooley getting agitated with the cashier over a lighter, pointing his pistol at the store clerk, then turning the gun and firing it between two customers in the store. Tooley has prior felony convictions for drug distribution in the Superior Courts of Cobb County, Georgia, and Lowndes County, Georgia. It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess 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 Valdosta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Bergen County Business Owner Admits Evading Taxes

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County business owner admitted evading over $230,000 in income taxes and payroll taxes, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Kfir Baroan, 50, of Fair Lawn, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on April 23, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz to an information charging him with tax evasion and willful failure to pay over payroll taxes associated with his business. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Baroan operated an auto body shop in Bergen County, New Jersey, through which he earned significant income and had employees. From 2018 to 2021, Baroan failed to file income tax returns and failed to pay any taxes on his income. Baroan cashed over $1.5 million in business receipt checks at check-cashing facilities and used bank accounts associated with other businesses to deposit cash and to withdraw funds for personal and business expenses. Baroan also paid his employees in cash, failed to report the employees’ wages to the IRS, and failed to withhold, truthfully account for, and pay over a variety of taxes from employee wages. In total, Baroan evaded over $233,000 in taxes between 2018 and 2021. The charge of income tax evasion carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of willful failure to pay over payroll taxes also carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, 2026. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the IRS – Criminal Investigation under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jennifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano, Co-Chief of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Michael Weinstein, Esq. baroan.information.pdf


title: Farmington Man Charged in Federal Firearms Case Following Undercover Operation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has been charged in federal court after allegedly selling multiple firearms and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement officer. According to court documents, on September 14, 2025, Pete Kimbell , 41, allegedly spoke to an undercover officer with the New Mexico Region II Narcotics Task Force using coded language and stated that he had multiple firearms for sale. The undercover officer arranged to meet Kimbell the following day to view and purchase the firearms. On September 15, 2025, the undercover officer met Kimbell at a residence in Kirtland while surveillance units monitored the location and the officer wore a covert recording device. During the meeting, the officer observed and purchased several firearms and multiple boxes of ammunition from Kimbell for approximately $2,100. As a previously convicted felon, Kimbell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Kimbell is charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which has been scheduled for April 29, 2026. If convicted of the current charge, hefaces up to 15 years in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI’s Violent Gang Task Force investigated this case with assistance from the Farmington Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service, San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, Rio Rancho Police Department and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Elena Stiteler is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint (Kimbell).pdf A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office collects over $868,000 for mail and wire fraud victims

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: The Financial Litigation Program (FLP) of United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming recently collected over $868,000 for victims of mail and wire fraud in U.S. v. Lattin et al ., Docket No. 2:10-cr-00088-ABJ. The collection efforts of the FLP were conducted pursuant to the Federal Debt Collection Procedure Act. “Through the FLP, our office diligently seeks to collect restitution for up to twenty years after the conviction or time-served,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. “This includes locating debtors and hidden assets then initiating post-judgment remedies, including (when appropriate), selling defendants’ real and personal property.” In 2006, Defendant Brett Lattin fraudulently represented himself to Marathon Oil Company as a civil engineer. The false representations led to Lattin receiving the position as Construction Supervisor and responsible for supervising reservoir repairs that Marathon was required to remedy through a notice issued by the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Lattin and his Co-Defendant worked together in a scheme to defraud Marathon with kickbacks, false receipts, and failing to complete the work required to remedy the reservoirs. On June 18, 2010, Lattin was sentenced, following his guilty plea, in the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming for Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18 of the United States Code. The Court ordered Lattin to serve a term of incarceration and pay $2,450,000 in restitution. Upon the pronouncement of Lattin’s sentence, a criminal judgment lien arose against all property rights belonging to him. Since 2010, the FLP has utilized a variety of collection techniques against Lattin, but with limited success. Recently, however, the FLP was successful in locating and selling Lattin’s house and the personal property he left in it, resulting in over $868,000 that will be paid to the victims of his crimes. “We recovered almost a million dollars in this case simply because of the tenacity and hard work of Assistant United States Attorney Jasmine Peters who handled this enforcement matter,” said Smith. For more information about the FLP, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wy/civil-division


title: Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – CARLOS ALBERTO ESCOBAR-LOZA (“ESCOBAR-LOZA”) , age 47, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on April 22, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry, after previously pleading guilty to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8 United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. ESCOBAR-LOZA was sentenced to time served, one-year of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory $100.00 assessment fee. He has been detained in federal prison since January 14, 2026. According to court records, the defendant was found in the United States on December 26, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on July 2, 2012. ESCOBAR-LOZA was found in the Eastern District of Louisiana after being arrested by local law enforcement. Immigration officials subsequently confirmed his identity and determined that he had again unlawfully reentered the United States after having previously been removed. On multiple occasions beginning in or about 2002, ESCOBAR-LOZA was encountered by U.S. immigration authorities after entering the United States without being admitted or paroled. He was placed in removal proceedings and, on or about October 27, 2003, an Immigration Judge ordered him removed from the United States after he failed to appear for his scheduled hearing. On multiple occasions between approximately 2005 and 2012, ESCOBAR-LOZA was again encountered by immigration authorities following arrests by local law enforcement. Immigration records reflect that his prior removal order was reinstated, and he was removed from the United States to Honduras on at least three occasions. 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). U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: West Haven Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Narcotics

