title: Canadian County Man to Serve Decade in Federal Prison following Domestic Violence Incident with Pregnant Woman Involving Firearms

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – JULIAN PAUL GLAZIER , 26, of Canadian County, has been sentenced to serve 120 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after previous felony convictions, announced U.S Attorney Robert J. Troester. On February 20, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Indictment against Glazier, charging him with being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. According to public record, on December 24, 2023, Yukon Police Department (YPD) officers responded to a home to assist firefighters and paramedics who were reportedly assisting a pregnant woman experiencing a reported medical episode. Officers arrived and learned that the emergency call had been placed to draw them to the residence. Officers discovered that a woman at the residence was a victim of domestic violence, and that Glazier had detained her there at gunpoint in a bedroom for hours. When first responders arrived, Glazier attempted to hide a shotgun and a revolver he possessed during the offense, but officers located and seized them. On May 2, 2024, Glazier pleaded guilty to Count 1 of the Indictment and admitted that he possessed firearms despite his previous felony convictions. At the sentencing hearing on May 29, 2025, U.S. District Judge Charles B. Goodwin sentenced Glazier to serve 120 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, Judge Goodwin noted the nature of the offense and Glazier’s significant criminal history. Public record shows that he has a criminal history with previous felony convictions that include: unlawful possession of a controlled dangerous substance in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2017-496; unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2017-5508; and possession of a firearm after juvenile adjudication in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2017-7568. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Yukon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok . Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Firearm Following Traffic Stop in Northwest D.C.

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Trevon Timothy Vines, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty on June 3, 2025, to one count of illegal possession of a firearm following his arrest on March 15, 2025, in the District of Columbia. According to court documents, on March 15, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the vicinity of 1820 7th Street NW after observing a traffic infraction. It is alleged that during the course of the stop, officers observed several open containers of alcohol and requested that all occupants exit the vehicle. Court documents say that Vines was seated in the front passenger seat and holding a cup consistent with the others observed. As officers attempted to place Vines in handcuffs, they felt what they immediately recognized to be a handgun on his person in a front left jacket pocket. Officers eventually recovered the firearm and discovered that it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland. An investigation revealed that Vines is a convicted felon with multiple prior convictions. At the time of the incident, Vines was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal and D.C. law. He did not have a license to carry or own a firearm in the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, ATF Baltimore Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole. This case is part of Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful, an executive order surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.


title: Illegal alien sentenced for assaulting law enforcement

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 21-year-old El Salvadorian national has been sentenced for assaulting a Border Patrol (BP) agent, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Oscar Adilio Sanchez-Rivera pleaded guilty March 4. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Sanchez-Rivera to serve 36 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. “The defendant here managed to turn a simple removal case to a multi-year federal sentence,” said Ganjei. “Let this case be an example to others who may wish harm on police or federal agents; assaulting law enforcement will not be tolerated.” On Nov. 1, 2024, authorities conducted a traffic stop in Rio Grande City when Sanchez-Rivera notified them of his alien status. As the BP agent attempted to place him in a vehicle, Sanchez-Rivera attempted to evade arrest. He punched the agent in the face and grabbed the agent’s finger, causing a fracture that required surgery. Sanchez-Rivera fled on foot but was soon apprehended. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. BP and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the case.


title: Washington State Man Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Provided Material Support to Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bomber

