title: Jury Convicts Savannah Man for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: Savannah, GA : A Savannah man has been found guilty at trial for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person following an incident that occurred in February 2024. Benjamin Michael Greene , 39, of Savannah, was convicted following a one-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia announced Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. As described at trial, on February 12, 2024, while a man was putting air in the tires of his vehicle on Augusta Avenue, Greene jumped into the driver’s seat and took off with the vehicle. Officers with the Savannah Police Department were in the area and immediately responded. Greene led officers on a vehicle pursuit before wrecking the vehicle into a telephone pole. Greene then exited the wrecked vehicle, leading officers on a foot pursuit. A K-9 officer with the Savannah Police Department was able to apprehend Greene. Officers then had to wrestle the firearm out of Greene’s hands. Officers located an additional firearm and controlled substances on the scene. Greene was prohibited from possessing firearms because of previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Chatham County. “Our commitment to removing firearms from the hands of convicted felons is unwavering. I would like to especially recognize K-9 Zulu, whose work directly led to the safe recovery of this firearm” said Margaret E. Heap, U.S. Attorney. "The successful outcome of this case underscores the vital partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Together, we are making significant strides in combating gun violence and ensuring that our communities remain safe,” said ATF RAC Robert Davis. This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer. The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Assistant United States Attorney Darron J. Hubbard. For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.


title: Fall River County Man Sentenced to more than 12 Years in Federal Prison  for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Fall River County, who was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 2, 2026. Shawn Lant, 40, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Lant was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025. This conviction stemmed from Lant’s involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in Rapid City, South Dakota, and in the Pine Ridge Reservation. During this conspiracy, Colorado codefendants supplied Lant and others with significant quantities of methamphetamine that was distributed in South Dakota. Lant was involved in distributing 5-15 kilograms of methamphetamine while part of this criminal enterprise. “As long as these drug dealers continue to bring methamphetamine and other poisons into our communities, we will continue to do everything we can to track, investigate, arrest, and indict these criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I’m grateful for the collective efforts of all our Safe Trails task force officers and law enforcement partners across the state in helping to keep our communities safe.” This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case. Lant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Couple Pleads Guilty To Stealing Millions In COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A couple formerly living in Midland, N.C., has pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than one million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds by defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tatiana Vazquez, 39, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy affecting a financial institution and conspiracy to defraud the government. Marquise Highsmith, 41, pleaded guilty to the same charges on October 7, 2025. Joel Weaver, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Southeast Field Division, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court documents, from May 2020 to January 2022, Highsmith, Vazquez, and their co-conspirators submitted multiple fraudulent applications to financial institutions and to the SBA to obtain loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The defendants submitted applications for several purported businesses that they or other co-conspirators controlled. These applications contained fraudulent information related to the businesses’ tax filings, number of employees, and other fabricated financial information. As a result, Highsmith and Vazquez personally received more than $450,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. After receiving the funds, the defendants filed loan forgiveness applications that also contained misrepresentations, and as a result some of the loans were subsequently forgiven. In addition, from July 2022 to February 2023, Highsmith and Vazquez engaged in a separate but related conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds through other federal programs administered by the IRS, including the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program and the Sick Leave and Family Leave Credit (SFLC) program. The ERC and SFLC programs enabled certain businesses to receive federal tax credit for employment taxes or wages, a certain portion of which were refundable. The defendants and their coconspirators defrauded the IRS by preparing and filing fraudulent forms that falsely claimed millions of dollars in tax credits and other corresponding tax refunds. As a result, the defendants and their coconspirators improperly received more than $1 million in COVID-19 related tax refunds. Both Vasquez and Highsmith are released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set. In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked TIGTA and IRS-CI for leading the investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.


title: Luzerne County Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Possession Of A Stolen Firearm By A Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that James Alberto, age 38, of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on January 8, 2025, to 120 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen firearm. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Alberto was convicted on May 7, 2025, following a three-day jury trial. The evidence presented at trial established that on August 12, 2021, Alberto was found asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle stopped at a stop sign, with his foot on the brake and a line of cars stopped behind him. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and ultimately discovered a stolen firearm in the glove compartment. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Wilkes-Barre Township Police Department (WBPD), and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah R. Lloyd and James M. Buchanan 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. # # #


title: Berkeley County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Oxycontin, Distribution of Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. —Levi Phillip Miles, 48, of Goose Creek, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycontin, and distribution of fentanyl. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Miles regularly distributed what he believed were prescription pain pills to a South Carolina man from at least January 2022 until the man’s fatal overdose on Jan. 2, 2023. By the summer of 2022, Miles could no longer obtain legitimate prescription pain pills from his suppliers. Nevertheless, in December 2022, the victim continued to request pain pills. Miles’ final distribution of pills to the victim occurred on Jan. 1, 2023. The victim was found dead in his home on Jan. 2, 2023. An autopsy of the victim revealed the presence of fentanyl in his system, and subsequent investigation revealed that the fentanyl was present in the pills the victim received from Miles on Jan. 1. As part of his guilty plea, Miles agreed not to contest the fact that the victim’s death was caused by the controlled substances that were distributed by Miles. Miles faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $1 million, restitution, and at least three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Miles after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Kyle Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison  for Assaulting a Woman Causing Serious Bodily Injury

