title: Two Executives Of Louisiana Compounding Pharmacy Convicted Of Defrauding TRICARE And New Jersey State Health Benefits Programs, Identity Theft, And Money Laundering

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – Two former executives of a Louisiana compounding pharmacy were found guilty of conspiring to use the pharmacy to defraud New Jersey and military health benefits programs of approximately $100 million, conspiring to commit identity theft in connection with the fraud, and conspiring to transact in the criminal proceeds, U.S. Attorney John Giordano announced. Christopher Kyle Johnston, 46, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Trent Brockmeier, 62, of The Villages, Florida, were convicted on March 10, 2025 of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and health care fraud, one count of conspiring to commit identity theft by fraudulently using a means of identification, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering by transacting in criminal proceeds following a six-week trial before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel. According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial: Central Rexall Drugs was a pharmacy in Louisiana that prepared compounded medications, which are specialty medications mixed by a pharmacist to meet the specific medical needs of an individual patient. In 2013, Johnston and Brockmeier entered into an agreement to take over the management of the pharmacy and expand the compounding business in exchange for 90 percent of the profits. Brockmeier became chief operating officer of Central Rexall and Johnston became general counsel. Johnston and Brockmeier learned that certain insurance plans would reimburse thousands of dollars for a one-month supply of certain compounded medications – including pain, scar, and antifungal creams, as well as vitamin combinations. The health plans for New Jersey state and local government and education employees, including teachers, firefighters, municipal police officers, and state troopers, covered these medications, as did TRICARE, which insures current and former members of the U.S. military and their families. Johnston and Brockmeier designed compounded medications and manipulated the ingredients in the medications in order to obtain high insurance reimbursements rather than serve the medical needs of patients. To determine which ingredients and combinations resulted in high insurance reimbursements, Johnston and Brockmeier directed Central Rexall employees to submit false prescription claims to test out different combinations of ingredients, but they did not have a valid prescription signed by a doctor for these formulas. Central Rexall submitted these false claims using, without their consent, individuals’ names, dates of birth, and identifying information (including insurance information) from pre-existing Central Rexall prescriptions. By use of these false claims, Johnston and Brockmeier designed compounded medications with combinations of ingredients that were chosen solely based on the amount of money that insurance would pay rather than on the medications’ ability to serve the medical needs of patients. Johnston and Brockmeier retained and directed an outside sales force that used various methods to get doctors to prescribe these medications and patients to accept them, including having prescriptions signed without the patient seeing a doctor or knowing about the medications, having medications or refills ordered without the patients’ knowledge, paying patients to accept the medications, and paying doctors to prescribe them. Johnston and Brockmeier caused approximately $100 million in fraudulent insurance claims for compounded medications that were not medically necessary. Johnston received approximately $34 million and Brockmeier received approximately $5 million in illicit profits. 50 people have been convicted or pled guilty in the overarching conspiracy. The health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gain or loss from the offense. The conspiracy to commit identity theft count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. The conspiracy to commit money laundering charge carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense or not more than twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transactions. Sentencing is scheduled for July 21, 2025. U.S. Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the FBI’s Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; and the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to today’s conviction. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. David Walk, Jr. and Daniel A. Friedman of the Criminal Division. ### Defense counsel: Johnston: Lawrence S. Lustberg, Anne Collart, and Andrew Marino, Esqs. (Newark, NJ) Brockmeier: Marc Agnifilo and David Gelfand, Esqs. (New York, NY)


title: Federal grand jury indicts Jamestown man for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Joseph Thayer, 48, of Jamestown, NY, with narcotics conspiracy, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2018, and May 26, 2022, Thayer conspired with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area. Co-defendants include Andres Pizzaro Campos, Max Pizzaro Campos, Cindy Frank, Edward Leeper, and Jaquez L. Thomas. Joseph Zaso was previously charged and convicted and is awaiting sentencing. Thayer was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and detained. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Mexican National Indicted For Illegal Re-Entry of Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that MARCO GOMEZ-ARGUELLO (“GOMEZ-ARGUELLO”) , age 36, a native of Mexico, was indicted for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). According to the indictment, GOMEZ-ARGUELLO reentered the United States after being previously deported on October 28, 2013. For this offense, GOMEZ-ARGUELLO faces up to two years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Miami Inspector Pleads Guilty in a Scheme to Obstruct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Oversight of the Medicare Program

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Manuel Delgado, 64, has pleaded guilty to accepting cash bribes and self-dealing as part of a conspiracy to impede and obstruct the lawful functions of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”) in their administration and oversight of the Medicare program. According to court documents, Manuel Delgado was a contractor for the Board of Certification/Accreditation, International (“BOC”), who performed inspections of durable medical equipment (“DME”) companies to determine if they complied with CMS quality standards. BOC accreditation was required before CMS would approve a company to bill Medicare for supplying durable medical equipment to Medicare patients. Delgado accepted cash bribes from numerous owners of DME companies to facilitate and expedite the accreditation process so those companies could be enrolled with and bill Medicare. Delgado also formed DME companies in the names of family members in order to conceal his own personal interest in the companies. Delgado himself inspected these companies and obtained BOC accreditation and CMS approval for the companies. Delgado then sold the companies to others, having made them valuable as Medicare-enrolled suppliers of durable medical equipment. The estimated value of the fraudulently accredited DME companies that Delgado inspected was over $1.4 million. Delgado entered his guilty plea during a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ellen D’ Angelo, who will prepare a report and recommendation pursuant to a referral and instructions from U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore. Delgado faces up to five years in prison. Any further proceedings will be set by the court. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan P. Lynch of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee C. Jimenez and Trial Attorney Jacqueline DerOvanesian of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daren Grove is handling the asset forfeiture. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20006. ###


title: Lackawanna man pleads guilty to child pornography charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Maxwell H. Gawley, 34, of Lackawanna, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 20 years. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2022, Gawley engaged in sexually explicit conversations via Snapchat with a minor victim, who was a 14-year-old male. During these conversations, Gawley asked the minor victim to send him pictures of himself and discussed having sexual contact with him, which the minor victim complied with. In response, Gawley told the minor victim that he “might even have to make a road trip ... [come] see you if we were dating.” In September 2022, Gawley engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with another individual over Snapchat, during which Gawley shared images and videos of child pornography over the internet via Snapchat. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2025, before Judge Sinatra. # # # #