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Washington state man has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he provided material support to the Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber by shipping and paying for significant quantities of ammonium nitrate – an explosive precursor – prior to the suicidal terror attack last month, the Justice Department announced today. Daniel Jongyon Park, 32, of Kent, Washington, was arrested last night shortly after his flight from Poland arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Park is charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists. He is expected to make his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Brooklyn, New York. “This defendant is charged with facilitating the horrific attack on a fertility center in California. Bringing chaos and violence to a facility that exists to help women and mothers is a particularly cruel, disgusting crime that strikes at the very heart of our shared humanity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are grateful to our partners in Poland who helped get this man back to America and we will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.” “This defendant is charged with providing material support to a terrorist by shipping large quantities of explosive precursors to the man whose suicide bombing last month destroyed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Domestic terrorism is evil and unacceptable. Those who aid terrorists can expect to feel the cold wrath of justice.” “Park allegedly sent large amounts of explosive precursors to the man who drove a car bomb to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, an attack that potentially could have killed innocent people,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners work together to find and hold accountable those who engage in domestic terrorism and other illegal activity. I also want to express my thanks to authorities in Poland for their vital assistance in this case.” “Mr. Park’s contribution to the destructive device detonated on May 17 led to today’s charges and we continue to ask the public to come forward with any information,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “We must strive to prevent another attack like this and the way we do that is to learn everything we can about what exactly caused the explosion, who knew about it or planned it, and why.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of Twentynine Palms, California, drove a car containing a bomb to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs on May 17. Bartkus detonated the bomb, killing himself, injuring numerous victims, destroying the fertility clinic’s building and damaging surrounding buildings and areas. Bartkus’s attack was motivated by his pro-mortalism, anti-natalism, and anti-pro-life ideology, which is the belief that individuals should not be born without their consent and that non-existence is best. Park – who shares Bartkus’s extremist views – shipped large quantities of explosive precursor materials to Bartkus, including approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Days before the Palm Springs bombing, Park paid for an additional 90 pounds (40.8 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate that was shipped to Bartkus. Park sent the first shipments of approximately 180 pounds (81.7 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus shortly before traveling to Bartkus’s residence, where he stayed with Bartkus from January 25 to February 8. Three days before Park arrived at Bartkus’s house, records from an AI chat application show that Bartkus researched how to make powerful explosions using ammonium nitrate and fuel. During his stay at Bartkus’s residence, Park and Bartkus spent time in Bartkus’s room as well as in a detached garage “running experiments,” according to the affidavit. This was the same garage where law enforcement, during a search after the May 17 bombing, located significant amounts of chemicals commonly used in the construction of homemade bombs. Four days after Bartkus conducted the suicide bombing, Park flew to Europe. On May 30, Park was detained in Poland and later was ordered deported to the United States. A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Park would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. The FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Palm Springs Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the FBI’s legal attaché in Warsaw, Polish authorities, and FBI field offices in Seattle, New York, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Portland. Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Gerdes and Anna P. Boylan of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Patrick J. Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.


title: Jury convicts Edwardsville man of drug trafficking

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: BENTON, Ill. – A federal jury returned a two-count guilty verdict for an Edwardsville man charged with distributing meth in Franklin and Perry counties. Kevin D. Stewart, 59, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute meth and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of meth. Co-defendant Elizabeth J. Schwartzkopf, 43, of Pinckneyville, pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to distribute meth and one count of possession with intent to distribute meth and was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment on Wednesday. "The collaboration between the ISP and the U.S. Attorney's Office is essential in dismantling drug trafficking networks,” stated ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “By combining investigative expertise with prosecutorial power, this partnership delivers justice more effectively, disrupting criminal operations and protecting the well-being of our communities." According to court documents and evidence at trial, Illinois State Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Schwartzkopf with Stewart in the passenger seat in March 2024. Officers recovered 312 grams of methamphetamine, 924 grams of homemade THC gummies, and a scale from the vehicle. Stewart’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 16, 2025, at the federal courthouse in Benton. Possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of meth carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment. The Illinois State Police Drug Task Force led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Sanders and Tom Leggans are prosecuting the case.


title: New Castle Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl, Fluorofentanyl

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 70 months in prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and fluorofentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Kailin Stewart, 38, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 10 grams or more of fluorofentanyl between May 2021 and October 2022. According to information presented to the Court, Stewart was on state parole in 2022 following his release from an 11- to 40-year Pennsylvania state prison sentence for a conviction for conspiracy to commit homicide. The Court also was informed that Stewart was responsible for the trafficking of between 70 and 100 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and fluorofentanyl while on state parole. Judge Schwab ordered that Stewart’s federal prison sentence be served consecutive to any Pennsylvania state parole revocation sentence Stewart may receive. Judge Schwab also ordered that Stewart serve four years of supervised release following his federal prison sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, United States Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, Mercer County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Sharon Police Department, and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Stewart.


title: 132 months for smuggling 3,000 pounds of methamphetamine in truckload of cabbages

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican citizen has been sentenced for his role in possessing with intent to distribute nearly $3 million in methamphetamine concealed inside cabbages, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jose Angel Ibarra-Rojas pleaded guilty Nov. 6, 2024. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Ibarra-Rojas to serve 132 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard how the narcotics were packaged in a sophisticated manner. The heads of the cabbages were removed, and balls of methamphetamine were then inserted into the leaves in order to conceal them. On June 18, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a tractor trailer in Pharr. Ibarra-Rojas was the passenger. A search of the vehicle revealed 1,154 plastic-wrapped packages containing a crystal-like substance concealed within cabbages in the cargo area. Authorities determined the substance was methamphetamine and had a total weight of approximately 1,356 kilograms. The drugs had an estimated street value of over $2.8 million. Ibarra-Rojas admitted he knew the trailer contained narcotics and was aware it had recently entered the United States. He claimed he expected to be paid $1,000 to arrange the transport of the trailer and its narcotics farther north into the United States. Ibarra-Rojas also said he had arranged similar transports several times in the past. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Hidalgo County Constable’s Office. “The amount of drugs smuggled in this case is staggering, but fortunately authorities were able to seize it before it hit our streets,” said Ganjei. “ICE-HSI, CBP, and the Hidalgo County Constable’s Office should be commended for their excellent work in keeping this meth out of our community.” Ibarra-Rojas will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.


