title: Armed Drug Dealer On Federal Supervised Release Is Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Torrey Lane Hodsden, 28, of Asheville, was sentenced to 300 months in prison yesterday followed by five years of supervised release for using a gun in furtherance of drug trafficking and other charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, in March 2023, law enforcement began to investigate Hodsden for drug trafficking in the Asheville area. Authorities also determined Hodsden was on federal probation in South Carolina. On March 7, 2023, the Asheville Police Department attempted a traffic stop on Hodsden, but he fled and evaded his arrest. Officers then obtained warrants and conducted a traffic stop of Hodsden who was in a different vehicle. During a search of Hodsden, law enforcement recovered a loaded XDS .45 caliber pistol loaded with five rounds of ammunition and more than $3,694 in cash. Officers then searched the vehicle and recovered $44,661 in cash, methamphetamine, and marijuana from Hodsden’s Gucci bag. Later that day, law enforcement searched Hodsden’s Jaguar where they found 18 large vacuum sealed bags containing over a pound of marijuana, nearly 200 tablets of a mixture containing cathinone, over 100 grams of methamphetamine, fentanyl mixed with cocaine, and various separate amounts of fentanyl and cocaine. A search warrant was executed at Hodsden’s residence where law enforcement seized nearly half a kilogram of methamphetamine, over three pounds of marijuana, fentanyl, fentanyl mixed with cocaine and methamphetamine, digital scales, a blender with white residue, ammunition, and $7,210 in cash. On November 19, 2024, Hodsden pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Hodsden will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he is transferred to a designated federal facility of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the DEA and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.


title: American ex-pat pleads guilty to groping fellow airline passenger

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An American residing in the United Arab Emirates pled guilty yesterday to abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft in flight. According to court documents, on June 6, Darrell Ray Seale, 56, was a passenger aboard a flight from Boston Logan International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Shortly after ascent, Seale intentionally touched himself and another passenger in a sexual manner without the victim’s consent. After the victim gestured for Seale to stop, Seale removed his hand, but later again started touching the victim without the victim’s consent. Shortly afterward, the victim notified a flight attendant and was reseated for the remainder of the flight. Seale’s actions were witnessed by a third passenger. Seale is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 5 and faces up to two years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Joshua P. Stone, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Clement and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Morgan are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-193.


title: Hampton man convicted for downloading child sexual abuse material

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Hampton man yesterday on six counts of transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court records and evidence presented at trial, from August 2020 through November 2021, Ryan Matthew Bieber, 31, uploaded multiple files of CSAM depicting adults engaged in sexually explicit conduct with children. Bieber’s Google account was deactivated immediately after Google submitted a CyberTipLine report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Bieber faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison when sentenced on Dec. 18. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon Heath and Peter G. Osyf are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-5.


title: Crypto Influencer Sentenced to Prison for Multi-Million Dollar “Cryptojacking” Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today in federal court in Brooklyn, Charles O. Parks III, also known as “CP3O,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric Komitee to one year and one day in prison for operating a large-scale illegal “cryptojacking” operation. As part of the scheme, Parks defrauded two well-known providers of cloud computing services out of more than $3.5 million worth of computing resources so that he could mine cryptocurrency worth nearly $1 million. Parks was charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions in connection with the scheme and pleaded guilty to wire fraud in December 2024. As part of the sentence, Parks was ordered to forfeit $500,000 and a Mercedes Benz luxury car purchased with proceeds from the scheme. The amount of restitution will be determined at a later date. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the sentence. “Parks branded himself as an innovator and a thought leader, but in the end he was merely a fraudster whose secret to getting rich quick was lying and stealing,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This Office remains committed to prosecuting criminal actors who take advantage of new, sophisticated technologies to engage in fraud and deceit.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s New York Cyber Crimes Task Force (CCTF). “Charles Parks III stole more than $3.5 million worth of resources to illegally mine another million in cryptocurrency for personal luxurious purchases,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “While Parks gloated across social media platforms, he failed to mention his purported success was rooted in deceit and theft. May today's sentencing reaffirm the FBI's steadfast commitment to dismantling any cryptojacking operation that targets legitimate companies for nefarious reasons.” “Charles Parks manipulated technology, stole millions in computer resources, and illegally mined cryptocurrency—and today’s sentencing holds him fully accountable for his deceitful actions,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “I am grateful to the NYPD and FBI investigators for their dedication, and I commend the prosecutors for their tireless efforts in securing this meaningful prison sentence. We will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners to bring to justice anyone who seeks to undermine the integrity of our financial institutions.” “Cryptojacking,” also referred to as malicious cryptomining, is the unauthorized use or hijacking of another party’s resources, such as electricity, hardware, or computing power, to mine cryptocurrency. According to court filings and facts presented at today’s sentencing, from in or about January 2021 through August 2021, Parks operated a large-scale “cryptojacking” operation in which he defrauded two well-known providers of cloud computing services out of more than $3.5 million worth of computing resources in order to mine nearly $1 million in cryptocurrency. Parks created and used a variety of names, corporate affiliations, and email addresses, including emails with domains from corporate entities he operated called “MultiMillionaire LLC” and “CP3O LLC,” to register numerous accounts with the service providers and to gain access to massive amounts of computing processing power and storage that he did not pay for. Parks also deceived the providers into approving heightened privileges and benefits, including elevated levels of computing services, and deflected inquiries from the providers regarding questionable data usage and mounting unpaid subscription balances. For example, Parks told one provider that he was using the computing resources to build “a global online training company that focuses on media, technology, and business strategy” and that his goal was “to serve 10,000 students simultaneously.” In reality, there was no training company, and there were no students. Parks instead used the fraudulently obtained computing resources to mine various cryptocurrencies including Ether, Litecoin, and Monero. Parks then converted and laundered the cryptocurrency proceeds through cryptocurrency exchanges, a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace, an online payment provider, and traditional bank accounts, and structured money movements to avoid transaction reporting requirements under federal law. After converting the ill-gotten cryptocurrency into dollars, Parks used the proceeds to make extravagant purchases, including a Mercedes-Benz, jewelry, and first-class hotel rooms, and to pay travel expenses. Parks boasted about his profits so as to earn credibility as a crypto influencer. In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel in September 2022, Parks purported to share tips for achieving what he called a “MultiMillionaire Mentality.” Describing the fraudulent scheme, Parks boasted that, “Last year I set a goal for myself that I wanted to make seven digits or more, and so I spent the first ten days of the year creating a—we’ll just call it a really nice crypto script—that I was able to use at scale. And after working that ten days, let’s just put it this way, I didn’t work the rest of the year.” He later added that, “…by April, I purchased myself a Mercedes Benz AMG S class coup.” The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Reich is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Wayne Colon. The Defendant : CHARLES O. PARKS III (also known as “CP3O”) Age: 46 Omaha, Nebraska E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-105 (EK)


title: SDTX charges another 262 people with immigration and related crimes in support of Operation Take Back America