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LEVERN MARION, 37, of West Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for distributing narcotics. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation that included surveillance, trash pulls, traffic stops, and a controlled purchase of narcotics revealed that Marion was distributing controlled substances in and around New Haven. Marion was arrested on March 27, 2024. On that date, a court authorized search of a residence on Washington Avenue in New Haven that Marion used to store drugs revealed approximately 800 grams of cocaine, approximately 175 grams of crack cocaine, and numerous wax folds containing fentanyl. On October 22, 2025, Marion pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and a quantity of fentanyl. Marion, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on June 3. This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the New Haven Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.


title: Ocala Man Sentenced to Nearly Four Years in Prison for Attempting to Transfer Obscene Material to a Minor

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Benjamin Hoover (44, Ocala) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to three years and 10 months in federal prison for attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. Hoover pleaded guilty on January 7, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on July 23, 2025, Hoover transferred a sexually explicit image of himself to someone whom he believed was a 15-year-old girl. In actuality, the minor was an undercover detective with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. 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 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Albuquerque Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man has been charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses after allegedly supplying nearly five pounds of methamphetamine to undercover officers and later being found in possession of fentanyl, firearms, and ammunition. According to court documents, on March 26, 2026, Lucas Maldonado , 44, allegedly supplied almost five pounds of methamphetamine to undercover officers from the Albuquerque Police Department. The transaction took place in a parking lot of a business in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Maldonado arrived in a pickup truck accompanied by his 10-year-old son. During the transaction, an intermediary retrieved a backpack containing methamphetamine from Maldonado ’s vehicle and delivered it to an undercover officer in exchange for $7,000. After the exchange, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop, taking him into custody without incident. The following day, investigators executed a search warrant on Maldonado ’s vehicle and allegedly recovered fentanyl and methamphetamine, multiple firearms, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $11,000 in U.S. currency, including the controlled purchase money. As a previously convicted felon, Maldonado is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Maldonado is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Maldonado will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, he faces up to life in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department’s Central Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nora Wilson is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint (Maldonado).pdf A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Georgia men plead guilty to nearly $20 million fraud and identity theft scheme that targeted professional athletes

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Luther Davis and CJ Evins pleaded guilty today to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges after they tricked lenders into providing nearly $20 million in loans by pretending to represent professional athletes. As part of their scheme, the pair posed as managers of the athletes and wore disguises to impersonate the athletes. “Using fake documents, bogus corporations, wigs, and makeup, Davis and Evins convinced lenders they were NFL players, obtained millions of dollars in fraudulent loans, and used the proceeds of their crimes to purchase real estate and luxury items,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This scheme highlights that anyone can be a target of identity theft, and my office will vigorously investigate and prosecute swindlers who steal identities to defraud others.” “Davis and Evins built an elaborate scheme on deception—impersonating professional athletes, fabricating credentials, and even disguising themselves to close the deal,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This case underscores the FBI’s commitment to protecting victims from complex financial fraud and identity theft. Those who exploit others’ reputations for personal gain will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between at least May 26, 2023, and October 25, 2024, Davis and Evins secured millions of dollars in loans, purportedly on behalf of professional athletes who they falsely claimed to represent. To create the appearance that they represented the athletes, Davis and Evins registered companies with names closely related to the impersonated athletes’ names or initials, opened bank accounts for these fictitious companies, provided fabricated personal financial statements, created fraudulent email accounts, and obtained fake driver’s licenses and identification cards in the athletes’ names. The defendants obtained multiple loans on behalf of unsuspecting professional athletes, using loan proceeds to pay off previous loan balances and to fund their own lifestyles, including purchasing and/or refinancing real estate, jewelry, and watches. As the defendants sought higher value loans, lenders required that the borrowers—who the lenders believed to be professional football players—appear on camera at loan closings. During these loan closings, the defendants posed as the borrowers by impersonating several professional athletes, including wearing wigs and makeup and signing loan paperwork in the athletes’ names. The victim lenders then deposited loan proceeds into bank accounts controlled by the defendants. The scheme was uncovered when a union that represents professional athletes learned that the player contracts that the defendants used as collateral for the loans were fraudulent. During the scheme, the defendants obtained a dozen fraudulent loans (with one loan refinanced) worth a total of $19,845,000. Today, Luther Davis, 37, of Roswell, Georgia, and CJ Evins, 29, of Johns Creek, Georgia, pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft. Both defendants were charged by criminal information on March 19, 2026, and March 20, 2026. Sentencing for CJ Evins is scheduled for August 4, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. Sentencing for Luther Davis is scheduled for October 8, 2026, also before Judge Grimberg. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brock Brockington is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Cornish Man Pleads Guilty to Making Interstate Threats