title: Sacramento Doctor Agrees to Pay $125,000 for Controlled Substances Act Violations at Sutter Imaging Capitol Pavilion

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Philip Yen, M.D. has agreed to pay the United States $125,000 to resolve allegations that he failed to comply with federal statutory requirements related to his role as the Drug Enforcement Administration registrant at Sutter Imaging Capitol Pavilion, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced today. Dr. Yen is a radiologist employed by Sutter Medical Group. From 2018 to 2024, he was the DEA registrant at Capitol Pavilion, which is located at 2725 Capitol Avenue, next to Sutter Medical Center, in Sacramento. As the registrant, Dr. Yen was required by the Controlled Substances Act to keep detailed records related to Capitol Pavilion’s receipt and dispensing of controlled substances, to ensure that controlled substances including opioids and other addictive and dangerous drugs were maintained, recorded, and documented properly in order to prevent their diversion. An inspection conducted in 2022 of controlled substance records at Capitol Pavilion identified multiple recordkeeping violations at the facility. Other evidence developed that Dr. Yen was not adequately trained regarding the role and responsibilities of a DEA registrant, and that Sutter staff was aware of the risk of diversion of controlled substances from Capitol Pavilion. In addition to paying civil monetary penalties, Dr. Yen has agreed to complete comprehensive training on his obligations under the CSA as a registrant, including recordkeeping requirements and effective controls against theft and diversion. “Healthcare facilities and their employees are entrusted to handle dangerous drugs with care,” said Acting US Attorney Beckwith. “Compliance with the CSA and its recordkeeping requirements is critical to preventing diversion and protecting the public.” “Controlled substance recordkeeping requirements are an essential line of defense against prescription drug diversion. Every dose must be accounted for to prevent misuse and save lives,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “The DEA will continue to pursue healthcare providers who are not in compliance with mandatory regulations.” The investigation was conducted by the DEA Tactical Diversion Squad. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emilia P. E. Morris handled the case for the United States. The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The settlement agreement can be found here: dr._yen_settlement_agreement_-_executed_5.30.25.pdf


title: St. Petersburg Man Pleads Guilty To Bank Fraud And Mail Theft

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Ah’Jhzae Diamondric Artag Berry (30, St. Petersburg) has pleaded guilty to four counts of bank fraud and six counts of mail theft. Berry faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud count and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for each mail theft count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, on multiple occasions, usually at night, between January and June 2024, Berry, aided and abetted by others, broke into U.S. Postal Service receptacles using a stolen Postal Service key. Berry stole the mail from the receptacles and opened it to remove contents of value including debit cards, credit cards, gift cards, and checks. Berry and his accomplices altered the payee on the stolen checks and fraudulently deposited them at federally insured banks. In total, they victimized hundreds of individuals with a total intended loss of more than $380,000. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler, III.


title: Outdoor Retailer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud and Ordered to Pay Over $2M in Fines and Restitution

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – Phyllip Hallman Heaton, 43, of Washington City, Utah, was sentenced to five months’ imprisonment and 18 months’ supervised release (including six months of home detention) after he evaded paying taxes for six years. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Heaton pleaded guilty to tax evasion on February 24, 2025. In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court ordered Heaton to pay a $95,000.00 fine and $1,947,906.79 in restitution, which the defendant paid in full at the time of his sentencing hearing. According to court documents and statements made at Heaton’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, from 2017 to 2022, Heaton evaded taxes by underreporting his income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Heaton is the sole owner of Zion Outfitter, an outdoor retailer in Springdale, Utah. He managed the company and handled the finances. When tax season came, he provided certified public accountants (CPAs) with information and records to prepare tax forms to submit to the IRS. The CPAs relied on the information they received from Heaton. By underreporting Zion Outfitter’s gross receipts, Heaton ultimately underreported his taxable personal income, which resulted in Heaton evading at least $1.9 million of income tax. “No one can decide they are not going to pay their fair share of taxes without serious consequences,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. “Mr. Heaton’s sentence is one such consequence and also serves as a deterrence to others by demonstrating that tax evasion comes with serious penalties from the Department of Justice.” “Deliberate actions to evade taxes is a criminal offense,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Phoenix Field Office. “IRS-CI remains steadfast in its mission to serve the American public by investigating potential criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code in a manner that fosters confidence in the tax system and compliance with the law.” The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Habitual offender sentenced to over 4 years in prison for domestic assault on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Harlem man who assaulted his domestic partner was sentenced today to 51 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Nicholas Dee Birdtail, 53, pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of domestic assault by habitual offender. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that Birdtail and Jane Doe had been in a dating relationship for over three years and were married in tribal court in 2022. On September 2, 2023, Birdtail slapped Jane Doe across the face. The responding law enforcement officers saw a fresh handprint on the left side of Doe’s face. Doe also showed the officer bruises on her arms from the night before that were caused by Birdtail. At the time of the assault, Birdtail was released on bond for previous domestic violence charges against Doe. A condition of his bond was to have no contact with Doe. Prior to September 2, 2023, Birdtail was convicted of multiple misdemeanor domestic assaults in Billings municipal court, and he was convicted of felony partner family member assault in Yellowstone County District Court. He also has a misdemeanor conviction for partner family member assault from Idaho. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services. 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 . XXX