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 262 new cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from Aug. 8-14, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Among those are 109 people who face charges of illegally reentering the country. The majority have prior felony convictions for narcotics, violent crimes, sexual offenses, prior immigration crimes and more. A total of 132 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while 15 people were allegedly engaged in human smuggling. The remaining cases involve other immigration crimes and firearms offenses. One of those charged is Osvaldo Martin Acevedo-Rodriguez for allegedly being an alien illegally in possession of a firearm. During a traffic stop in Edinburg, authorities found a .40 caliber pistol as well as a THC cartridge and methamphetamine in his possession, according to the complaint. The charges further allege he had been removed from the country on at least one prior occasion. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison. In another case filed this week, a crash and rollover resulted in hospitalization and human smuggling charges for a 22-year-old Laredo resident, according to court records. Mario Alberto Mercado allegedly failed to yield to law enforcement, turned off his headlights and accelerated in an attempt to flee. Mercado crashed the black Cadillac he had been driving into a tree, according to the charges. The four passengers in the vehicle were allegedly treated for minor injuries and determined to all be in the United States illegally. Mercado faces up to 10 years in prison, upon conviction. Criminal complaints also allege three individuals attempted to unlawfully reenter the country after they had already been removed this year. Honduran nationals Mauricio Misael Martinez-Martinez and Irma Alcerro-Catano were previously removed Feb. 19 and May 17, respectively, according to court records, while authorities removed Mexican national Domingo Martinez-Vasquez May 7. Each allegedly has prior felony convictions, including illegal reentry, possession of a controlled substance or assault of a family member. All three were allegedly found in the United States without legal authorization and now face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted. In addition to the new cases, a Brownsville federal jury returned a guilty verdict against the owners of Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café in Los Fresnos for employing and housing illegal aliens within their restaurant. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Leonardo Baez-Lara and Alicia Avila-Guel guilty as charged following a two-day trial. Testimony revealed they hired and harbored workers who were in the United States illegally or on B1/B2 visas without having the right to work. The jury heard that employees were living in a storage area with only one exit, sleeping on mattresses and rarely had hot water. “The jury’s verdict vindicates the American people’s mandate that our immigration laws be fully enforced,” said Ganjei. “Business owners who put profits over their fellow citizens by harboring illegal aliens should be advised that the Southern District of Texas will not look the other way.” One notable case announced out of the McAllen office was Cesar Rafael Leon , who was taken into federal custody following a crash during an alleged smuggling attempt through the Rio Grande Valley. According to the charges, Leon picked up five illegal aliens, ignored orders to stop, fled after the deployment of a vehicle immobilization device and eventually struck a law enforcement vehicle. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. In Victoria, a federal jury deliberated for only 23 minutes before finding a Guatemalan man guilty of felony reentry after removal. Miguel Angel Puac-Ramirez was a passenger during a traffic stop and provided a Guatemalan identification card listing a College Station address. Authorities determined he had no legal documentation to be in the United States. The defense attempted to convince the jury the case lacked the foundation for a conviction by literally piling up bricks on the jury box. The illustration was ineffective. The jury did not believe those claims and found Puac-Ramirez guilty as charged. He also faces up to 20 years in prison. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood . Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.nvicted through due process of law.


title: Sumter County Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Conspiracy in Sumter, Richland Counties

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Jalik Shykeil Tucker, 30, of Sumter, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and a quantity of cocaine and crack cocaine. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that during March 2023, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office began a joint investigation after receiving information that Jalik Tucker was selling large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. RCSD narcotics investigators made several undercover buys of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Tucker over a three-week period. During this same time, law enforcement was able to identify two locations in Sumter County and one location in Richland County that Tucker was using in distributing his drugs. They obtained search warrants for all three locations. During the search, police found more than $25,000 cash, including money they paid in purchasing the drugs. They also found methamphetamine, fentanyl, fluorofentanyl, firearms, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, digital scales, baking soda used in the making of crack cocaine, sandwich bags used to distribute the drugs, and an electric mixer also used in drug distribution. Tucker faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $10 million restitution, and five-year term of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Tucker after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department and the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Utah Gymnastics Coach Sentenced to 10 Years’ Imprisonment for Child Sex Crimes

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Adam Richard Jacobs, 35, of Woods Cross, Utah, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment for child exploitation crimes after he admitted to possessing a hidden camera to produce child sexual abuse material. In February 2025, Jacobs pleaded guilty to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. In addition to his term of imprisonment, a U.S. District Court Judge, sentenced Jacobs to a lifetime term of supervised release. According to court documents and admissions made at Jacobs change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning on a date unknown and continuing until March 2023, he transported a minor, in his role as a gymnastics coach, from Utah to other states including Florida and Texas. During this time, he placed a hidden camera in the minor’s hotel room and bathroom to produce child sexual abuse materials. According to court documents, on two occasions, a USA Gymnastics World employee discovered a hidden camera in a unisex restroom at the facility and contacted police. A subsequent investigation recovered approximately 120 video files of victims in the restroom. Approximately 40 videos showed Jacobs setting up the cameras in his home and at USA Gymnastics World. In conjunction with this prosecution, Jacobs was charged by the State of Utah in state court. Jacobs has entered a guilty plea in that case and sentencing is pending in the state case. The case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Woods Cross Police Department, the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Kaysville Police Department, Clearfield Police Department, the United States Secret Service, and the Davis County Attorney’s Office. Special Assistant United States Attorney Carl Hollan and Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in New Hampshire Case Shielding Small Businesses from Being Forced to Provide Medical Coverage for Gender Dysphoria