title: Dade City Man Sentenced To 15 Years’ Imprisonment For Selling Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, And Cocaine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Rudy Salazar (37, Dade City) to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute, and for possessing with the intent to distribute, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Salazar pleaded guilty on December 3, 2024. According to the plea agreement, between January and November 2023, Salazar trafficked approximately 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 39 grams of cocaine, and 30 grams of fentanyl within Pasco County. Salazar, knowing the lethality of fentanyl, took extra precautions to protect himself when selling it, including wearing a mask and gloves. He warned a buyer that one could die from touching or ingesting fentanyl without protection (photo below): This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Apartment Burglary Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for 10 Years for Illegal Possession of Ammunition

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – MICHAEL JOSEPH DIAS , 33, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for illegal possession of ammunition after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On May 7, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Dias with being a felon in possession of ammunition. On October 24, 2024, after a two-day trial, a federal jury found Dias guilty of the charge. According to evidence presented at trial, on April 2, 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to an apartment complex following a reported burglary. The victim told officers he found his front door ajar, and attempted to enter his residence, but was stopped by a subject on the other side of the door. The victim eventually gained entry to his apartment, and followed the suspect, later identified as Dias, out into the parking lot of the complex. The victim told officers Dias brandished a firearm from his waistband, and as the victim fled, a gunshot rang out. Officers recovered a spent shell-casing from the parking lot. Dias was located and arrested by OCPD a short time later after a foot pursuit. Public record reflects that Dias has a lengthy criminal history, with previous felony convictions that include: attempted second-degree burglary in Comanche County District Court case number CF-2009-438; second-degree burglary in Comanche County District Court case number CF-2009-576; attempted first-degree burglary in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2014-6249; indecent exposure in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2018-4626; second-degree burglary in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2019-1883; and felon in possession of a firearm in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2019-2104. At the sentencing hearing on March 4, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Dias to serve 120 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the dangerous nature of the offense and Dias’s significant criminal history. This case is the result of an investigation by OCPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Travis Leverett 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. This case is also part of “Operation Shots Fired.” Operation Shots Fired targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: High-Ranking Member of Violent Mexican Drug Cartel Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Mexican national and high-ranking, violent member of the Los Zetas cartel pleaded guilty today to conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States. According to court documents, Eleazar Medina-Rojas, also known as El Chelelo, 53, was a member of Los Zetas, a drug trafficking organization comprised primarily of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Los Zetas later formed an alliance with the Gulf Cartel, and they collectively operated under the name “The Company.” Medina-Rojas was responsible for enforcement actions and protection of drug trafficking routes, which he often carried out through violence, threats of violence, and the use of weapons. For example, Medina-Rojas participated in acts of violence against rival drug trafficking groups during conflicts for control over drug plazas and trafficking routes. Medina-Rojas rose through the ranks of The Company and held important leadership roles. Between 2006 and 2007, he served as a “plaza boss” in Monterrey, Mexico, commanding dozens of members of The Company in drug trafficking activity and acts of violence. Specifically, he coordinated cocaine and marijuana loads from Mexico into the United States, shipping the drugs in box trucks and other vehicles outfitted with hidden compartments, and coordinated the repatriation of bulk cash drug proceeds to Mexico. Medina-Rojas and those under his command and control taxed other shipments of illegal drugs that crossed through The Company’s territory, often en route to the United States. Medina-Rojas was personally responsible for the importation into the United States of more than 450 kilograms of cocaine and 90,000 kilograms of marijuana. Sentencing is scheduled for June 13, 2025. Medina-Rojas faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Daniel C. Comeaux of the Houston Field Division made the announcement. The DEA Houston Division investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and July 2023 extradition of Medina-Rojas. Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich and Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.


title: Honduran National Guilty of Re-entry of a Deported Alien

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – ActingU.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that HIBIS TURCIO-SANCHEZ (“TURCIO-SANCHEZ”) , age 45, a native of Honduras, plead guilty on March 13, 2025, to reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Sections 1326(a) and (b)(1). According to court documents, TURCIO-SANCHEZ reentered the United States after he was previously deported on October 17, 2016. TURCIO-SANCHEZ faces an enhanced maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, up to a $250,00 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee because of his prior felony conviction for assaulting a federal official in 2016. Sentencing is set for June 17, 2025, before United States District Judge Susie Morgan. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Edmond Man Sentenced to Serve 18 Months in Federal Prison after Machinegun Conversion Devices are Intercepted from Packages Destined for Oklahoma