title: The Justice Department Files Complaint to Block Decades-Old Texas Laws Providing In-State Tuition for Illegal Aliens

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The United States is challenging two decades-old Texas laws providing in-state tuition for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. On Wednesday, June 4, the Department of Justice filed a complaint in the Northern District of Texas against the State of Texas and many Texas officials seeking to enjoin the officials from enforcing the Texas laws and bring them into compliance with federal requirements. In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Texas laws that require colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates for all aliens who maintain Texas residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. The Texas laws blatantly conflict with federal law and are thus in conflict with the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. “Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,” said Attorney General Bondi. “The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.” This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. The first, “ Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders ” orders all agencies to “ensure, to the maximum extent permitted by law, that no taxpayer-funded benefits go to unqualified aliens.” The second, “ Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens ,” directs relevant officials to “take appropriate action to stop the enforcement of State and local laws, regulations, policies, and practices favoring aliens over any groups of American citizens that are unlawful, preempted by Federal law, or otherwise unenforceable, including State laws that provide in-State higher education tuition to aliens but not to out-of-State American citizens.” View the complaint here .


title: South Texan receives over 17 years for attempting to coerce and entice international child pornography using popular apps

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 20-year-old Edinburg man has been sentenced for attempting to coerce and entice the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a Finnish minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Brandon Roy Alvarez pleaded guilty Oct. 9, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton has now sentenced Alvarez to 210 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that Alvarez would collect child pornography and store it on multiple devices. He would then pose as a minor and utilize the CSAM he collected to entice his victims to produce more. Alvarez will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Alvarez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. The investigation began after authorities discovered a 10-year-old minor victim residing in Finland had received sexually explicit messages and CSAM videos from an English-speaking individual through various social media and other applications. They identified Alvarez as that person. He had attempted to entice the minor victim into sending him a nude photo and/or a video of the victim masturbating from on or about Sept. 17-20, 2023. Alvarez admitted he used his accounts to meet underage children online. He said he would pretend to be a minor female child to gain the other user’s trust and then use child pornography he collected to lure minors into sending sexually explicit photographs and videos. FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: U.S. Government seizes approximately 145 criminal marketplace domains

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced today the seizure of approximately 145 darknet and traditional internet domains, and cryptocurrency funds associated with the BidenCash marketplace. The operators of the BidenCash marketplace use the platform to simplify the process of buying and selling stolen credit cards and associated personal information. BidenCash commenced operations in March 2022. BidenCash administrators charged a fee for every transaction conducted on the website. The BidenCash marketplace had grown to support over 117,000 customers, facilitated the trafficking of over 15 million payment card numbers and personally identifiable information, and generated over $17 million in revenue during its operations. The BidenCash marketplace domains will no longer be operational and will be redirected to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled server, preventing future criminal activity on these sites. The marketplace also sold compromised credentials that could be used to access computers without proper authorization. Between October 2022 and February 2023, the BidenCash marketplace published 3.3 million individual stolen credit cards for free to promote the use of their services. The stolen data included credit card numbers, expiration dates, Card Verification Value (CVV) numbers, account holder names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers. According to court records, the United States obtained court authorization to seize cryptocurrency funds that BidenCash marketplace used to receive illicit proceeds from its illegal sales. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; John Szydlik, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office; and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement. This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service’s Frankfurt Resident Office, the U.S. Secret Service’s Cyber Investigative Section, and the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. The Department of Justice thanks the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, The Shadowserver Foundation and Searchlight Cyber for their assistance with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell in these matters. 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: Armed Robber Sentenced for Multiple Armed Robberies