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department filed a Statement of Interest in Bernier v. Turbocam et al. (D.N.H.), informing the court that the Civil Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act do not require employers to provide insurance coverage for gender dysphoria, and that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects businesses and individuals from forced coverage when it would violate their religious beliefs. Small businesses and people of faith should not be required to pay for insurance plans to employees covering cosmetic procedures and services that are not required to treat a disability under the law. “This Civil Rights Division will consistently protect religious liberty for all Americans, including small business owners who should not be required to pay for claimed gender dysphoria,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Religious Freedom Restoration Act protects sincere religious beliefs, and neither the ADA nor the Civil Rights Act requires American businesses to pay for such elective procedures.” “In matters like this, our responsibility is to ensure that federal statutes and regulations are applied faithfully and consistently,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan for the District of New Hampshire. “We will continue to uphold the rule of law and work to provide clarity on how these laws operate so that individuals and businesses can rely on them with confidence.” In Bernier v. Turbocam , et al. (D. N.H.) (1:23-cv-00523), a male plaintiff sued his employer, a closely held, private small business, alleging that the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act require Turbocam Inc. to provide insurance plans to cover his elective treatment. The Department of Justice maintains an interest in proper interpretation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Civil Rights Division within the Department enforces provisions within the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Civil Rights Act. The Civil Rights Division enforces Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are a business owner, employer, or religious individual and feel you have been wrongfully sued or improperly required to pay for gender dysphoria or transgender surgeries or other procedures, please contact the Civil Rights Division by telephone at 1-800-253-3931, or submit a complaint through civilrights.justice.gov.


title: Iraqi national dealing fentanyl from Glen Allen hotel room sentenced to prison

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – An Iraqi national residing in Henrico was sentenced to prison for possession with the intent to distribute of fentanyl. According to court documents, on July 25, 2023, Yasir H. Al Sheikh Mohammed, 28, conducted hand-to-hand transactions from a hotel room in Glen Allen rented by his girlfriend, Destiny Aleeyona Deaver Lindore, 24, of Richmond, who was present in the room during the transactions and helped Mohammed package the fentanyl pills. When Mohammed and Lindore travelled to a nearby pharmacy, law enforcement arrested Mohammed on outstanding warrants while Lindore was inside the business. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered 10 tablets containing fentanyl from Lindore’s purse and $164 in drug proceeds. During a search of the hotel room, investigators recovered 1,060 tablets containing fentanyl marked “M” and “30,” making them appear to be Oxycodone. They also recovered a handgun from Mohammed’s backpack and $3,890 in drug proceeds. Mohammed pled guilty on Nov. 15, 2024, and was sentenced on Aug. 12 to 15 years and eight months in prison. Lindore pled guilty on Nov. 13, 2024, and was sentenced yesterday to four years of probation with a special added condition of six months of home confinement. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. The Henrico County Police Division assisted in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Theisen and Angela Mastandrea prosecuted the case. 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-126.


title: Texas Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Roles in Conspiracy to Commit Armed Robbery While Posing as DEA Agents

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: MEDFORD, Ore.—Two San Antonio, Texas, men were sentenced to federal prison Thursday for conspiring to travel from Texas to Southern Oregon to commit an armed robbery while disguised as agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Jose Manuel Lopez, 24, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release, and Juan Carlos Conchas, 23, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release. Restitution to the victim was ordered to be paid jointly. According to court documents, on March 12, 2022, deputies from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office responded to a rural address in Josephine County, Oregon after receiving reports of an armed robbery in progress. The deputies found a residence with a closed driveway gate and two empty vehicles with Texas license plates in the driveway with their doors open. Deputies saw several people running toward the back of the property and found victims inside the house. The victims reported that armed individuals dressed in what appeared to be DEA attire and wearing body armor arrived at the property and used zip ties and duct tape to restrain several of them. The deputies searched the property and found large plastic totes containing packaged marijuana in the buildings and vehicles. They also found body armor, firearms, ammunition, shell casings, and badges that resembled those carried by DEA agents along the path that the defendants used to flee the property. Investigators learned that in late February 2022, the group traveled from San Antonio to Southern Oregon to steal over 200 pounds of marijuana and recovered photographs taken by the group in which they posed with firearms while dressed as DEA agents. On October 13, 2022, Lopez and Conchas were located and arrested in San Antonio. On September 1, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Morales, Acuna, Conchas and co-conspirators with conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, conspiracy to possess marijuana with intent to distribute, and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On December 6, 2024, Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. On April 16, 2025, Conchas pleaded guilty to conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and conspiring to possess marijuana with the intent to distribute. In addition, four co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and been sentenced on felony charges stemming from their roles in the conspiracy. This case was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Public Safety. It is being prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.


title: Ten Individuals Charged with $9 Million Federal Loan Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: ATLANTA – Ten individuals face federal charges stemming from a fraud and money laundering operation that targeted government loan programs offered by the U.S. Small Business Administration, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program and Paycheck Protection Program. In addition, two of the defendants were charged with laundering the proceeds of a fraudulent unemployment insurance scheme. “Fraud schemes, like the ones perpetrated by these defendants, stole valuable resources meant to assist small businesses and citizens during difficult times,” said United States Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting and punishing cold-hearted criminals who target government aid programs for their personal gain.” “PPP loans were intended to provide critical relief to small businesses,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI Atlanta and our law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who exploited the pandemic as a means to enrich themselves.” “An important mission of the Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of unemployment insurance fraud targeting state workforce agencies. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Between November 2020 and June 2023, David Nathaniel Black, Jr. and others used real companies’ information to submit unauthorized and false Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications. The loan applications allegedly included false information about the companies, such as the number of employees, the need for the loan, the intended use of the funds, average monthly payroll, and gross revenue. The applications were supported by fraudulent documents, including false tax records, bank statements, and payroll. In addition, the defendants used stolen identification information belonging to the owners or officers of the companies to submit the applications without their knowledge. In total, the defendants allegedly obtained over $9 million in fraudulent loans. After the loans were obtained, the defendants allegedly conducted cash withdrawals and transferred funds, sometimes using the funds to purchase luxury items. For example, Black used fraud proceeds for the following expenditures: $200,000 for a 2022 Bentley Bentayga; $350,000 for a 2020 McLaren 720S convertible; $142,680 for the down payment of a 2023 Mercedes Benz G-Class Wagon; and $180,645 to pay the annual rent for a luxury home. David Nathaniel Black, Jr., 31, of Newnan, Georgia, was charged with 17 counts of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment per count, and 17 counts of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory, consecutive term of imprisonment of two years per count. Black was also charged with over 100 counts of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment per count. In addition to Black, the following individuals were charged with multiple counts of money laundering: Rashad Avery, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia; Tara Batson, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia; Chris Elvins Constant, 25, of Ft. Pierce, Florida; Nicole Cooley, 35, of Baltimore, Maryland; Reginald Douglas, 32, of Atlanta, Georgia; Yvenord Guerilus, 24, of Miami, Florida; Carson Merice, 25, of Miami, Florida; Rise Robinson, 36, of Atlanta, Georgia; and George Thompson, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia. Black and Constant are also charged with money laundering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, for allegedly laundering proceeds from a fraudulent unemployment insurance scheme. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly K. Connors and Sarah E. Klapman are prosecuting the case. Nine of the defendants appeared in federal court this week following their arrests. If you know Rise Robinson’s whereabouts or have information that may lead to her arrest, please contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-CALL-FBI. On May 17, 2021, the Department of Justice established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the Department’s resources in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: PENSACOLA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO FEDERAL ARMED ROBBERY AND SHOOTING OFFENSES