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on January 2, 2026. Vinnie Sonny Makes Good, 37, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $200 in special assessments to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $328.02 in restitution. Makes Good was indicted for the charges by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 10, 2025. In March 2023, Makes Good assaulted his dating partner inside a vehicle near Kyle. He then threw her out of the vehicle and assaulted her by kicking and punching her. The victim sustained injuries to her face, torso, and legs, and further sustained a broken pinky finger. In October 2023, Makes Good assaulted the same partner causing her to sustain a 3 mm left tentorial subdural hematoma as well as fractures to vertebra in her back. She was initially transported to Indian Health Services Hospital in Pine Ridge and then on to Monument Health in Rapid City for further care. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandating certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case. Makes Good was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Dauphin County Man Convicted Of Receiving And Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dwayne Cavanaugh, age 56, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a three-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for receiving and possessing child pornography. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cavanaugh possessed child pornography on January 21, 2024. This offense occurred while Cavanaugh was on supervised release for a prior 2010 conviction for receipt of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. U.S. Probation Officers found an unmonitored cell phone in Cavanaugh’s vehicle that contained child pornography. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Dukes and Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: Walpole Man Convicted of Smuggling Gold Out of Colombia and Laundering Related Funds

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Walpole man was convicted yesterday by federal jury in Boston for his role in a 2018 scheme to smuggle gold, platinum and other precious metals into the United States from Colombia and to launder money. Thomas Cataloni, 46, was convicted of one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States and one count of international money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for April 15, 2026. The defendant was charged in November 2022. In 2018, Cataloni and his co-conspirators sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to bank accounts in Colombia to pay for gold and platinum to be smuggled into the United States without being declared at U.S. customs. To facilitate the smuggling, the gold and platinum were melted in Colombia and formed to look like crude, unfinished jewelry such as chains, keychains and purse straps. The supposed jewelry was then worn by individuals who flew from Colombia into the United States without declaring the gold and platinum. Two of Cataloni’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty and are scheduled to be sentenced later this year. The charges of money laundering conspiracy and international money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to smuggle goods into the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England, made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs & Border Protection; Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; and the Canton and Walpole Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian J. Sullivan and Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Dauphin County Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Reginald Hopkins, age 49, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted on January 8, 2026, of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition as an armed career criminal following a three-day trial before United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the case involved the execution of a search warrant on February 19, 2021, at Hopkins’ apartment, resulting in the seizure of three firearms (an Astra Constable 9mm handgun, a Hi-Point CF380 .380 handgun, and a S&W M&P 9 Shield 9mm handgun), several magazines, and 9 mm and .380 ammunition. One of the magazines was a high-capacity drum magazine that was loaded with 39 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Hopkins was home alone when law enforcement executed the search warrant, and the firearms were sitting in plain sight next to his bed and near a chair in the living area. The jury further found that four of Hopkins’ prior drug-trafficking convictions were crimes that occurred on separate occasions, which exposes him to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act, including a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment. The matter was investigated by the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s Street Crimes Unit and the Community Policing Unit, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera and Deputy Criminal Chief Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case. The maximum penalty for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition offense is up to life imprisonment, a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. # # #


title: York County Man Sentenced To 72 Months’ Imprisonment For Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Michael Carbaugh, age 39, of York County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary to 72 months’ imprisonment for distribution of child pornography. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Carbaugh pleaded guilty to distributing over 1,800 images of child pornography between October 1 and November 7, 2023. Law enforcement had made direct connections with devices that were sharing child pornography via the BitTorrent network during that time. Those devices belonged to Carbaugh and were using a Comcast IP address that was registered to him. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Billings woman sentenced to over 11 years in prison on methamphetamine charges

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Billings woman who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 136 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Raven Michelle Volkomener, 43, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on May 4, 2024, law enforcement received reports of a car driving erratically south towards Billings on Highway 87. Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) identified the vehicle roughly five miles from Billings, observed it commit a traffic infraction, and pulled it over. Law enforcement asked the driver to step out of the car and she was identified as Volkomener. She had an outstanding felony arrest warrant. She was taken into custody and that same day law enforcement, pursuant to a search warrant, searched the vehicle. Among other items discovered in the vehicle were four packages of suspected methamphetamine located in a backpack in the back seat. The methamphetamine was later analyzed and found to contain over 1,700 grams of pure meth. Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for the Volkomener’s cell phone and found text messages from at least February 2023 to May 4, 2024, between Volkomener and a co-defendant talking about a trip by Volkomener to Great Falls in May 2024 to collect methamphetamine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Montana Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Union Grove Man Indicted for Human Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 6, 2026, a two-count federal indictment was returned that charged Hector L. Duarte (age 35) of Union Grove, Wisconsin, with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1591(a)(1) and 1591(b)(1), and interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2421(a). According to the indictment, Duarte is alleged to have used force, threats of force, and fraud to cause an adult victim to engage in commercial sex acts between approximately May 31, 2025, and June 25, 2025, in the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Northern District of Illinois. If convicted of sex trafficking, Duarte faces a mandatory minimum 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment. If convicted of interstate transportation for the purpose of prostitution, he faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment. He may also be fined up to $250,000 on each count. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Milwaukee Field Office and the Cudahy Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abbey M. Marzick. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Heavily armed drug dealer and illegal alien sentenced to federal prison for trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Michael Dwayne Banks and Victor Valente-Reynoso, an illegal alien, have each been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for possessing illegal drugs with intent to distribute and possessing firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes. “Our community is safer thanks to the agents and prosecutors who removed thousands of deadly fentanyl pills, nearly a half-dozen firearms, and two dangerous drug dealers from the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The significant punishment imposed on these pill peddling poison pushers should serve as a warning to other criminals who threaten our public safety and welfare by trafficking fentanyl in north Georgia.” “Fentanyl is one of the most lethal drugs our country has ever faced,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “When traffickers choose to deal this poison while carrying firearms, they amplify the threat to our neighborhoods and to law enforcement. This federal sentence removes a dangerous individual from our streets.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On August 23, 2022, Victor Valente Reynoso, an illegal alien from Mexico, sold 536 fentanyl pills outside a gas station in Clayton County, Georgia. Following that deal, Reynoso and his conspirators arranged to sell 5,000 fentanyl pills at a church parking lot in Fulton County, Georgia. Law enforcement foiled the drug deal and arrested Reynoso, in possession of 4,000 fentanyl pills and 1,000 fake Xanax pills, as well as Banks, who was armed with a loaded handgun to protect the deal. Agents later searched Banks’s residence and recovered more fake Xanax pills, blue fentanyl pills, oxycodone, cocaine, and several large bags of marijuana there. Agents also found another loaded handgun and three rifles, including a short barrel machine gun. On January 8, 2026, U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones sentenced Michael Dwayne Banks, 31, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 13 years, eight months in prison followed by four years of supervised release. Banks was convicted of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on October 9, 2025, after he pleaded guilty. On July 12, 2023, Judge Jones sentenced Victor Valente-Reynoso, 27, of Acapulco, Mexico, to 10 years and 10 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Valente-Reynoso was convicted of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on January 31, 2023, after he pleaded guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwayne Brown, Jr. and Phyllis Clerk, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebeca Ojeda and Miguel Acosta, prosecuted the case. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Georgia State Patrol, and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: 45-Year-Old Man Arrested on Murder Charge