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – David Crocker, 25, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 18 years in prison for a series of robberies near Anacostia Park in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Crocker pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, in Superior Court to two counts of armed robbery, stemming from two robberies that took place on December 18, 2023. Crocker also pleaded guilty to unlawfully possessing a silver and black pistol on November 10, 2023. Following his term of incarceration, Crocker was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Crocker will be required to register as a gun offender. According to the government’s evidence, the defendant robbed two individuals at gunpoint on December 18, 2023, in the vicinity of Anacostia Park. In the first offense, the defendant robbed an individual at gunpoint in the 2200 block of Fairlawn Avenue, SE. Crocker brandished a black and silver pistol and took the victim’s phone, keys, and wallet before demanding the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards. Later the same day, the defendant robbed a different individual on the Anacostia Railroad Bridge. Crocker brandished the same silver and black pistol and took the victim’s bicycle, cell phone, keys, and wallet. The defendant again demanded the PINs to the victim’s Cash App account and credit cards. United States Park Police officers stopped and arrested Crocker moments later. They recovered the proceeds of the robbery and the silver and black pistol from the defendant. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the United States Park Police and the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Ahalt, who prosecuted the case.


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

body_text: Drug Trafficking Brady Joseph Ehlers , 35, of Evanston, Wyoming, was sentenced to a total of 168 months’ imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl. According to court documents, beginning in September of 2024, detectives with the Cheyenne Police Department Community Action Team began an investigation into the distribution of fentanyl in the Cheyenne area. Through surveillance and interviews, they were able to track Ehlers’ movements to purchase fentanyl from Colorado and distribute it in Laramie County. The investigation revealed that Ehlers sold fentanyl to other redistributors, which resulted in the death of another person who overdosed on fentanyl. Detectives also issued search warrants, resulting in the seizure of fentanyl and drug paraphernalia from Ehler’s vehicle and residence. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Assistance U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case. U.S. District Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on April 15, 2025. Eli Alan Elbert, 44, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced in two separate criminal cases to 240 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release. In one criminal case, Elbert was charged with being a felon in possession of ammunition. In the second criminal case, Elbert was charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The indictments were filed Nov. 21, 2024. At the change of plea hearing on Feb. 27, Elbert admitted to being a felon and having possession of seven rounds of ammunition on June 29, 2024. He further admitted that from March 1 to May 29, 2024, he knowingly and intentionally conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Elbert admitted to trading guns for drugs and selling methamphetamine between March 1, 2024, and May 29, 2024. This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Campbell County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on May 29. John Fowler , 35, with no permanent residency, was sentenced to a total of 151 months’ imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. According to court records, on July 31, 2024, Wyoming law enforcement agencies received a tip that Fowler would be traveling to Wyoming from Texas with a large quantity of drugs. The next day, the car was pulled over in Natrona County, where officers found 404 grams of methamphetamine and around 48 grams of cocaine. Law enforcement learned that Fowler had previously obtained additional methamphetamine in June of 2024 as well. The indictment was filed on November 20, 2024, and Fowler pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Natrona County Sheriff’s Department investigated the crime. Assistance U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Casper on May 29, 2025. Firearm Offenses Larry Michael Munday , 54, of Rozet, Wyoming, was sentenced to 48 months with three years of supervised release to follow for possession of an unregistered firearm. According to court documents, in late May of 2024, a federal firearm licensee shipped eight silencers to another licensee in Gillette using UPS. UPS discovered that Munday, an overnight cleaner, had stolen the packages as well as more than 150 other packages. The eight silencers were discovered at Munday’s residence and were not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Munday was indicted on Sept. 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on March 7. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on May 27. Case No. 24-00147 Lavoy Robert Grandpre, III , 51, of Wheatland, Wyoming, was sentenced to 46 months with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Mr. Grandpre met with his state probation officer as required by the terms of his supervised release stemming from a state conviction. As part of the meeting, Mr. Grandpre’struck was searched, and multiple types of ammunition were located. Mr. Grandpre’s house was also searched and seven firearms were located. The Wheatland Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Munday was indicted on Sept. 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on March 7. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on May 27. Case No. 24-00147 About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Operation Take Back America Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Victim Witness Program The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: One Irish National and One Massachusetts Man Arrested in Vermont Border-Crossing Event