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

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ulysses Robinson, Jr., 41, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of interference with commerce by threat or violence, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Another violent felon has been taken off the streets of Pensacola thanks to the outstanding investigative work of our local partners working in conjunction with federal law enforcement. This is yet another successful prosecution under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, which is fulfilling the promise of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to protect our communities from the violent criminals terrorizing our streets.” Court documents reveal that on December 16, 2024, Robinson and his partner, Ladarryl Paige – who previously pleaded guilty to these offenses – entered a business on North Davis Highway and held multiple individuals at gunpoint. Robinson and Paige then robbed these individuals of approximately $10,000 in United States currency as well as the marijuana that was present on scene. During the armed robbery, Robinson forced the victims to comply with orders at gunpoint and discharged his firearm. Law enforcement was able to identify both Robinson and Paige through video surveillance and forensically derived electronic evidence. Robinson is a previously convicted felon. Robinson faces up to life imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for November 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pensacola Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: California Man Sentenced for Enticing Minors to Create Child Pornography

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A man from Santa Ana, California, was sentenced today for Production of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Alejandro Gomez, 32, to 180 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Gomez will also be required to register as a sex offender. “Despite living more than a thousand miles away from the victims, the internet allowed Gomez to entice minor boys into sending him nude photos and videos,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “While we use the internet daily, child predators abuse the internet to gain access to children.” “I commend the work of the FBI and our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in securing justice for the victims in this case, and for ensuring this vile predator faces accountability,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “Together, we will continue to aggressively pursue those who exploit children for their own sick gratification.” According to court documents, the FBI received a tip from a 15-year-old minor victim and their parent in June 2024. The minor victim told agents that he was sharing sexually explicit material with an adult woman. Through court-authorized search warrants, agents discovered that Gomez used two different social media names and presented himself online as an adult woman who was interested in minor boys. The investigation revealed that Gomez sought out a 16-year-old minor victim before the 15-year-old, and he immediately began grooming the 16-year-old. Their chats became sexual, and Gomez shared sexual images of an adult woman that he was pretending to be. The minor victim, in return, shared sexually explicit photos or videos of themselves. Gomez further persuaded the minor victim to create a chatroom and to invite their friends. This allowed Gomez to meet other minor victims that he ultimately enticed to produce sexually explicit images and photos of themselves for several months. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) operates a CyberTipline . It is the nation’s centralized reporting system for suspected child sexual exploitation. Online enticement can involve enticing a child to share sexually explicit images, to meet in person for sexual purposes, to engage in sexual role playing, and, in some instances, selling or trading the child’s sexual images with others. Child predators may use a variety of tactics when enticing a child online. The CyberTipline reports that children are often approached on social media, gaming, or other online platforms. They frequently look for information about the child that is publicly available online, like the child’s school, interests, topics posted, or photos of their location. Typically, when initial contact is made, the perpetrator will persuade the child into switching applications in an attempt to keep the messaging private. In May, President Donald J. Trump signed the TAKEITDOWN Act into law. This Act requires certain online platforms to promptly remove sexually explicit images of a child, whether authentic or computer-generated. If you believe sexually explicit photos of you are online, you can request that they be taken down through NCMEC here . Gomez will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Georgia Man Convicted for $16M COVID-19 Unemployment Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Albany, Georgia, convicted a Georgia man today for his participation in a scheme to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor (GaDOL) out of millions of dollars in benefits meant to assist unemployed individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. “The defendant and his co-conspirators orchestrated a scheme where they used stolen identities to submit fraudulent unemployment claims in order to steal millions of dollars of funds intended for the benefit of unemployed Americans,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Such schemes are all too common, but the Criminal Division is resolved to bring to justice fraudsters who seek to enrich themselves from the public fisc.” “This trial conviction underlines our dedication and steadfast commitment to holding individuals accountable who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). “As proven in this case, our criminal investigators along with our law enforcement partners will work together and diligently pursue anyone who attempts to exploit programs created to help legitimate people and businesses affected by the global pandemic.” “Malcolm Jeffery and his co-conspirators helped themselves to money earmarked for unemployed Georgia residents already struggling during the pandemic,” said Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Atlanta Division. “Not only is he responsible for the depletion of that program’s funds, but he used stolen personal information to commit the fraud. Postal Inspectors want criminals to know, we are committed to investigating these cases and working with our partners to make sure they feel the full weight of the law. These crimes will not go unanswered.” “Malcolm Jeffrey engaged in a scheme with his co-defendants to defraud the Georgia Department of Labor by filing numerous fraudulent unemployment insurance claims in the names of identity theft victims and other individuals who were not entitled to such benefits," said Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Southeast Region. "The claims were filed through a fictitious employer account that Jeffrey created in the name of his business, resulting in substantial losses to the program. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Unemployment Insurance program.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Malcolm Jeffrey, 34, of Cordele, Georgia, and his co-conspirators, caused more than approximately 7,000 fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to be filed with the GaDOL, resulting in more than $16 million in stolen benefits. To execute the scheme, Jeffrey and his co-conspirators fabricated lists of purported employees using personally identifiable information from hundreds of identity theft victims and filed fraudulent UI claims on the GaDOL website under his defunct business, Down N Dirty Transportation LLC (Down N Dirty). After Jeffrey opened an account to file UI claims through GaDOL’s website for Down N Dirty’s purported employees, thousands of claims were submitted through his employer account, which caused more than $16 million in fraudulent UI benefits to be disbursed. The stolen UI funds were then distributed to Jeffrey and his co-conspirators via prepaid debit cards mailed to various locations in the vicinity of Cordele. The jury convicted Jeffrey of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, USPS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, HSI, and DHS-OIG investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lyndie Freeman, Siji Moore, and Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.