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Anthony Niwatilagu Long, 45, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 44-year-old D.C. resident Melvin Saunders in the early morning of December 19, 2025, in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Long was arrested yesterday at the D.C. Superior Court after the completion of a preliminary hearing for an assault with a deadly weapon-gun case where he was charged with both pistol whipping and stabbing another victim, Donald Cook, on January 3, 2026. Long will made his initial appearance today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Magistrate Judge Dorsey G. Jones, II found probable cause for second-degree murder while armed and held the defendant pending a preliminary hearing on January 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Rainey Brandt in Courtroom 201. According to the affidavit in support of Long’s arrest, Saunders, and several other people were present in an apartment at the North Capitol Commons, John and Jill Ker Conway residence in the 1000 block of North Capitol Street, NE, when Long claimed to be a member of the “Crips” and accused the victim of being a member of the “Bloods” before shooting Saunders, execution style in his left temple. Long left the scene on foot and discarded some of his clothing to alter his appearance and evade detection by law enforcement. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the two-week period ending January 9, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 85 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 96 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 28 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for burglary, narcotics possession, DUI, assault, fraud, and prior immigration offenses. 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. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Pain Clinic Owner Sentenced, L5 Medical Holdings to  Pay Nearly $5 Million in Restitution

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – John Gregory “Greg” Barnes—a former mortgage broker who, seeking a “recession proof” business model, purchased pain clinics throughout the Western District of Virginia (including in Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Christiansburg, and Woodlawn)—was sentenced today to 45 months in federal prison for healthcare fraud and illegal prescription drug conspiracies Additionally, Barnes and L5 Medical Holdings, the business entity he controlled, jointly agreed to pay 4,888,426.11 in restitution to Medicare and Virginia Medicaid and to forfeit $250,000 to the United States. Barnes was the last defendant awaiting sentencing as part of Operation Mountain Highlands—an investigation that resulted in convictions and years of prison time for a half-dozen medical professionals and businesspeople associated with the L5 pain clinics. As part of their plea agreements, two doctors and a nurse also permanently surrendered their medical licenses, and Barnes and L5’s Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Adams, agreed never to do business in the Western District of Virginia again. Barnes, 59, of South Carolina, pled guilty in July 2023 to conspiring to commit healthcare fraud, distribute Suboxone (buprenorphine) without a legitimate medical purpose, and use DEA registration numbers of other people to distribute controlled substances. Barnes’s company, L5, also pled guilty to the same crimes, as well as conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine without a legitimate medical purpose. “This office will seek clear accountability against those who masquerade as medical professionals to line their pockets at the expense of patients and taxpayers,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said. “Those posing as good citizens and healthcare providers must be held accountable. Everyone deserves care and protection from those entrusted with their well-being. Unfortunately, this group, including Barnes, took advantage of the healthcare system for their own gain. We are committed to ensuring justice for those harming our communities and will work tirelessly to hold these individuals responsible,” said Christopher Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division. “By defrauding both insurance companies and patients, criminals make health care more expensive for working class Virginians,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I am pleased that the courts have rendered an appropriate verdict against those who put profit over patient care.” According to court documents, in 2014, with no medical training, Barnes bought a medical practice through his company, L5 Medical Holdings. L5 operated pain management clinics, which involved the prescribing of prescription opioids and opioid addiction treatment medications, including Suboxone. Barnes conducted a feasibility study that identified Lynchburg, Virginia, as a prime location for an initial pain management clinic. After Barnes began operating his pain clinics, they became more focused on prescribing Suboxone and opioids, with less focus on interventional treatments. Barnes and L5 operated the clinics in a manner that prioritized revenue maximization over patient care. Providers were encouraged to limit patient visits to 15 minutes and to see as many as 30 patients per day. At Barnes’s direction, medical providers with L5 followed the opinion of non-medical professionals in making medical decisions, including whether a patient should be treated for opioid addiction or for pain management, whether a patient should receive a prescription, and what type of drug should be prescribed. Patient interactions with non-medical professionals were improperly billed to Virginia Medicaid and Medicare, including by billing under providers who had not seen the patient. On some occasions, L5 employees billed insurance for patient visits under the name of doctors who were not even in the same city or state as the patient. With Barnes in charge, L5 implemented a urine drug testing policy principally based on insurance reimbursements rather than patient care—specifically, to order the maximum amount of drug tests that insurance policies would pay for, regardless of medical need. To avoid losing millions of dollars in revenue that resulted from charging Medicare and Virginia Medicaid under that bill-to-the-max policy, Barnes and L5 refused to implement a random drug testing policy, even when advised by medical professionals to do so. Employees stated one L5 doctor, Wendell Randall, was a “train wreck,” “quack,” and “shitshow.” Despite being aware of such concerns, and even acknowledging Randall failed to show up for work and had made “major mistakes” that were “enough for him to lose his [medical] license,” Barnes continued to employ Randall. Other convictions and sentences as a result of Operation Mountain Highlands include: Duane Dixon, a former doctor at L5, who pled guilty to concealing healthcare fraud and conspiring to illegally prescribed highly addictive opioid painkillers to at-risk patients, was sentenced to 40 months in prison in June 2025, and ordered to pay over $1,000,000 in fines and restitution. Jennifer Adams, L5’s former chief operating officer, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison for her role in concealing and assisting with L5’s schemes. Adams was also ordered to pay over $3,000,000 in restitution. Charles Wilson Adams (no relation to Jennifer Adams), who was falsely held out as a medical doctor and made treatment recommendations for L5 patients, received a 24-month prison sentence and was ordered to pay $30,000 in fines and forfeiture. Wendell Randall, a former doctor who rented out his credentials to others at L5 so they could prescribe Suboxone but was himself rarely physically present at L5 clinics, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in March 2024. Debra Shaffer, a nurse practitioner with L5, was sentenced to jail time and a $5,000 fine in October 2023. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of the Inspector General, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Attorney General’s Office - Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys S. Cagle Juhan, Jason Scheff, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Janine M. Myatt, Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.