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – EMANUEL LOPEZ , 21, of Edmond, has been sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison for transporting machineguns without a license, announced Robert J. Troester, United States Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma. According to public record, in May and June 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents in Los Angeles, California, intercepted four packages shipped from China. These packages were destined for Lopez at his home in Edmond and contained machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), commonly known as “switches.” The packages were mislabeled as “auto parts,” “hardware accessories,” and “decorative ornaments” on the shipping manifest. When installed, MCDs convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns, and transporting and possessing these devices violates federal law. Lopez was charged by a federal Grand Jury with transporting machineguns without a license on July 2, 2024. On November 25, 2024, Lopez pleaded guilty, and admitted he knowingly transported machineguns and that he was not licensed to do so. At the sentencing hearing on March 5, 2025, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones sentenced Lopez to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the seriousness of the offense. This case is a result of an investigation by CBP, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew E. Davis 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. This case is also part of “Project Switch Off,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s local implementation of PSN. “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets. For more information about PSN and “Project Switch Off,” please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Operation Take Back America Results in the Administrative Arrest of 81 Illegal Aliens, 25 of Whom Were Also Charged with Felony Criminal Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – During the week of March 10 through March 14, 2025, as part of Operation Take Back America, multiple federal law enforcement agencies in Kentucky worked together to repel the invasion of illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth. The operation, coordinated out of Louisville, resulted in 81 administrative arrests of illegal aliens. Of the 81 illegal aliens arrested, 25 were also charged with immigration-related criminal offenses, including illegal reentry after deportation or removal, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal possession of controlled substances. In the Western District of Kentucky, 53 illegal aliens were administratively arrested, with 18 being criminally charged. The illegal aliens not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody, pending removal proceedings and potential deportation. The arrests included illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India and Palau. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement. “I commend the work of our federal law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to make this operation a success,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The aggressive investigation and prosecution of those who violate immigration laws positively impacts the security of our communities and of the Nation.” The following 18 illegal aliens were charged by indictment or criminal complaint in the Western District of Kentucky: Moises Archaga-Garcia , age 46, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Archaga-Garcia was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 30, 2003. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Luis Alberto Torres-Flores , age 35, a citizen of El Salvador, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Torres-Flores was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 29, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Lorenzo Perez-Perez , age 33, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Perez-Perez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 7, 2011, and January 21, 2016. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Aroldo Rodriguez-Navarro , age 40, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Rodriguez-Navarro was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 25, 2009, and June 5, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Angel David Zuniga-Baca , age 35, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 12, 2024, Zuniga-Baca possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On or about March 10, 2025, Zuniga-Baca was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 16, 2009, and April 25, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. Ewin Cabrera-Cabrera , age 33, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cabrera-Cabrera was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 10, 2014, and February 7, 2013. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Roberto Cruz-Pacheco , age 34, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cruz-Pacheco was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 31, 2008. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Darwin Martinez-Figueroa , age 41, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Martinez-Figueroa was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about May 17, 2014, and April 11, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Williams Josue Rodriguez-Calix , age 28, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez-Calix was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 12, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Jose Rodriguez , age 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 1, 2011, and February 28, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Zoiber Hernandez-Dominguez , age 50, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about December 16, 2024, Hernandez-Dominguez possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Marcos Juarez-Morente, age 38 a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Juarez-Morente was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 20, 2006, and May 19, 2006. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Esteban Perez-Cristostomo , age 45, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Perez-Cristostomo was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2010. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Ramiro Galeana-Arzate , age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Galeana-Arzate was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 4, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. Humberto Avila-Duran , age 54, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Duran possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On the same day, Avila-Duran was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2011, March 3, 2011, March 8, 2011, August 14, 2012, May 9, 2014, May 13, 2014, and November 13, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. Humberto Avila-Murillo , age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Murillo possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Edi Diaz-Lopez, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On or about January 3, 2025, Diaz-Lopez possessed a firearm and methamphetamine with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Alvaro Mandujano-Rodriguez , age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 7, 2023, Mandujano-Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 29, 2025. On the same date, Mandujano-Rodriguez possessed two firearms in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The operation was coordinated by HSI Nashville and ICE/ERO Chicago. The cases are being investigated by the HSI, ICE/ERO, FBI, ATF, DEA, and USMS. 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). An indictment or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Over 230 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct in Arizona This Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During this week of enforcement operations from March 8, 2025, through March 14, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona has brought immigration-related criminal charges against 232 defendants. Specifically, the United States filed 92 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 124 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States also filed 11 cases against 15 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged one defendant for assaulting a Border Patrol agent. 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. Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez: On March 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a two-count indictment against Edwin Andres Valdez-Gutierrez, an illegal alien and citizen of Mexico, for Assault on a Federal Officer and Reentry of Removed Alien. On February 10, 2025, federal officers from the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Response Team were investigating Valdez-Gutierrez’s unlawful presence in the United States. While ICE officers attempted to apprehend Valdez-Gutierrez, Valdez-Gutierrez reversed his vehicle into a vehicle occupied by ICE officers, causing significant damage. There were no injuries to the officers. Case No. CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR. United States v. Jorge Fontes-Garcia: On March 4, 2025, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a four-count superseding indictment against Jorge Fontes-Garcia, 25, an illegal alien from Sonora, Mexico, for Bringing an Illegal Alien to the United States Unlawfully Resulting in Death, Conspiracy to Bring Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, Bringing Illegal Aliens to the United States Unlawfully, and Reentry of Removed Alien. The superseding indictment alleges that on August 23, 2023, Fontes-Garcia acted as the foot guide, leading a group of eight aliens across the Mexico-United States border into southern Arizona. United States Border Patrol apprehended all but one of the illegal aliens in the open desert approximately 19 miles south of Tacna, Arizona. The remaining alien was found by Border Patrol agents shortly thereafter, already deceased due to excessive heat exposure. Case No. CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT. United States v. Carlos Rene Montes and Miguel Angel Sesma: Carlos Rene Montes, 32, a United States Citizen from Tucson, and Miguel Angel Sesma, 30, a legal permanent resident from Mexico living in Phoenix, were charged on Tuesday by federal criminal complaint with Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Fentanyl after agents seized a combined total of approximately 700,000 blue M30 pills from Sesma’s truck and Montes’ residence. According to the criminal complaint, on March 10, 2025, DEA Phoenix East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force (EVDETF) investigators observed Montes drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee into a Phoenix store parking lot and park next to a white Ford F250 bearing Sonora license plates. After speaking briefly with Sesma, the driver of the Ford F250, Montes transferred factory-sealed packages of roofing shingles from his vehicle to the bed of the Ford F250. After Montes left the parking lot, EVDETF investigators conducted traffic stops on both the Jeep Cherokee and Ford F250. A Mesa Police Department Canine Detective conducted an open-air sniff of the Ford F250 and alerted to narcotics in the vicinity of the truck bed. Investigators searched Sesma’s truck and seized approximately 52 kilograms (114 pounds) of blue M30 pills laced with fentanyl, which were concealed in the roofing shingles. Sesma and Montes were subsequently placed under arrest. According to the criminal complaint, Montes advised investigators that he possessed more drugs at his residence in Tucson. During a consensual search of Montes’ residence, investigators seized approximately 14.68 kilograms of blue M30 pills (32 pounds) containing fentanyl. Case No. 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB. A criminal complaint and criminal indictment are simply methods by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. CASE NUMBER: CR-25-00392-PHX-DLR CR-23-01322-PHX-JAT 25-MJ-6099-PHX-ASB RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-036_March 14 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: New task force launched in Virginia to eliminate transnational criminal organizations