title: Statement Regarding United States Attorney Ryan Ellison’s Acting Appointment

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – On April 17, 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi appointed Ryan Ellison to serve as New Mexico’s United States Attorney on an interim basis for a period not to exceed 120 days. Following the expiration of his interim appointment, Mr. Ellison now serves as New Mexico’s Acting United States Attorney at the request of the Attorney General. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison issued the following statement: “I’m honored to have President Trump and Attorney General Bondi’s confidence to continue serving as New Mexico’s top federal prosecutor. I applaud New Mexico’s federal district judges for declining to appoint someone other than the Trump Administration’s choice to lead the United States Attorney’s Office as they had the discretion to do at the end of my interim appointment. Consistent with the laws and Constitution of the United States, the appointment of a U.S. Attorney is a process that should be sorted out in a collaborative and professional manner between the executive and legislative branches of government. I am confident that process will eventually play out here and across the country. I thank New Mexico’s U.S. Senators for their commitment to reviewing my qualifications and I look forward to working with public servants of all political stripes to combat crime in New Mexico. In the interim, I will continue to lead the United States Attorney’s Office in the same way that I have over the last four months—without fear, without favor, and with public safety as my top priority. For me, this job has never been about the title or the position. Since day one, I have rolled up my sleeves and worked with a great sense of urgency to address New Mexico’s systemic crime problem. In just a few short months, I have shifted the U.S. Attorney’s Office back into high gear to keep New Mexicans safe. Our partnership with the U.S. military and the U.S. Border Patrol has made our southern border more secure than at any point in our nation’s history. The evidence is in the numbers. Since I was appointed, illegal border crossings are down 92% and immigration-related prosecutions are up 180%. Moreover, we are confronting New Mexico’s crime epidemic head on by getting back to basics. Compared with the four months preceding my appointment, violent crime and firearms prosecutions are up 23% and drug prosecutions are up 53%. Meaningful progress will take sustained effort over time, but we’re headed in the right direction. For however long I serve, I will work relentlessly to improve the quality of life in New Mexico by enhancing public safety. That starts by protecting our citizens and prosecuting those who commit crimes. The people of New Mexico deserve nothing less.”


title: Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Police Foot Chase and Arrest in Northeast

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Damion Barnett, 22, of the District of Columbia, was charged in an indictment unsealed yesterday in U.S. District Court with being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition and unlawful discarding of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Barnett allegedly had been in possession of a loaded Glock 19 9mm semiautomatic pistol shortly before he was arrested July 14 by Metropolitan Police officers following a foot chase in Northeast Washington, D.C. This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. According to the charging documents, officers with the MPD’s Robbery Suppression Unit were on patrol July 14 about 6 p.m. when they saw a group of men standing on the 1100 block of 16 th Street NE. One of the individuals, later identified as Barnett, was smoking a white cigarette that officers believed contained marijuana. On seeing the officers approach, Barnett passed the cigarette to another member of the group and ran in the opposite direction down 16 th Street. Barnett dashed into an alley as officers gave chase. During the foot pursuit, an officer observed Barnett reach into his waistband with his right hand and discard a firearm into the air. Officers soon apprehended Barnett, placed him under arrest, and traced his flight path. The officers recovered a black Glock 19, 9mm pistol loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. An NCIC check revealed the firearm had been reported stolen on Nov. 3, 2024, to the Prince George’s County Police Department. Barnett previously was convicted on a 2021 felony charge in D.C. Superior Court, and as a result, prohibited from possessing any firearm. This investigation is being conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Sussler of the Federal Major Crimes Section. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 25cr236


title: Four-Time Convicted Drug Trafficker Sentenced for Dealing Cocaine and Fentanyl

body_text: Atlanta – Mekael Desean Daniels, who has three prior federal drug trafficking convictions, will serve a 292-month prison sentence following his conviction for possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl. At the time of his arrest, Daniels was storing 110 kilograms of cocaine and 62 grams of fentanyl at a Buckhead-area condominium building and was attempting to deliver $600,000 of drug proceeds to money launderers working on behalf of a transnational drug trafficking organization. “Despite three prior federal convictions for drug trafficking, Daniels continued to distribute vast quantities of narcotics in our community and attempted to launder drug money,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thanks to the determined investigative work of our law enforcement partners, Daniels’s 24-year prison sentence should finally end his criminal career and serves as a stern warning to others who push deadly fentanyl and cocaine.” “Career criminals who traffic drugs show no regard for the devastation they leave behind,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Let this case serve as a clear warning: drug traffickers can no longer operate with impunity.” “Daniels was a repeat offender fueling the flow of deadly drugs into our communities,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI and our partners will continue to dismantle these networks and hold traffickers accountable.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2022, Daniels and others conspired to transport cocaine and fentanyl from Mexico to Atlanta, Georgia. Daniels operated a stash house in a condominium building in Buckhead, which he used to supply his network with large amounts of cocaine. At the time of his arrest on December 9, 2022, Daniels was storing 110 kilograms of cocaine that had recently arrived by tractor-trailer from Mexico. Agents also found in his condominium unit 62 grams of fentanyl pressed into pills with the marking for oxycodone, approximately $66,000 in drug proceeds, and a drug ledger documenting $500,000 in transactions. In the condominium garage, agents searched a car linked to Daniels, where they found a bag containing $500,000 and a shoebox containing $100,000, which were proceeds of recent cocaine sales in the Atlanta, Georgia area. This is Daniels’s fourth federal drug trafficking conviction in this district after prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute cocaine in 1995 and 2000 and for possession with intent to distribute heroin in 2012. As part of his 2000 case, Daniels was also convicted of possessing a firearm while he was a convicted felon. Daniels engaged in the drug trafficking conspiracy charged in this case one year after his release from federal prison for his 2012 conviction. Earlier today, United States District Judge Steven D. Grimberg sentenced Daniels, 55, of Dallas, Georgia, to serve 24 years, 4 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime sentence of supervised release. Daniels was convicted of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl on March 27, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth M. Hathaway and Austin M. Hall, and former Assistant United States Attorney Joshua May, prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. 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 OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: 232 New Immigration Cases This Week in the Western District of Texas