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Cornish man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to transmitting a threatening interstate communication. According to court records, Blake Tibbetts , 25, made a post on X, a social media website, in which he used a racial epithet in an angry exchange with another X user and threatened to pay “a visit VERY soon” to the user’s “kind,” sending “them” his “condolences.” Tibbetts faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum supervised release term of three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, the Maine State Police, and the Office of the Maine State Fire Marshal investigated the case.


title: Foreign National Charged with Illegally Obtaining U.S. Citizenship and U.S. Passport

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned an Indictment on April 20, 2026, charging a New Jersey man with illegally obtaining United States citizenship and for fraudulently obtaining a United States passport, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, 41, of New Jersey was charged in a two-count Indictment with unlawful procurement of naturalization, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1425(b) and 2, and passport fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1542 and 2. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Miguel Dario Bautista Jimenez, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was removed from the United States in or around 2013, following a conviction in New York for criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree. At some point after his 2013 removal, Bautista re-entered the United States using a false identity after his fingerprints had been partially mutilated. Bautista then used this false identity to fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship documents through naturalization, including a U.S. passport. The charges of unlawful procurement of naturalization and passport fraud each carry a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment. Each offense carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain from the offense, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations, New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, New York Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Amy Connelly, and the U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian Wood, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor Chenoweth of the Cybercrime Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Priscilla Gabela of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### jimenez.indictment.pdf


title: Justice Department Secures $510,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky Landlord

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that Joseph E. Johnson, the owner and manager of residential rental properties in Lexington, Kentucky, agreed to pay $510,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. “The Justice Department will not tolerate violations of our federal fair housing laws, including landlords’ unwelcome sexual advances and requests for sexual favors,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This settlement demonstrates our commitment to continuing to enforce these laws so tenants remain safe and secure in their homes.” “No one should have to choose between homelessness and sexual harassment in the place where they should feel safest,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who preys on and harasses vulnerable tenants in Eastern Kentucky, and this settlement sends a clear message that sex discrimination in housing will not be tolerated.” The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in December 2024, alleges that Johnson sexually harassed female tenants for decades, including in their homes and at the rental office. The suit alleges that Johnson offered to forgive rent in exchange for sexual contact, demanded sexual contact from his tenants, subjected tenants to unwelcome sexual touching, made unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances, let himself into female tenants’ homes without notice or permission, and threatened to evict tenants who refused his demands. The complaint also alleges Johnson failed to stop his employees when they engaged in similar conduct. Pursuant to the consent order , which was approved today by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky, the defendant must pay $500,000 to tenants who were harmed by his harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order permanently bars Johnson from managing residential rental properties and from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment. It also mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination in his rental properties. If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online . More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative . The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $19 million for victims of such harassment.


title: Eight Drug Traffickers Arrested in Northwest Arkansas Sentenced to  Combined 100 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE – Eight individual drug traffickers arrested by state, local and federal law enforcement agencies were sentenced last week to over 1200 combined months of imprisonment. All eight individuals were sentenced by the United States District Court for their roles in distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine across Benton and Washington Counties in Arkansas. The Honorable Chief Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearings in the United States District Court in Fayetteville. “Fentanyl and Methamphetamine continue to destroy lives across Arkansas,” said U.S. Attorney Kimberly D. Harris for the Western District of Arkansas. “These investigations are excellent examples of combined federal and state law enforcement partners working together to apprehend drug traffickers targeting Northwest Arkansas communities. Federal grand juries returned multi-count indictments involving all eight individuals for their roles in large-scale drug trafficking. The eight Defendants received the following sentences: Timoth Conklin , age 38, of Springdale, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to over 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Conklin was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in April 2025 for multiple drug crimes committed in and around Fayetteville, Arkansas. Christopher Park, age 43, of Rogers, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to over 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. Park was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in June of 2025 for multiple drug crimes committed in and around Rogers, Arkansas. Russell Shipman, age 45, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 20, 2026, to over 14 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute More Than 500 Grams of Methamphetamine. Shipman was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in May 2025 for multiple drug crimes committed in and around Fayetteville, Arkansas. Javier Colon-Rivera , age 45, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 20, 2026, to 14 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release for Distribution of Fentanyl. Colon-Rivera was originally indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in April 2025 for multiple drug related crimes committed in and around Lincoln and Fayetteville, Arkansas. Chasity Lewis-Adams, age49, of Springdale, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 17, 2020, to over 13 years in federal prison followed by eight years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Lewis-Adams was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in February 2025 for multiple drug crimes committed in and around Fayetteville, Arkansas. Luis Marquez-Garcia , age 38, of Davenport, Florida, was sentenced on April 16, 2026, to over 13 years in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Marquez-Garcia was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in April 2025 for multiple drug related crimes committed in and around Lincoln and Fayetteville, Arkansas. Danny Trent Barrows , age 45, of Fayetteville, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 16, 2026, to over 13 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release on one count of Possession with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Barrows was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in August 2025 for multiple drug related crimes committed in and around Winslow, Fayetteville, and Goshen, Arkansas. Marquesha Young , age 34, of El Dorado, Arkansas, was sentenced on April 20, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine. Young was indicted in the Western District of Arkansas in November of 2025 for drug related crimes committed in and around Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Fourth (4 th ) Judicial District Drug Taskforce, Fayetteville Police Department, Rogers Narcotics Unit, Lincoln Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigated these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Roberts, Kevin Eaton, Sydney Stanley, and David Harris prosecuted these cases on behalf of the United States. These cases are 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. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .