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

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert of the Eastern District of Virginia along with federal and state partners announced today the recently established Virginia Homeland Security Task Force (VHSTF), an interagency group founded to combat transnational organized crime and coordinate ongoing immigration enforcement efforts across Virginia. In the two weeks since the VHSTF’s creation on March 3, task force members have arrested 247 individuals. Hundreds of personnel are supporting the task force, including representatives from U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; FBI’s Washington, Norfolk, and Richmond Field Offices; Homeland Security Investigations; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; Virginia Department of Corrections; Virginia Office of the Attorney General; Virginia Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security; Virginia State Police; and the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force. The VHSTF is part of Operation Take Back America, which streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159 , Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The VHSTF is the first of these task forces. Task force members are building on existing partnerships and initiatives to enforce immigration laws and policies to dismantle TCOs threatening the safety of millions of Virginians. These organizations operate across international borders, wholly or in part, by illegal means. Regardless of structure, TCOs destabilize local communities and fuel violence by engaging in drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, human trafficking, assault, kidnapping, murder, and extortion. One of the VHSTF’s goals is the elimination of TCOs across Virginia. Task force members seek to target these organizations’ infrastructures — including leaders, intermediaries, and street-level offenders — utilizing the State Department’s new foreign terrorist designations of various gangs, such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13); Cártel de Sinaloa; and Tren de Aragua (TdA). Under the guidance provided by Attorney General Pamela Bondi, leaders and managers of cartels and TCOs may be prosecuted for such crimes as terrorism, racketeering, continuing criminal enterprise offenses, violations of the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, and violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. To date, the VHSTF has arrested numerous gang affiliates, including 18 MS-13 affiliates, six TdA affiliates, and 12 individuals affiliated with other TCOs. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


title: Carroll County Iowa Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who sexually exploited multiple children and possessed millions of files of child pornography was sentenced today, to 50 years in federal prison. Lucas Oliver Knowles, age 48, from Carroll, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 23, 2024, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child, receipt and possession of child pornography, and possession of firearms by a prohibited person. Evidence in the case showed that the FBI National Threat Operations Center received a tip that Knowles was sexually abusing a minor and was in possession of child sexual abuse material. When the FBI interviewed Knowles, he admitted that he produced child sexual abuse material just a few weeks prior and had been sexually abusing a child. Knowles further admitted that he had been collecting child pornography since approximately 1996 and may have millions of images. Forensic analysis of Knowles computers discovered approximately 1.07 million images and videos of child pornography including several local victims. The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as prepubescent children and toddlers. Additionally, Knowles reported that he is a methamphetamine user and stored methamphetamine at his residence where he also possessed multiple firearms. Knowles was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. The Court sentenced Knowles to 600 months’ imprisonment and imposed $21,400 in fines and assessments. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Knowles is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. FBI Omaha Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said, “Lucas Knowles is a sexual predator and a heinous criminal. His appalling actions brought pain and trauma to children for his own gratification. Today’s sentence ensures Knowles will not hurt anyone else. Protecting children is one of the FBI’s highest priorities. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners to investigate and apprehend child predators and defend the most vulnerable members of our community.” United States Attorney Timothy Duax stated “The United States Attorney’s Office thanks the citizen that came forward with the tip and commends the FBI for its excellent investigative work. As a result, a dangerous child predator was removed from our community.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-CR-3028. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Two Defendants Extradited From Honduras Sentenced To Multiple Years For Drug Trafficking In The Bay Area

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Two drug dealers extradited from Honduras to San Francisco were sentenced to multiple years in federal prison for drug trafficking offenses in the Bay Area. Jorge Viera-Chirinos, 35, was sentenced to 40 months in prison on March 5, 2025. Elmer Matute, 32, was sentenced to 36 months in prison on March 12, 2025. Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer handed down both sentences. Jorge Viera-Chirinos was originally charged by criminal complaint on July 29, 2019, and arrested the same day. A federal grand jury indicted Viera-Chirinos and 13 co-defendants in August 2019 on charges of trafficking large quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine in San Francisco. In September 2020, while released on bond, Viera-Chirinos fled to Honduras in violation of the terms of his bond. He was extradited to the United States in February 2024. On Oct. 16, 2024, Viera-Chirinos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine beginning around June 2018 to about Aug. 7, 2019. According to the plea agreement, Viera-Chirinos helped arrange housing for street-level drug dealers who purchased drugs from him and other co-conspirators and then resold those drugs in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Viera-Chirinos also coordinated sourcing drugs that other co-conspirators then provided to street-level dealers. A federal grand jury indicted Elmer Bonilla Matute in December 2019 on charges of possession with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and cocaine base, and a warrant issued for his arrest. Matute was later arrested in and extradited from Honduras to the United States in February 2024. On Nov. 26, 2024, Matute pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. According to the plea agreement, pursuant to a search warrant executed at Matute’s residence in Richmond on June 5, 2018, law enforcement seized approximately 663 grams of heroin, 168 grams of methamphetamine, 386 grams of cocaine base, and 175 grams of cocaine. Matute admitted that he was in possession of the substances at the time of the search, knew that they contained heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine base, cocaine, or some other federally controlled substance, and intended to distribute them to other people. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris made the announcements. These investigations 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). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Honduran authorities to secure the extraditions of Viera-Chirinos and Matute to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sailaja M. Paidipaty and Dan M. Karmel prosecuted the cases with the assistance of Madeline Wachs. The prosecutions are the result of investigations by DEA.