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 31, 2025, Michael Doherty, 41, of Quincy, Massachusetts, and Andrew McRedmond, 42, a citizen of Ireland, were arrested by the United States Border Patrol in Williamstown, Vermont. Both were charged by criminal complaints—McRedmond with illegally re-entering the United States as an alien and entry into the United States at a time or place other than authorized, and Doherty with transporting McRedmond in furtherance of his illegal entry. Doherty and McRedmond both appeared on June 2, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Doherty be released on conditions of pretrial supervision pending further proceedings. Judge Doyle ordered McRedmond detained pending future proceedings. According to court records, around 7:13 a.m. on May 31, 2025, one individual with a blue hat with white mesh and a backpack was seen walking south from a wooded area near Golf Course Road in Richford, Vermont, approximately a quarter mile south of the United States/Canada border. Law enforcement authorities determined that a vehicle driven by Doherty that had recently crossed the United States border at the Richford Port of Entry, was also in the vicinity of the person observed in the wooded area near Golf Course Road. When law enforcement later stopped Doherty’s vehicle on Interstate 91 in Williamstown, Vermont, Doherty was driving, and McRedmond was also in the vehicle. Investigators also observed a blue hat with white mesh on the dashboard matching the description of the person from the wooded area. In a post-arrest interview, McRedmond admitted to Border Patrol agents that he was in the United States illegally, and that he coordinated with Doherty to be picked up near the international border. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaints contain allegations only and that Doherty and McRedmond are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Doherty faces up to five years’ imprisonment if convicted. McRedmond faces up to two years’ incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig. Doherty is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Barclay Johnson and McRedmond is represented by Richard Bothfeld, Esq. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Newcomb Man Pleads Guilty to Knife Assault Outside Shiprock Grocery Store

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious injury following a violent knife assault outside a local grocery store. According to court records, on November 12, 2024, Josiah Bodie , 23, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe with a knife outside Basha’s Grocery Store in Shiprock, New Mexico. As a result of the assault, John Doe suffered serious bodily injury. At sentencing, Bodie faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Bodie will be subject to up to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Bodie).pdf


title: Guatemalan National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Jasson Humberto Marroquin Moro, 29, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. According to the charging documents, on or about May 6, 2025, Mauricio was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States to Guatemala on or about June 3, 2014. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Canadian on Homeland Security’s Most Wanted List Convicted and Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A man who led an eight-year drug trafficking conspiracy, which smuggled and distributed hundreds of thousands of pills with methamphetamine, ecstasy, and BZP into the United States was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today. Gorgon Jr. was joined in the announcement by Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit field office. “In order to be a nation, we must have secure borders. Americans need to be protected from transnational criminals dumping their dangerous drugs into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. “This sentencing brings Sychantha’s cross border criminal enterprise to a fitting end,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “The collective effort by the case agents, the prosecutors and our international partners is astounding, and I commend them all for a job well done. ICE HSI will continue to collaborate with our partners to disrupt and dismantle international drug trafficking operations that seek to poison our communities.” Following a six-day trial held in Detroit before Chief United States District Judge Sean F. Cox, Khaophone Sychantha, age 43, was convicted of one count of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, ecstasy, and BZP, one count of possession of methamphetamine, ecstasy, and BZP with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of ecstasy and BZP with intent to distribute. Evidence at trial showed that Sychantha led an organization that directed several couriers to transport hundreds of thousands of pills and tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds across the United States-Canada border over an eight-year span. His couriers—many of whom were caught and convicted themselves—traveled to multiple states to deliver the pills. David Sok, Sychantha’s right-hand man, was also extradited from Canada and pleaded guilty earlier in the proceedings. Prior to Sychantha’s extradition to the United States, HSI Detroit added Sychantha to the Homeland Security Investigations Ten Most Wanted List. Sentencing was held before Chief United States Judge Sean F. Cox. At sentencing, the Court highlighted Sychantha’s seven Canadian convictions, his leadership role in the conspiracy, and the amount of pills smuggled into the United States under his command. Sychantha was sentenced to serve 240 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his term of incarceration. Because Sychantha is not a United States citizen, he will be deported back to Canada after serving his sentence. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Dorval Norwood and T. Patrick Martin.