title: Former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Sentenced to 27 Years for Sex Trafficking Minors

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 years in prison in connection with recruiting minor girls to engage in commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Barnhill, a former Metropolitan Police Department officer, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to sex trafficking of a minor, In addition to the 27-year prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Barnhill to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay restitution of $10,000. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. “This former officer trafficked children on the streets of D.C. and at a strip club in Maryland. Then, after serving a seven-year sentence in prison, he resumed sex trafficking teen girls,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Barnhill now has 27 years to think over what he did, and we won’t have to worry about his sex trafficking again.” "While serving as a police officer over a decade ago, Barnhill preyed on underage girls. He took explicit photos of them and even forced one victim to work as a prostitute," said the FBI’s Davis. "Upon his release from prison, he resumed trafficking minors for sex. He also forced his victims to find other vulnerable girls for him to exploit. As today's sentencing demonstrates, the FBI will use every tool at our disposal to put habitual child predators in prison where they belong." According to court documents, between April 2024 and April 2025, Barnhill recruited girls under the age of 18 to engage in commercial sex acts. Barnhill collected over $10,000 in profits from one of the minor girls whom he exploited in commercial sex. Barnhill also used his victims to find additional minor girls to victimize, by forcing them to work in commercial sex. In April 2024, Barnhill recruited a girl to work for him knowing that she was 15-years old and had run away from home. Barnhill had the girl audition for him using the stripper pole he had installed in his basement. He told her she could make money dancing at a strip club in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and would earn additional cash by having sex with men in private VIP rooms at the club. Barnhill transported her to the strip club and back multiple times a week. In the fall of 2024, Barnhill paid another 15-year-old girl to recruit other minor girls – all under the age of 18 -- to work for him as commercial sex workers. The girl invited the other minors to her house, where Barnhill would pick them up and drive them to a street in the District known for its commercial sex activity. Barnhill’s iCloud account included text messages with at least 10 other identified minor girls discussing working at “the club” and “VIP rooms.” Barnhill, a former officer in the Seventh District, previously was sentenced in October 2014 to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and possession of child pornography in connection with recruiting two children to work in commercial sex for him. By 2024, Barnhill resumed sex trafficking teenage girls under the moniker "Nico." This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 25cr149


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 53 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 53 border-related cases this week, including charges of 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 January 5, Jesus Fernando Alfaro Ramirez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 151 packages containing 153 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the defendant’s vehicle as he tried to enter the U.S. through the Tecate Port of Entry. On January 5, Noe Gastelum-Ruelas and Noe Talamante Patron, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a stranded panga style boat off the coast of Point Loma. The defendants are the alleged captains of the boat that was transporting seven undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Romania and China. On January 6, Antonio Cueto-Parra was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, the defendant was apprehended by a U.S. Border Patrol agent near Dulzura after a brief foot chase. He was previously deported in April 2020. 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: North Little Rock Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Chauncey Slay, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 130 months in federal prison after conviction for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker. On October 9, 2024, Slay, 46, of North Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. On June 30, 2025, Slay pleaded guilty to the indictment. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Slay to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On March 6, 2024, Lonoke County Sherrif’s Office and Arkansas State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Slay was a passenger. During the traffic stop, officers learned Slay, who was behaving nervously, was on parole with a search waiver on file. The driver and Slay were asked to exit the vehicle. When Slay was asked to place his hands behind his back, he began to argue with the officers. During the arrest, one of the officers shook Slay’s pant leg, causing a small baggie of a crystal-like substance to fall to the ground. Slay was placed in a patrol unit and transported to the Lonoke County jail. While en route to the jail, Slay informed deputies that he had drugs in his pants. Deputies pulled over and removed another baggie of crystal-like substance from Slay’s other pant leg. The suspected narcotics were sent to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) laboratory where it was determined to be more than 120 grams of methamphetamine with a 98% purity level. Slay’s criminal history includes several felony drug convictions for possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, delivery of methamphetamine, possession of heroin with purpose to deliver, and possession of fentanyl. The investigation was conducted by the DEA with assistance from the Lonoke County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Eldridge. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: New year, same commitment to border enforcement: Southern District charges 201 individuals