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 one-week period ending March 14, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 38 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) 22 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) In one significant case, on March 7, 2025, transnational criminal organization leader Guillermo Amaro-Rodriguez was extradited to New Mexico from Mexico on an 2022 indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. In another significant case, Alejandro Villalobos-Torres was arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with human smuggling and kidnapping two men in 2022. Both of these cases are part of Operation Take Back America. In a third case, Edgar Ivan Esparza-Labrador , a Mexican national previously convicted of burglary in 2012, was sentenced to 48 months in prison. U.S. Border Patrol agents apprehended Esparza-Labrador in 2024 after he illegally re-entered the United States from Mexico. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, federal prosecutors pursued a case involving assaults on federal officers in Santa Teresa. Andrew Josiah Segura was arrested on March 7, 2025, and is charged by a criminal complaint filed on February 28, 2025, for allegedly assaulting three U.S. Border Patrol agents in two separate incidents earlier that month. Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, 40 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 103 assaults in Fiscal Year 2024. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation's border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel. 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: Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Mexican man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on March 10, 2025. Jose Jimenez, a/k/a Jose Lidio Chavez Flores, 42, was sentenced to two months in federal prison and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Jimenez was also ordered to be removed from the United States. Jimenez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025. On November 8, 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, law enforcement attempted to initiate a traffic stop on a vehicle Jimenez was driving. Instead of stopping, Jimenez led law enforcement on a pursuit. Once stopped, law enforcement located a semi-automatic rifle in a rear seat of the vehicle. Jimenez is not a United States citizen, and he has been removed from the United States to Mexico on two previous occasions. Jimenez had not obtained consent to reenter the United States from the U.S. Attorney General or the U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. 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. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Jimenez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Leaders of Los Zetas, a Violent Mexican Drug Cartel, Arraigned on Drug Trafficking, Firearm, and Money Laundering Charges

body_text: Mexican nationals and former leaders of the Los Zetas cartel were arraigned today in Washington, D.C., on charges of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise that involved multiple murder conspiracies, conspiring to manufacture and distribute large quantities of cocaine and marijuana destined for the United States, using firearms — including a machinegun — during and in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and conspiring to launder monetary instruments. According to court documents, Miguel Trevino Morales, also known as Z-40, Zeta40, and 40, age 52, and Omar Trevino Morales, also known as 42 and Z-42, age 48, ascended to the highest level of leadership in Los Zetas, a violent cartel comprised of former Mexican military officers that began as an armed militaristic wing of the Gulf Cartel. Miguel Trevino Morales allegedly took over leadership of Los Zetas in October 2012 until his arrest by Mexican authorities in 2013, at which point, his brother, Omar Trevino Morales, allegedly assumed primary leadership of the cartel until his arrest by Mexican authorities in 2015. After their arrests, the defendants allegedly renamed Los Zetas to Cartel del Noreste (CDN) and continued to control the cartel while incarcerated in Mexico. Through the date of the fifth superseding indictment, CDN allegedly continued Los Zetas’ criminal drug trafficking activities and acts of violence including murders, assaults, kidnappings, assassinations, and acts of torture. On Feb. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of State designated CDN as a foreign terrorist organization. “The DEA has never wavered from the global fight against this vicious, ruthless cartel led by brothers Miguel (Zeta 40) and Omar Trevino Morales (Zeta 42). These brothers are charged with importing tons of dangerous drugs into our country, and we believe they continued to run their business while serving time in a Mexican prison. Now they will face justice in the United States,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Our work is far from over. DEA will continue to keep the pressure on violent organizations, like Los Zetas, to disrupt their operations and relieve the stranglehold they exert along the southwest border.” “The Criminal Division is dedicated to achieving the Attorney General’s goal of the Total Elimination of Cartels ,” said Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “As alleged, former Zetas cartel leaders Z-40 and Z-42 engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice in the United States violent transnational criminals and leaders of cartels and hold them accountable for the death and violence they have committed here and abroad and for the large amounts of dangerous drugs that devastate our communities.” “As alleged, the defendants represent some of the world’s most vicious cartel leaders, who oversaw Los Zetas’ reign of terror with grotesque impunity and ruthlessness, and a sheer disregard for anything beyond their wealth, power, and control,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso of ICE Homeland Security Investigations New York. “I commend ICE Homeland Security Investigations’ El Dorado Task Force for consistently proving itself as a formidable opponent against cartels intent on causing harm. We will use whatever means necessary to protect the safety and security of Americans from threats both here and abroad.” The defendants are charged with one count each of continuing a criminal enterprise, conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana for importation into the United States, use of a firearm in relation to drug trafficking crimes, and international money laundering conspiracy. As part of the continuing criminal enterprise count, the defendants are alleged to have engaged in conspiracies to kill members of the Mexican government, Mexican citizens, members of rival cartels, members of the Guatemalan government, and Guatemalan drug traffickers. Because the defendants are charged with engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, they face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment. The defendants were subject to longstanding U.S. extradition requests, that were not honored during the prior Administration, but the Mexican government elected to transfer to the current U.S. government in response to the Justice Department’s efforts pursuant to President Trump’s and the Attorney General’s leadership against Mexican drug cartels. On Feb. 27, the defendants were transferred by Mexican authorities to the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, ICE HSI, and the FBI are investigating the case. Acting Deputy Chief Melanie Alsworth and Trial Attorneys Jayce Born and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wang for the Eastern District of New York, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: California Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for 6 ½ Years for Possessing 20 Pounds of Methamphetamine Destined for Distribution

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a San Diego, California, man convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 12, 2025. Leobardo Vega , age 32, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, $1,000 fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Vega was indicted for Posssession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in August 2023. He pleaded guilty on December 4, 2024. On September 30, 2022, Vega was involved in a traffic stop on Interstate 90 near Murdo, South Dakota. During the search of the vehicle law enforcement found 20 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the vehicle. Vega admitted he was transporting the methamphetamine from California to Minnesota where it would be further distributed by others. This case was investigated by the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the Northern Plains Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case. Vega was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Cheektowaga man charged with attempted sex trafficking and cocaine possession