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – United States Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 232 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Aug. 8 through 14. Two Mexican nationals were arrested in Seguin on Aug. 8, when they were caught allegedly transporting 137 kgs of methamphetamine and 7.5 kgs of heroin. A Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office K9 deputy conducted a traffic stop on Roberto Moreno-Rangel and Martin Gomez-Cisneros near the intersection of Highway 90 and Interstate Highway 10. After the two individuals allegedly provided conflicting stories to the deputy, the K9 conducted an open-air sniff inspection of the vehicle and allegedly alerted to the presence of illegal narcotics on the rear driver side fender well area of the vehicle. Further investigation of the vehicle allegedly revealed 48 bundles concealed in an aftermarket compartment. 47 of the bundles were allegedly found to contain methamphetamine, while the remaining bundle allegedly contained heroin. Charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, Moreno-Rangel and Gomez-Cisneros each face 10 years to life in prison, if convicted. Among the new cases, Mexican national Heriberto Monsivais Lopez aka Erik Lopez, was arrested in San Antonio as part of an investigation into firearms trafficking to Mexico. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Investigations agents, along with officers from the Texas Department of Public Safety (TX DPS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, allegedly observed Monsivais Lopez sell two 9mm pistols and 28.93 g of suspected cocaine. He was previously removed from the U.S. to Mexico on March 14, 2019. Monsivais Lopez is charged with one count of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years imprisonment. Salvadoran national Samuel Chulo-Aguilar was charged with illegal re-entry in Del Rio, having been previously deported in 2012 through Phoenix, Arizona. In 2007, Chulo-Aguilar was sentenced to six years in prison following a conviction in Los Angeles, California, for lewd acts with a child under 14. In Austin, Honduran national Jose Carcamo-Santos was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after he was arrested during a traffic stop by TX DPS on Aug. 9. Carcamo-Santos is charged with illegal re-entry and has been removed from the U.S. seven times between 2004 and 2022. He’s been thrice convicted for illegal re-entry and has three other convictions for controlled substance charges. Rosell Bladimir Ortiz-Garcia , also a Honduran national, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry in Eagle Pass. Ortiz-Garcia has been deported seven times, the last one being on Feb. 26, after being convicted for assault causing bodily injury. Victor Aaron Vargas-Leon , a Mexican national, was arrested near El Indio on Aug. 10 and charged with transporting illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that Border Patrol agents found three illegal aliens and another deceased individual in the brush. Vargas-Leon was allegedly determined to be a foot guide for the group. In El Paso, Mexican national Victor Hugo Lopez-Murillo was allegedly found in a storm drain just over a mile west of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. He is charged with illegal re-entry, having been previously removed from the U.S. four times, the last time being in February following a felony conviction for trespassing in a habitation. Mexican national Jorge Santillan-De La Cruz was arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry after he allegedly applied for admission into the U.S., presenting himself as a U.S. citizen who had lost his documents in Mexico. Customs and Border Protection officers found that Santillan-De La Cruz had previously been removed from the U.S. for the fourth time in March. Additionally, he has been convicted five times for theft and burglary offenses and twice for illegal re-entry. Raul Robledo , a U.S. citizen, was charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens after allegedly being observed acting as a look-out during a failed alien smuggling scheme in El Paso on Aug. 4. A criminal complaint alleges that, during the scheme, Border Patrol agents responded to subjects exiting a storm drain and observed multiple vehicles suspected of being involved in the smuggling operation. One subject was allegedly observed lifting the storm drain grate, then dropping it, injuring a female subject who was later transported to a hospital with finger amputations and a head injury. Border Patrol agents located four additional illegal aliens inside the storm drain. Further investigation revealed that Robledo had allegedly fled the scene and had served as a look-out on three other occasions. Mexican national Luis Heriberto Baca-Baca was arrested while crossing the Rio Grande River with nine other individuals determined to be in the U.S. illegally. Baca-Baca allegedly served as the foot guide for the group and had been observed entering the U.S. illegally with a group of 14 individuals the day prior. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Tampa Woman Indicted For Automobile Insurance Wire Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Katrenia Lynette Harris (54, Tampa) with five counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The indictment also notifies Harris that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture for not less than $49,772.40, the presently known proceeds of her fraud scheme. According to the indictment, Harris fraudulently held herself out to individuals within the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere as an authorized insurance agent for a major automobile insurance carrier. Harris would, upon receiving a request for insurance from a victim-customer, impersonate the victim in order to obtain insurance policy documents. Victim-customers would pay Harris through various means, including primarily through “Cash App”, a mobile-phone based person-to-person money transfer service. Harris would then forward the fraudulently obtained insurance documents to the victim-customer, however, she purposely failed to remit the victim’s payments to the insurance company, resulting in these insurance policies being cancelled for non-payment. Harris then attempted to conceal the policy cancellation from her victim-customers, resulting in multiple victims operating motor vehicles in Florida and elsewhere without valid automobile insurance. Victims identified by law enforcement will directly receive notice of their rights pursuant to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. If you believe you are a victim and have not otherwise received notice, please visit the website listed below for more information on how to self-identify yourself to law enforcement. Website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/katrenia_harris An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, along with the Florida Department of Financial Services – Bureau of Insurance Fraud. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Duso.


title: Jacksonville Man Indicted For Attempting To Entice A 13-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Jerry Alexander Cobb (37, Jacksonville) with using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Cobb faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. On August 12, 2025, Cobb was ordered detained pending trial in this case. According to court documents, between July 18 and August 1, 2025, an FBI agent (“UC”) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation on an online social media application (“app”) to identify adults who were seeking to make online contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. During this same timeframe, UC and app user “Jerry” exchanged several private online messages on the app and text messages. After UC advised “Jerry” that “she” was 13 years old, “Jerry” texted, “[w]e can be friends” and repeatedly asked for the location of the “child’s” residence, whether the “child” could “sneak out at night,” and if “she” was a “virgin.” On July 30, 2025, “Jerry” told the “child” that they should meet and texted, “[y]ou want to just get a hotel room?” “Jerry,” who was subsequently identified as Cobb, suggested that they engage in sexual activity in the hotel room and promised that he would bring and use a condom. On August 1, 2025, Cobb asked the “child” to send him an explicit photo of herself, and the two made plans to meet for sexual activity in Jacksonville later that day. On the evening of August 1, 2025, Cobb traveled to the location where he intended to meet the purported 13-year-old “child” for sex. He was immediately arrested by FBI agents. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: DeLand Man Sentenced For Convenience Store Robbery