title: Two Chinese Nationals Charged With Methamphetamine Trafficking Crimes For Developing A Mass-Scale Methamphetamine Production Facility

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Cindy Marx, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging WENFENG CUI, a/k/a “Vincen,” and FAN PANG, a/k/a “Jerry,” with conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine, conspiracy to import methamphetamine precursor chemicals, and methamphetamine importation related to a nearly year-long effort to research, develop, and put into operation a technologically sophisticated factory to mass produce methamphetamine. The defendants were arrested in New York City on February 2, 2026, after a meeting in which they provided detailed instructions for the chemical synthesis of the drug, as well as the technological operation of industrial machinery the defendants created to produce it. Law enforcement authorities later seized shipping containers packed with the equipment at a port in Europe. Both defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein, who ordered them detained pending trial. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield. “As alleged, the defendants worked with chemists and engineers to develop and deploy a sophisticated technology for the industrial production of methamphetamine capable of producing 400 kilograms of ‘meth’ every day,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Their goal was terrifying in its ambition. The potential harm of this scale of methamphetamine on our streets should give all New Yorkers and all Americans pause. This Office will find and prosecute not only the dealers distributing poison to New Yorkers, but also the people behind those operations. Working with our international law enforcement partners, we will bring narcotics traffickers to justice—no matter where they are in the world, and no matter whether they commit their crimes in laboratories or on street corners.” “This indictment underscores the evolving threat posed by the synthetic drug market, in particular the increase we are seeing in methamphetamine,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx, Special Operations Division. “The level of technical expertise, industrial-scale machinery, and international reach revealed in this case is a stark reminder that today’s illicit drug trade is driven by innovation and relentless adaptation. The cartels are adapting, and so are we. DEA will continue to leverage its resources to protect our communities from the devastating impact of synthetic drugs.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and other public court filings: [1] Over the course of approximately eight months, confidential sources acting at the direction of the DEA and posing as narcotics traffickers communicated regularly with CUI and PANG in order to broker chemical agreements. During one recorded call, CUI said that he could produce customized machinery to produce methamphetamine over the course of several months, and additional machines with subsequently refined designs in as few as 30 days. CUI said that he could provide training in the assembly, installation, and operation of the equipment once it was produced, and offered ongoing parts and technical support on-site in Central America to a narcotics trafficker who purported to be located in Guatemala. During a June 5, 2025, meeting, CUI said that he had many repeat customers who purchased hundreds of kilograms of precursor chemical from which methamphetamine could be synthesized from CUI and PANG. During a June 17, 2025, meeting, CUI said, in sum and substance, that prototype machinery was already working. PANG said that a completed machine could be ready by July and would produce as much as 800 kilograms of methamphetamine per production cycle. During the meeting, CUI and PANG also offered to facilitate the sale of a sample of approximately forty kilograms of methylamine hydrochloride, a List I chemical used in the synthesis of methamphetamine. CUI offered to deliver the chemical from China to New York in exchange for $4,000. After the meeting, on or about June 18, 2025, CUI sent a confidential source screenshots of the chemical compositions of controlled substances his synthesis techniques could produce, including the CAS Registry number for methamphetamine. In August 2025, the defendant directed the shipment of methamphetamine precursor chemicals to New York. In the course of developing the technology, CUI produced and disseminated detailed blueprints and schematics, technical specifications, equipment lists, and instruction manuals for both the assembly of the machinery into an industrial laboratory and the operational synthesis of methamphetamine using the machinery. For example, CUI provided: a spreadsheet identifying dozens of necessary component parts, including stainless steel reactors, condensers, storage tanks, valves, explosion-proof pumps, refrigeration and hydrogenation systems, cylinders, centrifuges, and compressors; a detailed, nearly 5,000-word instruction manual for synthesizing meth using the technology, specifying, among other things, chemical proportions, pressure levels, and temperature controls; a flowchart visualizing the steps of production; and renderings of the laboratory assembly: In January 2026, CUI sent a confidential source multiple photos and videos of the machinery as it neared completion, including the below: After completing fabrication in December 2025, CUI and PANG directed the shipment of the full-scale methamphetamine production factory to a port in a European country. According to freight records, the laboratory equipment—weighing more than 21,120 kilograms and measuring nearly 200 cubic meters—was packed into multiple shipping containers and dispatched from a port in Shanghai. CUI sent a confidential source photographs of workers loading the equipment into shipping containers. Standing next to the machine, CUI’s workers boasted that the technology—a “complete set of automated equipment”—represented the “future of the global chemical industry”: In February 2026, law enforcement officials in a European country seized multiple shipping containers containing the machinery, including the components pictured below: * * * CUI, 41, and PANG, 26, both citizens of the People’s Republic of China, are charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine precursor chemical with intent to manufacture narcotics, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of importation of methamphetamine precursor chemical, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Polish Provincial Police of Wroclaw and the Lower Silesian Branch of the National Prosecutors Office, and the German Zentrale Kriminalinspektion (“ZKI”) Osnabrück. The case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan T. Nees is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Houston man receives 27 years after coordinating event involving sexual abuse of toddler