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Darryl Lamont Paul, a/k/a Darryl Lamont, 59, of Cheektowaga, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of life. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin M. Higgins, who is handling the case, stated that for the last 25 years, Lamont has owned NoLimit Entertainment (NLE), a company that provides entertainment, including nude dancers and topless bartenders, for parties such as stags and birthdays. Throughout the years, Lamont has maintained a friendship and business relationship with the owner of Pharoah’s Gentleman’s Club, with the two men sharing employees. Lamont would recruit young vulnerable women from Pharoah’s to work for NLE, and he would also refer young women to Pharoah’s for additional employment. According to the complaint, in early July 2024, Lamont invited a 19-year-old woman (victim), to his residence to audition for NLE. During the audition, Lamont instructed the victim to strip completely naked so he could inspect her body. After her audition, Lamont invited the victim to “shadow” at stag party, where she observed two dancers engaging in sexual activity with each other. Lamont also arranged for the victim to audition at an area strip club. After the audition, he took her back to his apartment for “training.” While there, Lamont forced the victim to snort cocaine and drink alcohol. The victim observed Lamont with what appeared to be a large quantity of cocaine. According to the victim, Lamont said that working for him would make her a lot of money and that he knew a lot of important people. He also claimed to know the names of the victim’s family members. The victim believed Lamont told her these things to intimidate her. Lamont also had the victim sign a nondisclosure agreement (NDA) prohibiting her from telling anyone anything that occurred at Lamont’s house or the stag parties. When the victim told Lamont that she was felt extremely uncomfortable and no longer wanted to work for NLE, Lamont threatened that if she did not work for him, then she would not be allowed to work at the strip club. Lamont made an initial appearance this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on March, 18, 2025. The complaint is a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Former Antioch Police Officer Found Guilty Of Deprivation Of Civil Rights And Falsification Of Records

body_text: OAKLAND – A federal jury today convicted former Antioch police officer Morteza Amiri of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and one count of falsification of records. The jury’s verdict followed an eight-day trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White. Amiri, 33, was previously employed as a police officer with the Antioch Police Department. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiri, a K-9 handler, deployed his K-9 to bite suspects even when it was not necessary. Amiri kept a running bite count that he celebrated with other officers. Amiri also took photographs of the dog bites and shared them with other officers, stating in one text message that “gory pics are for personal stuff” and “cleaned up pics for the case.” “Morteza Amiri violated the oath he swore to protect the people of Antioch. He flouted his duty as a police officer, misused his police dog, and inflicted unnecessary and excessive force against the victim. This appalling conduct erodes public trust in law enforcement. And it weakens law enforcement’s ability to carry out its primary mission of public safety. As today’s jury verdict makes clear, officers who put themselves above the law will be held accountable,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins. “Today’s guilty verdict against Morteza Amiri sends a clear message: no one is above the law, especially those sworn to uphold it. Amiri’s actions betrayed the trust of the community and undermined the integrity of law enforcement,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani. “The FBI remains committed to holding accountable any officer who violates their oath and deprives citizens of their constitutional rights. The people of Antioch, and communities everywhere, deserve better.” According to the evidence at trial, on July 24, 2019, Amiri pulled over and stopped a bicyclist identified as A.A., who, according to Amiri, did not have his bicycle light on. Amiri approached A.A., punched and took the victim to the ground, and then called for his K-9 to bite the victim. As a result, A.A. sustained injuries. At the time, Amiri was accompanied by a police officer with a neighboring agency as a ride-along, and that officer assisted with the deployment of the K-9. Afterwards, Amiri shared pictures of the victim’s wounds with other Antioch police officers. One officer responded, “Yeah buddy good boy,” referring to the K-9, and “Lol you bit [A.A.].” In response to a question from another officer about what cut the dog’s face, Amiri responded, “that’s a piece of the suspect’s flesh lol.” Amiri later wrote to the officer who accompanied him on the ride-along, “you got to see [the K-9] in action lol,” and stated that detectives got the victim “a 45 day violation and we are gonna leave it at that so i don’t go to court for the bite. Easy,” referring to the victim going into custody for a parole/probation violation. Amiri then falsified a police report of the incident, stating that one of the reasons he deployed his K-9 was because he was alone, when instead the ride-along police officer was with him at the time and had helped Amiri deploy the K-9. The jury convicted Amiri of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242 and one count of falsification of records in a federal investigation in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1519. The jury acquitted Amiri of one count of conspiracy against rights in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 241 and two counts of deprivation of rights under color of law, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 242. Amiri was previously convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud following a jury trial in August 2024. Amiri is scheduled to appear on March 18, 2025, for a hearing on whether to remand him to custody pending sentencing, and on June 3, 2025, for sentencing. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the count of deprivation of rights under color of law and 20 years in prison on the count of falsification of records. Any sentence will be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. The case is being prosecuted by the National Security & Special Prosecutions Section and the Oakland Branch of the United States Attorney’s Office. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. These civil rights charges against Amiri were brought as part of an investigation into the Antioch and Pittsburgh police departments that resulted in multiple charges against 10 current and former officers and employees of these two police departments for various crimes ranging from the use of excessive force to fraud. The status of these cases, all of which are before Senior U.S. District Judge Jeffrey S. White, is below: Case Name and Number Statute(s) Defendant (Bold: multiple case numbers) Status Fraud 23-cr-00264 18 U.S.C. §§ 1349 (Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; 1343 (Wire Fraud) Patrick Berhan Sentenced to 30 months custody, 2 years supervised release concurrent with 24-cr-157 on 9/5/24 Morteza Amiri Convicted at trial 8/8/24, sentencing pending Amanda Theodosy a/k/a Nash Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release 11/15/24 Samantha Peterson Sentenced to time served, 3 years supervised release 4/24/24 Ernesto Mejia-Orozco Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 9/19/24 Brauli Jalapa Rodriguez Sentenced to 3 months custody, 3 years supervised release on 10/25/24 Obstruction 23-cr-00267 18 U.S.C. §§ 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations); 1512(c)(2) (Obstruction of Official Proceedings); 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) Timothy Manly Williams Pleaded guilty 11/28/23, status conference 4/15/25 Steroid Distribution 23-cr-00268 21 U.S.C. §§ 846 (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids), 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids) Daniel Harris Pleaded guilty 9/17/24, status conference 4/15/25 21 U.S.C. §§ 846, 841(a)(1), and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids); 18 U.S.C.§ 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) Devon Wenger Trial set for 4/28/25 Civil Rights 23-cr-00269 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law); § 1519 (Destruction, Alteration, and Falsification of Records in Federal Investigations) Morteza Amiri Convicted at trial 3/14/25 on counts 2 and 5, sentencing set for 6/3/25 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) Eric Rombough Pleaded guilty 1/14/25, status conference 4/22/25 18 U.S.C. §§ 241 (Conspiracy Against Rights), 242 (Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law) Devon Wenger Pending Steroid Distribution 24-cr-00157 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(E)(i) (Possession with Intent to Distribute Anabolic Steroids) Patrick Berhan Sentenced to 30 months custody, 2 years supervised release concurrent with 23-cr-264 on 9/5/24 Bank fraud 24-cr-00502 18 U.S.C. § 1344(1), (2) (Bank fraud) Daniel Harris Pleaded guilty 9/17/24, status conference 4/15/25