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Tyrese Littles (25, DeLand) to seven years and three months in federal prison for Hobbs Act robbery. The court also ordered Littles to forfeit $10,000, which represented the proceeds of the robbery, and to pay the same amount in restitution to the victim. Littles pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025. According to court documents, on March 3, 2024, Littles orchestrated and served as the getaway driver for the robbery of a gas station convenience store in DeLand. During the robbery, one of the accomplices held what appeared to be a Glock firearm to the back of the store clerk’s head while demanding money. The robbers took $10,000 and ran out of the convenience store to a nearby parking lot, where Littles was waiting for them in his SUV. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, and the DeLand Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Two Admit Running Nearly 20-Year Pyramid Scheme that Victimized More Than 90 Missourians

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two Missouri men on Friday admitted operating a long-running Ponzi scheme that cost more than 90 victims at least $3 million. James “Jim” Johnson, 77, and Darrell Niswonger, 68, each pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count each of wire fraud, securities fraud and investment adviser fraud as dozens and dozens of victims looked on in court. Niswonger also pleaded guilty to four additional counts of wire fraud. Both men admitted engaging in a scheme to defraud that began in 2006. The pair claimed they were investing clients’ funds in municipal bonds when they were really using that money to fund lavish lifestyles that included country club memberships, sponsored golf tournaments, hundreds of thousands of dollars in improvements to Johnson’s home, educational expenses for a Niswonger relative and other personal expenses, their plea agreements say. Johnson and Niswonger also paid themselves a salary of $7,500 every two weeks and used some of the money to make payments to victims to lull them into believing that their investments were secure. Operating out of a storefront in Perryville, Missouri as Johnson & Niswonger Financial Resources LLC since 2002, the pair initially offered clients annuities. But at least as early as 2006, the firm began experiencing cash flow problems. Johnson and Niswonger discussed offering clients what they referred to as tax-free and risk-free “municipal bonds.” Both men have now admitted as part of their guilty pleas that they knew they were going to use the money to keep their business and themselves afloat financially. The men had their clients sign one-page investment agreements that they called “Five Year Interest Bearing Note” or “Investment Note” or “Five Year Interest Bearing Investment.” They claimed clients would receive a guaranteed 5% return. The pair also persuaded clients to move their money out of legitimate investments into the fraudulent ones. Johnson and Niswonger discouraged investors from withdrawing their money and urged them to roll over their bond investments because they lacked the funds to make the investors whole, their plea agreements say. One investor asked them to withdraw his money from the “municipal bond investment” only to learn that Johnson had instead withdrawn money from the investor’s legitimate annuity. The son of an investor who died was told that he could not withdraw money until the bonds matured. Over nearly 20 years, they took in millions of dollars from their friends, relatives and neighbors. Many victims encouraged others to invest, based on Niswonger and Johnson’s false claims about the investments’ success. Victims have now lost inheritances, the proceeds of selling their homes and farms and their life savings. When Johnson & Niswonger shut down on April 22, 2025, they owed investors more than $3 million but had less than $22,000 in the bank account into which they have deposited investors’ money. “Today, Jim Johnson and Darrell Niswonger finally admitted that they had been bilking clients for almost 20 years,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “This fraud has affected a large number of Perryville-area residents, many of whom knew or were even related to Johnson and Niswonger. It has been not only a betrayal of trust but a major financial loss for them. We will do our best to try and recover as much money as possible for these victims.” “One of the defendants stooped so low that he even swindled his own family members – an act that shows there is no line he wouldn’t cross,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) says unlicensed, unregistered persons commit much of the investment fraud in the United States. Research the background of the person or firm before investing. The SEC has an online tool called, ‘Check Out Your Investment Professional,’ which can be used to vet a broker, investment adviser or a firm before trusting them with your money.” Niswonger and Johnson are scheduled to be sentenced on November 13. Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. Securities fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $5 million fine and investment adviser fraud is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. As of their plea agreements, Johnson, of Perry County, and Niswonger, of Perryville, have both agreed to forfeit Johnson’s home, a 2019 Audi A5 Premium as well as $61,734 in two bank accounts and $10,302 in a brokerage account. The FBI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 85 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 85 border-related cases this week, including charges of assault on a federal officer, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On August 8, Luanna Astiazaran, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the defendant applied for admission to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented immigrant from Guatemala hiding in the rear right quarter panel. The woman had to be extracted from the vehicle and needed medical assistance. On August 9, Emmanuel Ramirez Santiago, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, the defendant attempted to cross through the San Ysidro Port of Entry when a canine detection dog alerted underneath the driver’s side tailgate area of his Toyota Tacoma. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 162 packages containing 203 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle. On August 10, Juan Hernandez-Diaz, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, U.S. Border Patrol agents intercepted the defendant as he walked through the brush, approximately four miles east of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry and six miles north of the United Sates/Mexico International boundary. He had previously been deported in May from Brownsville, Texas. Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Arizona CEO Indicted for Embezzling Over $2.4M from  Employee Benefit Plans

body_text: An indictment unsealed today in the District of Maryland charges an Arizona man with embezzling more than $2.4 million from an Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) benefit plan and related money laundering offenses. According to court documents, James Vincent Campbell, 47, of Scottsdale, Arizona, is CEO and founder of Axim Fringe Solutions Group, LLC (Axim), a company that processes employee benefits for employees of federal contractors. At the time of the alleged thefts, the company was headquartered in Maryland. The indictment alleges Axim’s clients sent funds to the company to pay for health insurance premiums and 401(k) retirement contributions. Axim was responsible for forwarding those funds to insurance carriers and retirement accounts, charging clients a contractual fee of $40 per employee per month for its services. Before forwarding the funds, Campbell allegedly pooled them in a master trust account. Between 2015 and 2024, he made 135 unauthorized withdrawals – totaling $2,486,905 – beyond the legitimate fees owed to Axim. Campbell used a significant portion of the stolen funds for personal expenses including big game hunting trips in Alaska, Africa, and other locations; taxidermy fees; jewelry; casino gambling; and direct payments to his girlfriend. The indictment charges Campbell with a single count of theft from an ERISA plan and eleven counts of money laundering. If convicted, Campbell faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for each count of money laundering and up to five years for theft from an ERISA plan. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Assistant Secretary Janet Dhillon of the Labor Department’s Employee Benefits Security Administration made the announcement. The Employments Benefits Security Administration of the Labor Department is investigating the case, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Investigative Operations Section. Trial Attorneys Vincent Falvo and Jared Hernandez of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Hawaii Basketball Coach Sentenced to Over 33 Years for Child Exploitation and Harassment of 10 Victims