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 27-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison for coercion and enticement of a minor and receipt of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Victor Zuniga pleaded guilty Jan. 15. U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen has now sentenced Zuniga to 324 and 240 months for the coercion/enticement and receipt convictions, respectively. They will run concurrently for a total 324-month-term of imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that Zuniga spent more than a year attempting to arrange an in-person meeting to facilitate the sexual abuse of a toddler. Zuniga will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to the internet. A total of four videos from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation prompted the investigation in December 2023. Between Jan. 28, 2022, and Nov. 2, 2023, Zuniga exchanged multiple messages discussing having sex with minors. He ultimately received numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material. Forensic examination of Zuniga’s cell phone revealed a 42-minute screen recording of a live video feed of minor children ranging from two to 10 years of age being sexually abused. Zuniga has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI - Houston conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Kimberly Leo are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Marion County Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Attempting  to Meet Two Minors to Engage in Sexual Activity

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Terry Levi Brown (36, Summerfield) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Brown pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, in July 2025, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) conducted an undercover operation aimed at apprehending individuals using the internet to sexually exploit children. On July 27, 2025, two MCSO detectives posed online as a 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old girl. Brown messaged both undercover accounts. After learning he was speaking with minors, Brown engaged in sexually explicit conversations with both undercover accounts. Brown was arrested after he traveled to a location in Marion County to meet the minors to engage in sexual activity. This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Sarah Janette Swartzberg. 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 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Little Rock Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Tommy Avance, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 240 months in federal prison after his conviction for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. On July 2, 2024, Avance, 41, of Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a four-count Indictment for possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, being a felon in possession of firearms, and being in possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. On October 28, 2025, Avance pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Avance to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On March 26, 2024, the Conway Police Department, while conducting surveillance on a known drug distributor’s residence, investigators observed a vehicle arrive at the residence only to leave minutes later, which was suggestive of drug activity. Officers followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. During contact with Avance, officers detected the odor of marijuana and observed Avance behaving nervously. Avance then fled from the officers, leading them on a high-speed pursuit. Officers used spike strips to stop Avance and once in custody, officers located two bags of cocaine and one bag of methamphetamine on his person. During a post-Miranda interview with officers, Avance admitted to purchasing significant quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine. During the investigation, officers became aware that Avance was on active parole with a search waiver on file. Officers then conducted a search of Avance’s residence in Conway. During the search, officers located 1,451 grams of methamphetamine. Also located during the search of Avance’s residence were two firearms, a Ruger, model LC9, 9mm caliber firearm and a Taurus, model G3, 9mm caliber firearm, which was previously reported stolen in 2023 to the Benton Police Department. Avance’s criminal history includes possession of cocaine, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, possession of a firearm by certain persons, and a July 19, 2012, federal felony conviction out of the Western District of Arkansas for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Conway Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Two Men Each Sentenced to At Least 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crimes

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Today, Michael Allen Corkhill, also known as “Mike” and “Mike Mike,” 31, of Dunbar, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and Steven Jamar Alexander, also known as “Dook,” 39, of Nitro, was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl. Both men pleaded guilty as the result of the same federal investigation, with Corkhill admitting to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. According to court documents and statements made in court, Corkhill participated in the DTO during the time period by obtaining methamphetamine from co-defendant Amanda Marie Mace and redistributing it to customers in an around Charleston. Corkhill further admitted to distributing quantities of the methamphetamine on four occasions between October 22, 2024, and January 16, 2025, each time to a confidential informant at or near South Charleston. Corkhill also admitted that Mace was present during one of these transactions, on December 11, 2024. Investigators determined that Corkhill was responsible for over 6 pounds of methamphetamine distributed as part of the DTO. Alexander sold approximately 20 grams of fentanyl on March 3, 2025, and on March 6, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in St. Albans. On March 26, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Alexander’s residence in Nitro and seized approximately 196 grams of fentanyl and nearly $8,000 including cash from the controlled buys. Alexander further admitted that he was previously convicted of a serious drug felony, distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on May 13, 2019, and was released from prison for that conviction within 15 years of the current offense. Alexander’s criminal history of 35 convictions also includes two for felony domestic violence, two for felony burglary, and five for assault. “Michael Allen Corkhill is responsible for at least 6 pounds of methamphetamine poisoning our community, and Steven Jamar Alexander is a violent, woman-beating fentanyl dealer with dozens of prior criminal convictions,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Today’s sentences will keep our streets safe from both these offenders for a long time and show that my office will pursue the strongest punishment under the law against those who threaten our community.” Corkhill, Alexander, and Mace are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Corkhill and Mace are among seven defendants in the main indictment who pleaded guilty. Mace, also known as “A,” 43, of South Charleston, was sentenced on March 9, 2026, to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Four additional defendants, including Alexander, pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-78 (Corkhill) and 2:25-cr-70 (Alexander). ###