title: Western District of Texas Exceeds 200 New Immigration Cases in 4 Days

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Acting United States Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas announced today, that federal prosecutors in the district filed 215 immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 10 through March 13. In Austin, several individuals were charged with illegal reentry after deportation, after being found in local area jails. Among those were Ricardo Hernandez-Hernandez , a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States to Mexico on two prior occasions and had been convicted of indecency with a child sexual contact and failure to register as a sex offender; Andres Garcia-Saldana , a Mexican national who had allegedly been previously removed from the United States on four occasions and had been convicted of intoxication assault with a vehicle causing serious bodily injury and driving while intoxicated three times—the third time being a felony conviction; Hernan Vasquez-Medina , a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States three times before and had been convicted of making a terroristic threat and driving while intoxicated three times—like Garcia-Saldana, Vasquez-Medina’s third DWI was charged as a felony as well; and Jaime Ricardo Lopez-Rojas , a Mexican national who had allegedly been removed from the United States a total eight times and had been convicted of illegal entry twice, illegal reentry after deportation four times, driving while intoxicated three times, and family violence assault causing bodily injury. In the Midland-Odessa area, two individuals with prior federal convictions were found in local area jails and were charged with illegal entry after deportation. Mexican national Saul Villalobos-Vasquez was allegedly removed from the United States once before and convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for unauthorized use of a social security number for which he had been sentenced to 12-months imprisonment in 2016. Daniel Olivas-Nieto , also a Mexican national, had been allegedly removed from the United States and was previously convicted in the Western District of Texas for the illegal transportation of aliens for financial gain, for which he was sentenced to nine months imprisonment. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Convicted Felon Arrested and Charged After Being Found with Defaced 9mm Handgun, Ammunition, and Illegal Machine Gun Conversion Device

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – Acting United States Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson announced today that Chris Pham, 21, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged yesterday by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. A detention hearing in federal court is scheduled for March 20, 2025. According to court documents, on March 12, 2025, law enforcement encountered Pham and found he was carrying a fully loaded 9mm semiautomatic handgun with a defaced serial number. Pham was also carrying an additional magazine with 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition. During a search of Pham’s residence, law enforcement recovered a machine gun conversion device designed to turn a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic handgun. Law enforcement previously located an Instagram video showing Pham firing a fully automatic handgun into the air in public. If convicted of the charged offense, Pham faces up to fifteen years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge in the criminal complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Honolulu Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara D. Ayabe. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).


title: Tyler County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Jordan Tyler Kerns, 32, of Paden City, West Virginia, was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Kerns was selling methamphetamine in Wetzel County. During the investigation, Kerns was observed traveling to the Morgantown area to obtain methamphetamine. Officers conducted a traffic stop during one of these trips and seized 80 grams of meth from his vehicle. Kerns will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.


title: Omaha Women Sentenced for Wrongful Disclosure of Health Information

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Oliva Gross, 47, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 14, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for wrongful disclosure of health information. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Gross to two years’ probation. On March 7, Chief Judge Rossiter sentenced co-defendant, Kiara Gross, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska, to two years’ probation for wrongful disclosure of health information. There is no parole in the federal system. Mid-City OB-GYN in Omaha provided obstetrics and gynecology services, amongst other services. Mid-City OB-GYN is a health care provider. As such, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was applicable to the employees of Mid-City OB-GYN. HIPAA precludes access to, and use of, and disclosure of a patient’s individually identifiable health information without a patient’s authorization. Kiara Gross was employed at Mid-City OB-GYN from on or about May 2019, to on or about December 13, 2023. Kiara Gross worked as a medical assistant. Oliva Gross was employed at Mid-City OB-GYN from on or about July 2009, to on or about December 2023. Olivia Gross worked as a medical assistant. Victim 1 was a patient who obtained medical treatment at Mid-City OB-GYN. Victim 1’s last medical appointment at Mid-City OB-GYN was in approximately July 2023. On December 11, 2023, Kiara Gross and Olivia Gross while working at Mid-City OB-GYN, obtained individually identifiable health care information related to Victim 1 without authorization. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Florida Man Sentenced for Using Gasoline to Start Employer’s Semi Trailer on Fire at Eppley

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Kevin Kaedi, age 27, of Florida was sentenced on March 14, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for malicious use of explosive materials. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Kaedi to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kaedi is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On March 31, 2024, a semi-truck owned by Prime Inc., a nationwide-based trucking company headquartered in Missouri, was damaged due to arson. On March 25, 2024, Kaedi, a Prime, Inc. driver, disconnected his semi-truck’s tracking device so his employer could no longer see the vehicle movement. He eventually parked the semi in the south cell phone parking lot of Eppley Airfield in Omaha. On March 31, Kaedi can be seen on surveillance video walking into Eppley Airfield terminal and renting a vehicle. He then drives the rental back to the semi-truck and unloads items from the semi-truck into his rental car. Kaedi then drives away in his rental car. Several minutes later, smoke can be seen coming from the semi-truck. Fire fighters were dispatched to the scene and extinguished the fire. Investigators located a red plastic gas container inside the cab of the semi-truck along with an incendiary device, indicating that the fire was intentional. The amount of loss totaled $59,353.63, which Kaedi was ordered to pay as restitution. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and City of Omaha, Fire Investigation Unit.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 180 months in Prison for Dealing Drugs with a Gun