body_text: A Hawaii man was sentenced today to over 33 years in prison and a lifetime term of supervised release for enticement of a minor, sex trafficking of a minor, production and receipt of child pornography, and harassment offenses. “The defendant was a youth basketball coach who shamelessly sexually exploited, abused, harassed, and threatened his young victims, causing incalculable harm to them,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to secure justice for victims of these atrocious crimes, especially when such acts are committed by individuals who seek and abuse the trust of their communities in order to target and exploit vulnerable children.” “Dwayne Yuen grossly and repeatedly violated the sacred trust placed in him by his employer and the parents and families of his young female victims,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “He used his power and position to groom and then serially exploit and victimize the young girls entrusted to his care. While nothing can ever undo the harm he has caused these children and their families, it is our sincere hope that today’s sentence will ensure that our community and children are protected from him, and serve to deter other predators like him in the future. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our dedicated law enforcement partners at the FBI will always continue to hunt down and bring to justice all who seek to exploit Hawaii’s children.” “Yuen held a position of trust that demanded he protect and inspire young athletes,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Assistant Director Jose A. Perez. “Instead, he abused his authority by preying upon and threatening his young victims. Today’s sentencing reinforces the message that the victimization of children will not be tolerated by law enforcement. The FBI will continue to meticulously investigate these crimes, which cause irreparable harm and trauma to our nation’s youth.” According to court documents, Dwayne Yuen, 52, of Honolulu, exploited and harassed at least ten victims, who he met through youth basketball, where he served as a coach and mentor. From 2005 to 2023, Yuen engaged in extensive grooming of his victims, many of whom were especially vulnerable because of financial or family stressors, purchasing elaborate gifts for them and spending an inappropriate amount of time alone with them. Once trust was established, Yuen began engaging in sexual conversations with his victims, including sending them sexually explicit images. In the early 2000s, he engaged in coerced and forced sexual contact with victims as young as 15 years old. He used threats to harm his victims’ reputation and basketball career to stop them from disclosing or attempting to stop his abuse. He threatened at least one victim with rape and death and threatened, blackmailed, and physically assaulted another victim who tried to avoid his sexual advances. In later years, he would pay economically vulnerable players that he coached to send him sexually explicit images or engage in sexually explicit conversations. He got one minor victim, a former player that he knew was a minor, to engage in a sexually explicit video call in 2020, which he then took screenshots of and sent on at least one occasion to another victim. He also used unidentified numbers to send harassing messages to numerous former players, sometimes at the rate of a hundred times a day. The FBI Honolulu Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Fort Pierce Drug Dealer Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Fort Pierce man has been sentenced to 96 months in federal prison for drug trafficking. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence on Derron Nathaniel Johnson, 28, following his guilty plea to distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. According to the facts admitted at the change of plea hearing, Johnson conducted two separate drug sales in Fort Pierce: on July 6, 2022, he sold 13.92 grams of fentanyl; and on August 19, 2022, he sold 84.1 grams of cocaine. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Richard Del Toro Jr. of the Saint Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (SLCSO) made the announcement. DEA Miami Field Division and SLCSO investigated the case. Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Porter prosecuted the case. According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment, synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning our nation. Fentanyl has proven to be a deadly poison that does not discriminate. Its victims include every gender, race, age, and economic background, and its debilitating effects are the same across all demographics. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even in small doses, fentanyl can be deadly. As little as two milligrams, about the size of 5 grains of salt, can be fatal. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”), fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The State of Florida has also seen an exponential increase in overdoses associated with fentanyl. In 2022, more than 5,622 people died from overdoses involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs in Florida. For more information visit: https://www.fdle.state.fl.us/MEC/Publications-and-Forms/Documents/Drugs-in-Deceased-Persons/2022-Annual-Drug-Report-FINAL-(1).aspx ; https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/fentanyl.html# ; and https://www.dea.gov/factsheets/fentanyl . You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . 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 25-cr-14003. ###


title: Eau Claire Woman Sentenced to 7 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that May X. Kong, 42, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 7 ½ years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Kong pled guilty to this charge on May 7, 2025. On July 4, 2024, Eau Claire police officers stopped a vehicle that Kong was riding in after it left the house of a known methamphetamine dealer. Inside the vehicle’s center console, officers found a loaded SCCY CPX-2 9mm handgun. Officers also found a small amount of methamphetamine. Kong admitted to police that the gun belonged to her. Kong is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions. At Kong’s sentencing, Judge Conley found that a substantial sentence was necessary because this was Kong’s third conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Judge Conley was particularly concerned that Kong was returned to crime only a few months after being released from state prison. The charge against Kong was the result of an investigation conducted by the West Central Drug Task Force, Eau Claire Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force also assisted with the case. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case. Federal criminal cases involving firearms 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Michigan man, Malcolm Culmer, 36, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to wire fraud and money laundering arising out of a scheme to unlawfully obtain various COVID-19 pandemic relief benefits. In 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, passed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, established several new unemployment compensation programs that were funded primarily by the federal government and administered by state workforce agencies. Later that same year, the President authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to expend money for lost wage assistance, as a supplement to unemployment compensation programs. The CARES Act also expanded existing federal programs, including the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The EIDL Program provides loans for small businesses suffering from an economic disaster. According to his plea agreement, from April 2020 to July 2021, Culmer made material false statements in order to obtain money from various government relief and COVID-19 relief programs. Culmer fabricated information about employment history, residence, and business ventures, and applied for relief funds using that false information. In total, Culmer submitted eight EIDL applications on behalf of fictitious companies, attempting $1,091,499 in EIDL loans, of which $187,500 was approved. Similarly, Culmer also applied for pandemic unemployment benefits in Kentucky, which contained false statements and representations. His fraudulent application was approved, and he obtained $39,496 in unemployment benefits. As to the money laundering charge, Culmer engaged in several transactions over $10,000 using the fraudulently obtained funds, including by withdrawing cash, transferring money between bank accounts, and purchasing automobiles to expand a vehicle rental business. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Joseph V. Cuffari Ph.D., Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security (DHS-OIG); and Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region, jointly announced the guilty plea. The investigation was conducted by DHS-OIG and DOL-OIG. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States. Culmer is scheduled to appear for sentencing on December 16. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form. — END —