title: Boise Cascade Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Violating the Lacey Act for Its Role in a Timber Trafficking Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The Boise Cascade Company (Boise Cascade) pleaded guilty and was sentenced today for a felony violation of the Lacey Act for its role in a timber trafficking scheme to evade countervailing and anti-dumping duties. Boise Cascade was sentenced to pay a fine of $6,382,000, representing twice the gross profits it derived from the illegal wood at issue in this case, and implement a compliance plan. Boise Cascade is the third federal criminal enforcement action to come out of this large-scale duty evasion scheme. “As I made clear at last week’s TIMBER Working Group Roundtable event hosted by ENRD, we must thwart efforts of foreign bad actors who engage in illegal timber mining to finance other illicit and dangerous activities,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “Boise Cascade’s guilty plea is a significant step toward ending illegal timber shipments from entering our country, thereby bolstering American security and safeguarding American citizens from threats of transnational criminal organizations.” “Boise Cascade either knew about or was willfully blind to the illegal importation of the plywood they were purchasing from Horizon Plywood,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This scheme defrauded taxpayers of import duties and undercut law-abiding competitors by importing and selling between $25 million and $65 million worth of plywood products. By purchasing these illegal imports, Boise Cascade helped perpetuate the scheme.” “Trade fraud is not a paperwork violation. It is theft from the American taxpayer and an attack on lawful American commerce,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Boise Cascade knowingly profited from illegally imported timber and helped sustain a scheme designed to evade millions in duties owed to the United States. Today’s guilty plea and sentence make clear that companies that turn a blind eye to fraud in pursuit of profit will be held accountable. Our Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect honest businesses, American markets, and the integrity of our trade system.” “Homeland Security Investigations is dedicated to protecting U.S. economic interests and enforcing laws that safeguard our natural resources,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “This case highlights the importance of collaboration between federal agencies to disrupt illegal importation schemes and hold responsible parties accountable. HSI will continue to pursue those who seek to profit by circumventing U.S. laws and regulations.” Boise Cascade is a publicly traded company with a distribution center in Pompano. Boise Cascade purchased wood from Horizon Plywood (Horizon), whose principals, Noel and Kelsy Quintana, were sentenced in February 2024 for conspiracy and Lacey Act violations based on their illegal importation of hardwood plywood. Horizon employee Marta Angelbello was also sentenced after pleading guilty to making a false statement in a declaration related to her role in the scheme. According to court filings, during the sales years of 2018 through 2021, Boise Cascade’s Pompano location purchased hardwood plywood from Horizon, totaling more than $30 million. Beginning in approximately 2019, Boise Cascade purchased, received, sold, and transported hardwood plywood from Horizon knowing (including actions manifesting willful blindness) that hardwood plywood was illegally imported from China. The importation was illegal because Horizon smuggled the wood and violated the Lacey Act by falsifying import declarations for hardwood and softwood plywood. Boise Cascade knew that Horizon had previously tried to hide the origin of the wood that it imported. For example, Horizon transshipped products from China to Malaysia, where it moved product into new containers, and then from Malaysia to the United States. Boise Cascade knew or should have known the plywood purchased from Horizon was sourced from China. Boise Cascade was also aware the United States executed a search warrant at Horizon’s warehouse in South Florida in January 2021, and despite knowing that Horizon was under some federal investigation, Boise Cascade still placed at least 10 new orders for birch plywood in the two weeks following the search warrant and received the orders. HSI investigated the case with support from Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christian Harris and Elizabeth Hannah for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case. ENRD is a member of the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort that also involves the Criminal and Civil Divisions’ Fraud Sections, ENRD, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Criminal Division’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 26-cr-60088. ###