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Freeman L. Johnson, Jr., age 47, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 14, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distributing crack cocaine, possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and crack cocaine, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Johnson to 120 months’ imprisonment on the drug charges and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment on the firearms charge, for a total sentence of 180 months. Additionally, $9,005.00 in drug proceeds was forfeited. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Federal Bureau of Investigations, Safe Streets Task Force Officers utilized a cooperating source to purchase crack cocaine from Johnson outside of his residence near the 46th block of Reddick Avenue on four occasions: on December 14, 2023, the source purchased 13.70 grams crack cocaine; on December 19, 2023, the source purchased 26.12 grams of crack cocaine; on January 5, 2024, the source purchased 38.64 grams of crack cocaine; and on January 31 2024, the source purchased 9.64 grams of crack cocaine. As a result of Johnson’s crack sales, Safe Streets Task Force Officers obtained a search warrant for his residence and served it on February 8, 2024. During the search of his residence, the task force seized 446 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1,784 pills containing 317.98 grams of methamphetamine, 38.18 grams of crack cocaine, 81.52 grams of cocaine, a digital scale, $9,005.00 of cash drug proceeds, a Canik TP9 9mm handgun, a Polymer 80 handgun, and multiple boxes of handgun ammunition. One firearm was found near the bulk of the drugs. The other was found near the cash proceeds. Johnson is also prohibited from possessing firearms due to several, prior felony convictions, including convictions for delivery of cocaine (2001), possession of cocaine (2003), and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine (2003). This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Safe Streets Task Force.


title: Iowa City Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms Charge

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon. According to public court documents, Javeyel Johnta Jones, 22, was identified at the scene of a May 2023 shooting in Muscatine. A gun was recovered from the scene and, following additional analysis, Jones’ fingerprint was found on the gun. During a 2024 investigation, Jones was found to be in possession of a second gun in West Liberty. In 2023, Jones was convicted of possessing a firearm as a felon in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County and was on probation for this charge at the time of federal indictment. After completing his term of imprisonment, Jones will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Muscatine County Police Department and Muscatine County Drug Task Force. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Petersburg, Illinois Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison and a Lifetime of Supervision for Multiple Crimes Against Children

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Petersburg, Illinois man, Adam Power, 32, of the 500 block of South 8 th Street in Petersburg, Illinois, was sentenced to 60 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release on March 13, 2025, after pleading guilty to a multitude of crimes of against children. Power pleaded guilty on May 2, 2024, to thirty-four counts which included charges for sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. At the sentencing hearing in front of U.S. District Judge Collen R. Lawless, the government established that the defendant, a former substitute teacher, choir director, and theater director in the Central District of Illinois, used at least thirteen online accounts on multiple platforms to portray himself as a teenage girl in order to persuade and entice and attempt to persuade and entice, at least twenty-four boys between the ages of eight and sixteen years of age to produce images of child pornography for him. He also used the images of a female victim in order to engender the trust of his male victims. The government noted that the defendant had targeted not just strangers online but victimized children he knew or had met. Finally, the government commented that the defendant, because he had distributed victim images, had placed the minors in scenarios where their images could now be anywhere in the world. In imposing the Court’s sentence, Judge Lawless found that Power’s actions had been heinous. She stated he had been methodical in his approach to obtaining the child pornography from his victims, and that the defendant, who had referred to himself as a perfectionist during the hearing, had used this perfectionism to prey upon the children in his community. Judge Lawless further observed the defendant’s use of his accomplishments and positions ultimately led to the loss of the victims’ security, privacy, and trust. “The defendant believed he was untouchable online, and that the mask he wore in public disguised the predator he was underneath. However, with tremendous cooperation between federal, state, and local law enforcement we were able to put a stop to another internet-based offender.” said Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs. “This case is a stark reminder that predators lurk where we least expect them – hiding behind screens, positions of trust, and false identities to exploit the most vulnerable among us. Power’s calculated and egregious crimes have forever impacted his victims, but today, justice has prevailed,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “Through the dedicated commitment of HSI and our law enforcement partners, we have ensured that this offender won’t have the opportunity to victimize another child.” Power was indicted in July 2023 and pleaded guilty in May 2024. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in June of 2023. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Athens Police Department with assistance from the Menard County Sheriff’s Office, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Petersburg Police Department, and Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Menard County State’s Attorney’s Office provided valuable support. Assistant United States Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine from Inside an Alabama Prison

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: According to court documents, Justin Brian Melton, 35, was convicted of trafficking heroin in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama in 2022. The state court sentenced Melton to serve 20 years in prison. Melton served that sentence at the Ventress prison in Clayton, Alabama. Between March 2023 and May 2024, while incarcerated at Ventress, Melton used contraband cell phones to orchestrate shipments of bulk fentanyl and methamphetamine from the Atlanta, Georgia area into southern Alabama and elsewhere. In November 2023, agents arrested one of Melton’s coconspirators in Atmore, Alabama and seized half a kilogram of fentanyl from him. Melton’s coconspirator was on his way back from Atlanta after completing a bulk fentanyl deal that Melton had brokered. Agents extracted the contents of the coconspirator’s cell phone, which contained several messages between Melton and the coconspirator about coordinating bulk fentanyl and methamphetamine transactions. Agents obtained AT&T records regarding the contraband cell phones that Melton used to broker drug deals while he was in prison. The phones were subscribed in Melton’s name. Cell tower location data for the phones showed that during the conspiracy, the phones consistently pinged off the same cell tower in the vicinity of the Ventress prison. Additionally, agents captured recorded communications between Melton and coconspirators that showed Melton using contraband phones from state prison. In addition to the 210-month prison sentence, Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Melton to serve a ten-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Beaverstock ordered Melton to pay $200 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.