body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Edilsaro Romeo Mauricio Temaj, 26, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. According to the charging documents, on or about Dec. 14, 2024, Mauricio was found in the United States after having been deported from the United States to Guatemala on or about July 31, 2024. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Four Admit Fraudulently Registering Vehicles in Missouri

body_text: ST. LOUIS –Four people, including three former employees of vehicle and driver license offices, have admitted fraudulently registering motor vehicles in Missouri. Gary Wilds, 48, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 22 counts of wire fraud, four counts of aggravated identity theft and six counts of making a false statement. Three former employees of contract license offices have also pleaded guilty. Ashlyn Graeff, 39, pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to three counts of making a false statement. Megan Leone, 42, pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and one count of making a false statement. Michelle Boyer, 53, pleaded guilty on May 21 to one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Wilds’ business, Pinnacle Concierge, assisted customers in registering their vehicles with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Wilds admitted bribing employees of the motor vehicle license offices to falsely represent to the state that the vehicles had passed emissions and safety inspections and that those owners had paid their property taxes and had proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility. Wilds also bribed employees into submitting forged documents claiming that vehicle owners were eligible for sales tax exemptions, thus reducing tax assessments from thousands of dollars per vehicle to as little as $11. Some of Wilds’ customers knew that Wilds was going to use deceptive means to register their vehicles because their vehicles could not pass emissions tests, they had outstanding child support arrearages or they had been barred from registering vehicles by another state agency, the plea says. The customers who were unaware suffered financial losses because Wilds sent a fraction of the actual required taxes to the Department of Revenue, and the owners remain liable for those taxes. As early as 2015, Boyer met Wilds at a contract licensing office and began assisting him in conducting the illegal motor vehicle transactions. Wilds knew Leone before 2017, when she began working for a licensing office in St. Charles County. After she started work as a title clerk, Wilds began paying her in exchange for her help registering vehicles and exempting vehicles from the payment of state and local taxes. When she was promoted to manager, Leone told Graeff, who was her subordinate and who began working at the office in 2018, to fraudulently complete vehicle registration documents on behalf of Wilds. Wilds paid Graeff $100 for each transaction. Graeff initially conducted one or two fraudulent registrations per week for Wilds but that eventually grew to as many as 10 per day. Graeff’s activities resulted in a loss of state tax revenue of $84,154.96. Leone is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24 and Boyer on August 21. Graeff was sentenced July 17, 2024, to four years of probation and ordered to pay $84,554 in restitution. Wilds is scheduled to be sentenced on September 2. The conspiracy and wire fraud charges each carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both prison and a fine. The charge of making a false statement carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Each aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge. The case was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Berry is prosecuting the case.


title: Eight Sentenced in Eastern Panhandle Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Operation

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Eight people have been sentenced for their roles in an Eastern Panhandle drug trafficking organization. The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr. and eighty-one others, charged that the defendants caused substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine to be distributed in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Those sentenced this week include: Eric Garner, also known as “Pops,” age 58, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 300 months. Gary Rodriguez, also known as “Mr. T,” age 34, of Lanham, Maryland, was sentenced to 240 months in prison. Benjamin Paul Knotts, age 49, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 235 months in prison. Damian Costello, age 28, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, was sentenced to 180 months in prison. Michael Bradley Decker, age 44, of Inwood, West Virginia, was sentenced to 97 months. Gary Brown, III, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months. Wendy Diane Crites, age 58, of Charles Town, West Virginia, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison. Michael Regale Luckett, age 47, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 9 months in federal prison. Of the 82 defendants, 81 have been convicted. Including this week’s eight, 70 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided. Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia). This investigation 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).


title: Coram woman pleads guilty to drug charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: GREAT FALLS - A Coram woman accused of possessing methamphetamine on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Heather Marie Kushmaul, 37, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Kushmaul faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for October 8, 2025, Kushmaul was released on conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned that beginning in May 2024, Heather Marie Kushmaul and her co-defendant were coming from their home in Coram, Montana, to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation to deliver large amounts of methamphetamine. In October 2024, law enforcement arranged three controlled purchases of large amounts of methamphetamine from the defendants. During each of these controlled purchases, Kushmaul and her co-defendant traveled from their home in Coram to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and exchanged methamphetamine for money. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The FBI, BIA, DEA, Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, and the Glacier County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psn . XXX


title: Man Sentenced to 300 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a Female Minor