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – The first full week of 2026 has resulted in 200 filed cases related to immigration and border security, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. From Jan. 2-8, a total of 117 people have been charged with felony reentry after removal, and another 70 face allegations of illegal entry. Most have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, various immigration crimes and more. The filed cases also include nine individuals accused of human smuggling, while the remaining matters involve firearms and other immigration-related crimes. One of those charged is Mexican national Daniel Enrique Rangel-Quezada. According to the criminal complaint, authorities discovered him near Garciasville in possession of a firearm and with a gunshot wound to his abdomen. Not a U.S. citizen, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. Other criminal complaints allege several illegal aliens unlawfully reentered the United States in the past week. Two of those men - Mexican nationals Juan Dimas-Sosa and Audelio Rios-Castillo – had been removed from the country in August 2024 and June 2025, respectively. However, law enforcement allegedly encountered both in the McAllen area. Rios-Castillo has a prior conviction for illegal reentry, while Dimas-Sosa had been convicted of human smuggling, according to the allegations. They could receive up to 20 years in prison if convicted of felony reentry after removal. In addition to the new cases, a Laredo felon has been ordered to federal prison for 10 years in a cartel-linked conspiracy to smuggle hundreds of illegal aliens into the country. At the sentencing hearing, the court heard additional evidence as to the prolific scope of Danny Nunez’s leadership of the large-scale human smuggling organization that served as a “one-stop shop” for all the necessary actions to harbor and smuggle illegal aliens on the United States side of the border. Nunez worked directly with Cartel del Noreste to smuggle over 1,900 aliens which resulted in a substantial amount of illicit profits for both the CDN and Nunez. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the sophistication of the operation, commenting that this was the largest number of aliens smuggled and the most prolific smuggler she had seen. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - 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. 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.


title: A Junction City Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Covid Relief Funds

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.—The owner of three businesses pleaded guilty yesterday for stealing more than $487,386.75 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jodi Aliece Jennings, 50, of Junction City, Oregon, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. According to court documents, between April 2020 and January 2022, Jennings applied for and obtained six Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Advance and submitted three fraudulent forgiveness applications for Meridian Redevelopment, J Jenn Enterprises Inc., and J2 Investments. Jennings falsely claimed each company was in business and paid payroll prior to and during the pandemic. Jennings used these loans on personal expenses. In total, Jennings stole no less than $487,386.75, including the EIDL advance and principal, interest, and SBA paid lender fees on the PPPs. On June 15, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Jennings with nine counts of wire fraud. Jennings faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on April 22, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge. As part of the plea agreement, Jennings has agreed to pay restitution to the SBA. This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’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 .


title: Honduran national with felony criminal history sentenced for latest illegal entry

body_text: HOUSTON – A 38-year-old Honduran national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jose Castro Orellana pleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2025. U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Orellana to serve 54 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, and with a current removal order, he is expected to be immediately removed from the United States after serving his sentence. At his sentencing hearing, the court heard that Orellana had been illegally entering and re-entering the country for the past 20 years. Orellana’s criminal history includes felony convictions for domestic violence, evading arrest and illegal reentry. He was first removed in 2012 and returned unlawfully two times. He was removed again in 2022 but was arrested in July following his release from state custody for his fourth domestic violence conviction. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to 25 years for Methamphetamine and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Jefferson County, Kentucky, man was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in federal prison after being convicted of multiple drug and firearm offenses in a week-long trial in September. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents Stephen Piercy was sentenced to 25 years followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to evidence presented at trial, from January 1, 2021, through August 29, 2023, Piercy, conspired with other individuals to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Piercy was further convicted of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine on 5 dates from March through July of 2023; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on two dates; possessing with the intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine on August 29, 2023; and possessing a firearm with the knowledge that he was prohibited from doing so due having been previously convicted of a felony. At sentencing, Piercy was held responsible for a total of 1.32 kilograms of methamphetamine either distributed or possessed with the intent to distribute. The jury also found that Piercy had previously been convicted of the following serious drug felony. On October 3, 2008, in Jefferson County Circuit Court, Louisville, Kentucky, Piercy was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance in the first degree. United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Methamphetamine has been plaguing our communities for too long. With our law enforcement partners, we are committed to pursuing and aggressively prosecuting substantial drug traffickers like Stephen Piercy. I hope Piercy’s trial conviction and resulting substantial 25-year sentence acts as a deterrent to other drug dealers.” “Drug traffickers who push highly addictive drugs such as methamphetamine onto our streets have no place in our society,” stated Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “FBI Louisville sees the devastating impacts these substances have on the communities in which we live, and we will continue to use every available resource to identify, disrupt, and dismantle dangerous drug trafficking networks.” “This sentence shows what we can accomplish when LMPD and our federal partners work together. Drug traffickers who fuel violence in our city will face serious consequences, and we will continue joining forces to protect Louisville’s neighborhoods,” stated Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department. There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI and LMPD investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua R. Porter and Erwin Roberts are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Aaron Cooper. This conviction is a 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: Guatemalan National Sentenced to Serve More Than Two Decades in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – GUSTAVO GORDILLO , 42, of Guatemala, has been sentenced to serve 292 months in federal prison for production of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. In July 2020, public record reflects that Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) investigators received a cyber tip after files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were uploaded to a Google Photos account. The investigation revealed that the individual who uploaded the files, later determined to be Gordillo, lived in Oklahoma City. The investigation also revealed that Gordillo had communicated with and sent CSAM to multiple children. One child, who lived out of state, produced CSAM of herself at Gordillo's direction and sent the CSAM to Gordillo. On January 29, 2025, Gordillo was arrested by Homeland Security Investigations and OCPD. Public record reflects that Gordillo previously entered the United States on a temporary visa, but that visa had expired. On February 20, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Gordillo with production of child pornography. Gordillo pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025, and admitted he used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing CSAM. At a sentencing hearing on January 7, 2026, U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Gordillo to serve 292 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the history and characteristics of the defendant and the need to protect the public from Gordillo, noting that he was a sexual predator who sought out young girls for the purpose of creating child pornography. This case is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: North Little Rock Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—J. Frederick Braswell, III, who had been convicted in February 2024, for being a felon in possession of a firearm, will spend the next 120 months in federal prison after again being convicted for illegally possessing a gun. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. Today’s federal sentence marks the third time Braswell has been convicted for possessing a gun after becoming a felon. On December 3, 2024, Braswell, 26, of North Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a three-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On August 15, 2025, Braswell pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Braswell to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. An investigation revealed that on August 25, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Braswell for speeding. Braswell attempted to flee from officers, reaching speeds of 100 miles per hour. After a tactical vehicle intervention disabled his car, Braswell then fled on foot, jumping a privacy fence and entering someone’s residence. Officers followed Braswell, locating him inside the residence and in possession of a backpack containing multiple bags of marijuana, Xanax, a scale, money, and a Glock 29, 10mm firearm with an extended magazine. For his previous conviction in February 2024 for possession of a firearm by a felon, Braswell received a 60-month suspended imposition of sentence, despite it being his second such conviction at the time. Braswell’s criminal history includes felony drug convictions for possession of oxycodone and possession of marijuana with purpose to deliver, as well as two convictions for possession of firearms by certain person, theft by receiving, and fleeing. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: New Britain Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining COVID-19 Relief Funds