title: Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Results in 51-Defendant Indictment in Nationwide Black-Market Marijuana Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: View the unsealed indictment here. OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal indictment has been unsealed, charging 51 defendants across 67 counts for their roles in a conspiracy to manufacture black-market marijuana in Oklahoma and then distribute it throughout the United States, including Texas, Mississippi, Kansas, and North Carolina, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. In a coordinated takedown late last week, more than 100 law enforcement personnel executed arrest warrants involving 51 defendants from Oklahoma, Texas, New York, North Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Kansas, Mississippi, and California. Of the indicted targets, 28 have been arrested and 23 remain fugitives. A full list of defendants can be viewed below, including at least 29 from China, some of whom have permanent legal resident status. View full defendant list here. In addition to the arrests, law enforcement executed 22 search warrants in Oklahoma, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Stephens, Payne, and Okfuskee County, as well as in Michigan and Kansas. As a result of the searches, approximately 61,000 marijuana plants and 550 kilograms of processed marijuana were seized by law enforcement. During the execution of the warrants, approximately 13 non-citizens in addition to the 51 defendants charged were identified and turned over to immigration officials. “This case underscores the threat posed by nationwide criminal organizations that exploit Oklahoma’s marijuana laws to produce and distribute large quantities of black-market marijuana across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Working alongside our federal, state, and local partners, my office remains committed to taking down these organizations and those who run them.” “This investigation targeted a criminal organization that was producing and trafficking large quantities of marijuana across state lines, under the guise of a state-licensed operation,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker. “The DEA, working with our federal, state, and local partners, will continue to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these networks to protect our communities and hold accountable those who prioritize profit over law.” “We can’t overstate the impact and importance of these types of operations. Since 2021, when our agency created Marijuana Enforcement Teams (MET), we’ve proudly worked alongside our federal and state partners to target criminal organizations operating in Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control Director Donnie Anderson. “These partnerships have resulted in a dramatic drop in illegal marijuana farms within our state.” Summary of Charges According to the indictment, from March 2025 through April 2026, a network of marijuana grow owners, brokers, transporters, and distributors worked together to facilitate the conspiracy. The indictment alleges that grow owners manufactured massive quantities of marijuana for distribution on the black-market, both within the state of Oklahoma and across the United States. Black-market marijuana farms, including grows in Stillwater, Hennessey, and Paden, diverted marijuana into the illicit market. It is alleged that the grow owners often worked with brokers, who coordinated efforts among the grow owners, transporters, and customers to further distribute the black-market marijuana. The marijuana would be transported from black-market grow facilities to stash houses that brokers controlled, and to customers for further distribution—all at the direction of the brokers and grow owners. As alleged in the indictment, brokers and occasionally grow owners coordinated with distributors to arrange for the transportation of black-market marijuana back to their home state for further distribution to customers. Several defendants shared in the proceeds of the illegal distribution and took steps to conceal those proceeds by transporting large amounts of cash and using businesses to disguise the nature of the funds. The conspiracy was carried out, in large part, with cellular phones. And, as alleged in the indictment, law enforcement intercepted calls of two of the main conspirators— LI SHUN CHEN , 53, and YING WANG , 45, both of Oklahoma City . All 51 defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 21, 2026. In addition to the criminal charges alleged, the indictment also seeks the forfeiture of multiple properties and other assets which were either used to facilitate or represent the proceeds of the unlawful activity, including real property throughout Oklahoma located in the following areas: Oklahoma City Okemah Hennessey Chickasha Stratford Pauls Valley Elmore City Henryetta Tonkawa Tryon Paden Seminole Lexington Boley Duncan Edmond Stuart Wynnewood The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Acknowledgements This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Oklahoma City comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, the Oklahoma City Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma leads the prosecution. This specific investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control with assistance from the following agencies: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives United States Marshals Service FBI Oklahoma City Field Office Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office Oklahoma City Police Department Oklahoma Highway Patrol Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office Oklahoma National Guard Arkansas State Police Texas Department of Public Safety Duncan Police Department McClain County Sheriff’s Office Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Office Payne County Sheriff’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth M. Bagwell, Drew E. Davis, and Bow Bottomly are prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced for Destroying Government Property  After Ramming Law Enforcement Vehicles

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, an illegal alien from Portugal pled guilty and received a federal sentence for destroying government property. Magistrate Judge Charles Austin sentenced Tiago Alexandre Sousa-Martins, 30, to time served — totaling 103 days — for using his van to ram government vehicles while attempting to escape immigration officers. Judge Austin also ordered Sousa-Martins to pay $1,000 in restitution. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea and sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, on December 24, 2025, ICE officers conducted a traffic stop on Sousa-Martins’s vehicle. The officers boxed in Sousa-Martins’s vehicle by positioning their government vehicles behind, in front, and to the side of his vehicle. After officers exited their vehicles, and identified themselves, they directed Sousa-Martins to exit his vehicle, but he refused. Officers then broke the Sousa-Martins’s driver’s side window and attempted to remove him. In response, Sousa-Martins placed his vehicle in drive, drove a short distance forward, and then drove back and forth between the government vehicles before backing into the government vehicle directly behind him. After the initial collision, Sousa-Martins continued reversing his vehicle, pushing the government vehicle parked directly behind him back into another government vehicle. The collisions caused damage to both government vehicles. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and ICE-ERO for their work in this investigation. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Deadly Beating Yields Guilty Plea from D.C. Man