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that VICTORIA KATES, 35, of New Britain, sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to three months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for fraudulently obtaining COVID-19 relief funds. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One program created by the CARES Act was a temporary federal unemployment insurance program for pandemic unemployment assistance (“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance”). Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provided unemployment insurance (“UI”) benefits for employed individuals who were not eligible for other types of UI due to their employment status. The CARES Act also created a new temporary federal program called Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”) that provided additional weekly benefits to those eligible for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or regular UI. The Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) administers UI benefits for residents of Connecticut. From March 2020 through May 2021, Kates defrauded the CT-DOL of $217,056 by filing fraudulent unemployment applications with the CT-DOL on behalf of her family, acquaintances, and others. Kates prepared and submitted the original applications and, in certain instances, submitted required weekly recertifications of the applicant’s purported continued unemployment status. Kates took a portion of the payouts as a fee. As an example, in August 2020, Kates submitted an online unemployment application to the CT-DOL for a friend that made several false representations, including that the applicant was a self-employed driver who worked 40 hours per week when, in fact, the applicant was neither self-employed nor worked the hours represented. Kates also used her home address as the applicant’s address. Based on the original application and weekly certifications, the CT-DOL made $27,993 in payments, with Kates taking at least $1,000 to $1,500 as a fee. When the CT-DOL demanded proof of legal wages and proof of address, Kates created and provided to the CT-DOL a fraudulent IRS form showing the applicant’s purported gross wages for 2019 and a cropped photograph of a business envelope to make it appear that the applicant had lived at the represented address. Another source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP allowed qualifying small businesses and other organizations to receive unsecured loans at an interest rate of 1% to be used by businesses on payroll costs, interest on mortgages, rent and utilities. The PPP allowed the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent the proceeds on these expenses within a certain period of time of receipt and used at least a certain percentage of the amount to be forgiven for payroll. The PPP was overseen by the Small Business Administration, which has authority over all PPP loans. Individual PPP loans, however, were issued by private approved lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. In 2021, Kates applied for and received $16,250 through the PPP loan program by making false representations, including overstating her yearly gross income. Kates also provided a false IRS filing to support the income figure on the application. She subsequently provided additional fraudulent information to obtain forgiveness of the loan. Judge Nagala ordered Kates to pay $233,306 in restitution. On April 2, 2025, Kates pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. Kates, who is released on a $40,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 10. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Defendant Sentenced for Role in Alien Smuggling and Kidnapping Scheme

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Texas man, who conspired with others to kidnap, transport, and hold multiple victims at gunpoint for ransom that culminated in a deadly 2023 shootout in a quiet, Charlottesville neighborhood, was sentenced today in federal court as part of Operation Take Back America. Ricardo Franco Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, was sentenced today to 220 months in prison. Ordaz pled guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of transporting an alien resulting in death. “These criminals exploited lawless Biden-era open border polices to kidnap and ransom vulnerable women at gunpoint for cold cash,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This district will continue to attach the highest priority to combatting human trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and other threats to the Western District of Virginia.” “Today's sentencing reflects the seriousness of crimes that inflicted profound fear and trauma on multiple victims who were kidnapped, held at gunpoint, and extorted for financial gain,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. “These criminals deliberately targeted individuals they believed to be especially vulnerable, subjecting them to extreme cruelty. HSI is committed to protecting victims and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities. We are grateful for the outstanding partnership with our local and federal law enforcement agencies, whose collaboration was critical in bringing these dangerous offenders to justice.” Jordan Perez, 21, of Lockhart, Texas, pled guilty in July for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced later this year. According to court documents, in early January 2023, Ordaz, Perez, and other co-conspirators who had ties to transnational criminal organizations, kidnapped multiple victims and held them for ransom, knowing these individuals had entered the United States illegally. As part of the scheme, Ordaz arranged to transport victims from an area near the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a stash house near Austin, Texas. Once there, Ordaz, and others, held the victims against their will and under armed guard, then called and messaged the victims’ families and friends demanding cash ransom in exchange for their release. Ordaz exchanged one of the victims in Texas for $5,000 cash, and on January 8, 2023, at Ordaz’s direction, Perez and a co-conspirator transported another victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange that victim for $10,000 in cash. During the exchange, when it was revealed that the full $10,000 ransom was not available, an argument and shootout ensued, during which Perez, and another coconspirator, brandished firearms, and instigated a shooting that resulted in the death of one of the kidnappers and the serious wounding of Perez. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel 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). Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.


title: Western District of Texas Prosecutors File More Than 730 New Immigration Cases Over 3 Weeks