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Charles Lewis, 35, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty Friday in connection to the deadly beating of 55-year-old Mark Carter, that occurred in Southeast Washington, D.C. on October 10, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The charges have a sentencing range of 12-15 years of incarceration. Sentencing has been scheduled for October 2, 2026. The government’s evidence indicates that on October 10, 2022, Lewis confronted the victim, Mark Carter, in an alleyway off Southern Ave SE, regarding an ongoing feud about the victim’s use of a car that belonged to the defendant’s family member. Lewis found Carter with the car in the alleyway. The defendant grabbed Carter and threw him to the ground. Lewis repeatedly punched and kicked Carter in the head and the body until he became unresponsive. The defendant then dragged Carter out into the middle of Southern Avenue SE and fled the scene. The victim succumbed to his injuries five days later on October 15, 2022. Lewis was arrested on December 7, 2022, and has been in custody since. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Wes Faulkner, Jr. and Peter Roman. 2022 CF1 002264


title: Sex Offender Sentenced for Weapons Possession

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – Clinton Everett Hahn, 52, was sentenced on Monday to 45 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier for being a felon in possession of firearms. Hahn, a resident of Missouri, was required to register as a sex offender based on a Statutory Rape, Second Degree, conviction. He absconded from Missouri and was ultimately located by the Central Kentucky Fugitive Task Force living in a makeshift encampment in Clay County, Kentucky. Hahn was located with two firearms, and he admitted to firing both weapons within the week before his arrest. In addition to the rape conviction, Hahn also has felony convictions for Distributing a Controlled Substance to a Minor and Assault 2 nd Degree. “The Central Kentucky Fugitive Task Force is one of many examples of collaborative efforts between federal, state, and local law enforcement that serve to make our community safe,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Tracking down and bringing to justice an armed, fugitive, sex offender is exactly the type of work that makes our District a safer place to live.” Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jeremy Honaker, Acting United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Kentucky announced the sentence. The criminal investigation was conducted by the U.S. Marshal’s Service. – END –


title: Central Valley Business Owner Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for Role in Stealing $4.8 Million in Livestock Feed Ingredients

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Richard Best, 72, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to three years in prison and ordered to pay $2 million in restitution for his role in a fraud scheme that stole millions of dollars’ worth of canola (used to make livestock feed) from international food processors, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. “Richard Best treated the agricultural supply chain as his personal inventory, stealing nearly $5 million worth of canola oil for his personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who commit fraud in our agricultural markets will be found and prosecuted. We remain committed to protecting the integrity of our markets and the businesses that play by the rules.” “Richard Best and Shawn Sawa orchestrated a scheme to steal almost $5 million worth of canola destined for cattle feed and other commodities. The products were then sold to pay Best’s operating expenses and fuel Sawa’s lavish lifestyle,” said FBI Sacramento Field Office Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “White collar crime is not victimless; victim companies can be devastated by crimes like these and the price of the commodities they sell can also be impacted. This is why the FBI is committed to uncovering corporate fraud and urges anyone with information about crimes like this to come forward.” According to court documents, from 2015 through 2017, Best and Shawn Sawa, 49, formerly of Clovis, stole $4.8 million worth of canola from international food processors. They then sold the canola for a windfall. Best pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2025. Sawa pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Dec. 8, 2025, to 18 months in prison. Best and Sawa carried out the scheme through Best’s now defunct train-to-truck transloading company, Richard Best Transfer Inc. (RBT). A transloading company transfers commodities from one mode of transportation to another mode. The victim food processors sent hundreds of thousands of tons of their canola to RBT for delivery to their customers. Sawa was the Fresno area manager for one of the victim food processors from whom he and Best stole canola. Sawa initially received kickback payments from Best to try to increase the supply of canola that RBT received from that food processor before they began their scheme. Best and Sawa sold the stolen canola through an acquaintance in Texas who used to work in the livestock-feed industry. The acquaintance sold the stolen canola to farms and dairies and distributed the proceeds according to Best’s instructions. This included wire transfers to Best, RBT’s bank accounts, and Sawa. The account that Sawa used was opened in his spouse’s name to try to conceal the scheme. Throughout the scheme, Best and Sawa caused RBT to email fraudulent inventory reports to the victim food processors representing that RBT had certain amounts of their canola in stock when, in fact, RBT had significantly lesser amounts. Best and Sawa used the proceeds from the scheme to purchase luxury homes and multiple vehicles, take trips, hire private karate teachers, and cover RBT’s operating expenses, among other expenses. Shortly before the scheme was discovered, Best gave Sawa an old cellphone that had belonged to Best’s deceased mother. Best did so because he was afraid that the victim food processor for whom Sawa worked was onto their scheme and was monitoring communications on Sawa’s company issued devices. They then used the old cellphone to secretly communicate with each other in furtherance of the scheme. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody Chapple, Joseph Barton, and Chan Hee Chu prosecuted the case.