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 735 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Dec. 19, 2025 to Jan. 8, 2026. Charges were brought against illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes and DWIs, as well as alleged human smugglers and aliens with multiple prior removals. Among the cases, U.S. citizen Kenya Rodriguez-Marcial was arrested on Christmas Eve and charged with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges Rodriguez-Marcial attempted to enter the U.S. via pedestrian lanes at the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry, claiming she was going to pick up items for Christmas dinner. Upon inspection of her purse, the Customs and Border Protection Officer allegedly observed a stack of $100 U.S. Dollar bills and $500 Mexican Peso bills folded in half with a rubber band. According to the complaint, further inspection revealed the currency totaled $1,300 USD and 11,500 MXN. Rodriguez-Marcial allegedly confessed that the money was proceeds from her involvement in alien smuggling, and that she was enroute to care for and feed two illegal alien children in El Paso. On her phone, CBPOs allegedly found a “proof of life” video recording of a female child stating she was in El Paso on Dec. 23, 2025, along with multiple text conversations between Rodriguez-Marcial and another individual, one relating to smuggling a girl on Dec. 23. In a separate smuggling incident, U.S. Border Patrol agents conducted a vehicle stop on Interstate-10 west of Sierra Blanca after allegedly observing several individuals load into the vehicle in the westbound lane of the highway. A criminal complaint alleges that, when a USBP agent approved the vehicle during the stop, the agent observed two front passengers and several other subjects lying in the cargo area of the vehicle. The driver, Alexis Antillon-Rey , allegedly opened his car door and attempted to exit. Antillon-Rey, who is a Mexican national and allegedly a pickup driver for an Alien Smuggling Organization, was determined to be in the U.S. illegally—as were the six other individuals in his vehicle who were bound for El Paso. One of the passengers, Ecuadoran national Manuel Leonardo Caiza-Deleg , allegedly served as the group’s guide and communicated with Antillon-Rey to coordinate the smuggling scheme. Both Antillon-Rey and Caiza-Deleg are charged with alien smuggling. Mexican national and felon Miguel Angel Martinez-Ruiz was arrested in El Paso and charged with illegal re-entry after being removed to Mexico on Oct. 31 through San Ysidro, California. Martinez-Ruiz was convicted in 2022 for assault with a deadly weapon causing brain injury and paralysis, for which he was sentenced to seven years in prison. He was also convicted three times for driving without a license. Marcio Steven Izaguirre , who is a Honduran national and convicted child molester, was arrested near Maverick for being in the U.S. illegally. Izaguirre has been deported from the U.S. three times. He was also convicted for contributing to the delinquency of a minor as well as illegal re-entry after an aggravated felony conviction. Milton Edgardo Hernandez-Flores , also a Honduran national, was charged with illegal re-entry after being arrested by USBP agents near Maverick. Hernandez-Flores has been granted four voluntary returns and has been deported three times, the last one being on Sept. 15, 2025. Prior felony convictions include possession of a narcotic controlled substance, robbery/conspiracy/threats, and assault with a deadly weapon. Honduran national Juan Fernando Lara-Saavedra was arrested in Buda and charged with illegal re-entry. Lara-Saavedra was previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in 2014 following a conviction for aggravated battery in Louisiana. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested Jose Antonio Calderon , a Salvadoran national, in Kyle. Calderon was previously convicted for aggravated assault against a public servant and resisting arrest. He was removed from the U.S. twice in 2010 and is now charged with illegal re-entry. Mexican national Alejandro Martinez Jaimes was found in the Travis County Jail on Jan. 1, after being arrested for failing to identify. He was taken into ICE custody and charged with illegal re-entry. In 2022, Martinez Jaimes was convicted for alien smuggling and sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. He was removed from the U.S. in Nov. 2023. Reynaldo Rofino-Octaviano , a Mexican national with three prior DWI convictions, was found in El Paso approximately a quarter mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. He has been previously removed from the U.S. three times, the last one being to Mexico in November. Rofino-Octaviano’s other prior convictions include driving with a suspended license and a felony conviction for possession of a controlled substance. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the 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: Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Tribal Police Officer

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on January 6, 2026. Everett Joseph Menard, age 29, was sentenced to one year and four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Menard was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025. The conviction stems from an incident in March 2025 in the jurisdiction of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation following Menard’s arrest by tribal officers after they responded to a call. During the arrest, Menard became combative, struck a Tribal Police Officer in the face, and attempted to flee. “Assaults on law enforcement officers will be prosecuted and the perpetrators punished,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave, dedicated, and professional officers of the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Police seeking to protect the security and safety of the communities they serve every day.” This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case. Menard was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: District of Arizona Charges 112 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan. 3 through Jan. 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 112 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 62 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 38 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 8 cases against 12 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Jose Antonio Martinez-Alarcon. Martinez-Alarcon was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 5, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on April 8, 2014, after being convicted of Conspiracy to Possess Dangerous Drugs for Sale (Methamphetamine), a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Martinez-Alarcon was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. 26-6002MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Luis Alberto Diaz-Galdamez and Placido Geronimo Gonzales-Carmona . Diaz-Galdamez and Gonzales-Carmona were charged with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, Jan.7, 2026. As charged in the complaint, Border Patrol agents using camera technology observed a group of suspected illegal aliens cross the international border near Douglas, Arizona. Agents responded and saw a vehicle pulling away from the last known location of the aliens. Agents followed and initiated a vehicle stop at which point the vehicle failed to yield. Agents pursued and, ultimately, used a vehicle immobilization device to stop the vehicle. Galdamez was the driver, and Gonzales was the front seat passenger. Two illegal aliens were discovered in the back seat of the vehicle. 26-MJ-07065-JEM, Tucson. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-004_Jan 9 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Leader of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Involving Attempted Murder and Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston area man pleaded guilty today to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang. Anthony Centeio, a/k/a “Wheezy,” 37 of Boston and Rehoboth, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise; conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine; and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2026 Centeio was among 22 defendants charged in May 2023 . Centeio was identified as a leader of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear and enhance its reputation. Members of Cameron Street have tattoos or wear clothing signifying their membership in the gang. Members post videos or use social media applications to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes committed by the gang as well as to denigrate rivals, in particular NOB (Norton, Onley and Barry Streets), known more generally as Wendover. Cameron Street members possess, carry and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds. As part of his role in the Cameron Street enterprise, Centeio and another Cameron Street member, Daronde Bethea, a/k/a “Freeze,” committed an attempted murder with a firearm of an NOB/Wendover gang member in Dorchester in June 2018. Bethea was sentenced to nearly 24 years in prison for his role in Cameron Street, including the attempted murder in June 2024 : Between February 2021 and March 2022, law enforcement recorded controlled purchases of a firearm from Centeio, as well as purchases of over 500 grams of cocaine and cocaine base from Centeio directly or through his cousin and co-defendant Michael Lopes. Lopes was sentenced to more than four years in prison in May 2024 : During an April 2022 search of Centeio’s home in Rehoboth, $25,760 in cash, a Glock .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, 21 rounds of .45 caliber ammunition, clothing and jewelry associated with Cameron Street was recovered. Centeio was encountered at Lopes’ residence in Pawtucket, where hundreds of grams of cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine, packaging materials for street level sales and cash were seized: The charge of RICO conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, cocaine base and methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts. The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Greenbrier County Man Sentenced for Immigration Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Rajesh N. Patel, 51, of Ronceverte, was sentenced today to three years of federal probation and fined $10,000 for knowingly transporting an illegal alien. According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2020 through at least September 2024, Aakash Prakash Makwana, 30, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, was employed at a Fairlea business owned and operated by Patel. Makwana assisted with running the daily business during the time period. As part of their guilty pleas, Patel admitted that he agreed to hire Makwana knowing that Makwana was living in the United States illegally after his immigration visa expired. Patel further admitted that he drove Makwana to and from work and other locations because Makwana did not own a vehicle. Patel also admitted that he did not collect or pay over to the United States government any payroll taxes from Makwana’s gross pay, and paid Makwana’s rent and supplied him with groceries during most of the time Makwana was employed at the business. Makwana was sentenced to two years in prison on October 8, 2025, after pleading guilty to aggravated identity theft. Makwana admitted that he committed the offense as part of a scheme to marry a United States citizen to evade U.S. immigration laws. In or around August 2021, Makwana conspired with others to marry a U.S. citizen so he could apply for Lawful Permanent Residence status, also known as obtaining a Green Card. The marriage fraud scheme was not successful. As part of his guilty plea, Patel admitted that he knew of the marriage fraud conspiracy and aided and abetted it by making cash payments to Makwana’s co-conspirators. Kalee Ann Huff, 28, of Fairbury, Illinois, admitted to marrying Makwana as part of the conspiracy and was sentenced on June 12, 2025, to five years of federal probation for marriage fraud and perjury. Huff’s brother-in-law, Joseph Sanchez, admitted to helping to arrange the fake marriage and to pressuring Huff to take part. Sanchez, 34, of Fairbury, Illinois, was sentenced to five years of federal probation on May 28, 2025, for participating in an immigration marriage fraud conspiracy. Patel’s wife, Avanibahen Patel, 44, of Ronceverte, pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025, to unlawful employment of aliens and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 13, 2026. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:25-cr-136. ###


title: Women sentenced for methamphetamine trafficking in the Billings area

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS – Two women who trafficked methamphetamine were sentenced this week, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Jenny Olivia Denny, 43, of Dodson, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 48 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. Mona Bonita Gonzalez, 44, of Billings, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. She was sentenced to 60 months in prison, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that beginning in approximately 2023, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking ring based out of Mexico that was sourcing illegal narcotics to Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana, including Billings. On August 2, 2023, law enforcement officers served a search warrant at a Billings hotel room rented by Gonzalez. Law enforcement seized approximately 2.77 pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement determined in addition to the 2.77 pounds found, there were additional amounts of methamphetamine given to individuals in Billings for redistribution, including two pounds to Jenny Denny. On August 3, 2023, agents served a search warrant at a home where Denny and two other women lived. Agents seized eight ounces of meth and $2,660 in cash. Both defendants' phones were analyzed by law enforcement. Messages between Denny and a co-conspirator/supplier of meth, who is located in Mexico, were reviewed. In one message Denny’s supplier asked her if she was ready for another pound yet, and Denny responded that she was still waiting on money. Other messages indicate Denny was distributing meth in the Billings area. Gonzalez’s two phones showed messages between Gonzales and a co-conspirator/supplier of meth who is located in Mexico where Gonzales asked about more drugs and the supplier indicated the drugs were on the way. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Placer County Doctor Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — Khursheed Haider, 50, of Roseville, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 9 years in prison for distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. “Today’s sentence holds Khursheed Haider accountable for his proliferation of child sexual abuse material, each instance of which retraumatizes the victims shown in such material,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “My office is committed to investigating and prosecuting individuals who traffic in this abusive material, including those in positions of trust like Haider.” “Khursheed Haider was known to many as a trusted physician and family man,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “However, he was a predator behind that facade who actively shared material depicting the horrific sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. The FBI works tirelessly to identify and apprehend individuals who consume and distribute child sexual abuse material to stop the ongoing victimization of our nation’s most vulnerable and innocent victims.” According to court documents, Haider, a Sacramento Area pulmonologist, used an application called Wire to post, distribute, and request videos and images of prepubescent boys and girls being sexually abused. After a search warrant was executed, agents discovered more than 600 images and videos of prepubescent child sexual abuse material on Haider’s electronic devices. This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.