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 3, 2025, United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl M. Arias Marxuach sentenced Elvin Jhohanie Molina-Rosado to 300 months (25 years) in prisonfollowed by 15 years of supervised release for child exploitation charges against a female minor victim. Molina-Rosado, 36, from Corozal, PR, was indicted on January 26, 2024, and plead guilty on February 14, 2025. According to court documents, from February 2020 to April 2022 Elvin Jhohanie Molina Rosado knowingly employed, used, and coerced a minor female, when she was between the ages of twelve and fourteen years old, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, that is images of sexual acts and lascivious exhibition of the genital and pubic areas. The visual depictions were produced using his cellular devices. In April 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force received information from the Police of Puerto Rico regarding the allegations that Defendant had sexually abused and recorded sexually explicit images of the minor female. The investigation led to the arrest and prosecution of Elvin Jhohanie Molina Rosado. “This case demonstrates the resolve of the Department of Justice to prosecute those who exploit and victimize our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I thank our dedicated team of prosecutors, victim witness coordinators, support personnel, as well as our dedicated law enforcement partners and their relentless efforts to combat child exploitation and to bring offenders to justice.” “Adults have a fundamental responsibility to protect our children—not to exploit or harm them. This case represents a violation of that duty, and the sentence reflects the seriousness we put toward the investigation and prosecution of these crimes,” said Rebecca González-Ramos, HSI San Juan Special Agent in Charge. “The exploitation of a child is abominable. Homeland Security Investigations remains steadfast in our mission to protect our children. Individuals involved in these heinous acts should know that no matter where they hide, if they exploit a minor we will find them. — This 25 years sentence of incarceration and 15 years of supervised release ensure this predator can no longer harm a child.” The Department of Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Jenifer Y. Hernández-Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Federal Jury Finds Venezuelan National Guilty of Harboring Illegal Aliens in El Paso Apartment

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A federal jury in El Paso convicted a Venezuelan national for conspiracy to harbor aliens. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Marcel Eliezer Zapata-Colmenarez, 26, opened the door of his residence on Jan. 30 to find agents from the U.S. Border Patrol and other federal law enforcement agencies present. With Zapata-Colmenarez’s consent, the agents entered and searched the residence, finding piles of clothes on the floor, wet and muddy clothing hanging in a closet, and other signs consistent with harboring and smuggling illegal aliens. Zapata-Colmenarez also granted consent for agents to search his cell phone, leading to the discovery of proof-of-life videos—videos sent by recently-crossed illegal aliens acknowledging that they had been smuggled with the assistance of a smuggling network. Zapata-Colmenarez later admitted that he accepted an offer to harbor illegal aliens in his apartment and was paid $50 per alien. Zapata-Colmenarez was arrested Jan. 30 and indicted on Feb. 26 for one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens and one count of harboring aliens for financial gain. His sentencing hearing is currently scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025, and he faces up to 10 years in federal prison along with a fine of up to $250,000. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Wisniewski and Mathew Engelbaum 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 Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 27 Months for Defrauding South Koreans Through Bogus Commodities Investment Scheme

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey man was sentenced to prison for defrauding victims in South Korea through a bogus investment scheme, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Mohammed Rahman, 64, of Iselin, New Jersey, was sentenced to 27 months in prison. Rahman previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Rahman controlled a company, Caltech Trading Corporation, through which he purported to buy and sell commodities. Rahman and other individuals in South Korea persuaded approximately 60 victims there to invest funds purportedly toward the purchase of $1 million of sugar from Brazil, which Caltech would then sell for a substantial profit. Rahman and his associates memorialized the investment terms in a fraudulent investment agreement that falsely promised the victim investors that they would receive a one hundred percent return on their investment. The victims relied on Rahman’s misrepresentations about how their funds would be used to purchase sugar. In reality, the funds were wired into Rahman’s bank account and used to pay his personal expenses, including his mortgage. Rahman also altered his bank account statement in an attempt to conceal the fact that he did not use the investors’ funds to purchase sugar. In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Rahman to two years of supervised release and to pay $1,393,200 in restitution to the victims. Judge Castner ordered forfeiture of $1,000,000, constituting proceeds derived from the conspiracy. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, with the investigation. She also thanked the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Abuse Prevention Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Robert G. Stahl, Esq.


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Charge

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Donald McDuffin Williams, age 50, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today to 104 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, after connecting Williams to a sale of fentanyl that resulted in an overdose, investigators searched his home. Investigators recovered large quantities of cocaine base, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and cash. The fentanyl was packaged individually for distribution. Williams has a criminal history that includes assault, battery, firearms violations, robbery, theft, and sex trafficking. Williams will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods in Chicago

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

body_text: CHICAGO — Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced an expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”)—a key component of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy—to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The PSN program is a federally funded, nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. Until today, the PSN program was deployed in seven Chicago neighborhoods on the West and South sides of the city. The expansion announced today will implement the program in parts of three police districts in downtown financial zones that represent the economic engines of the city and region, as well as on the CTA trains that bring residents and visitors to those areas from every neighborhood of Chicago and from the city’s two international airports. Today’s announcement represents the first time anywhere in the country that the program will be deployed on mass transit. The PSN expansion was announced by U.S. Attorney Boutros and members of the PSN Chicago Task Force, including the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance to the PSN program is provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. “Downtown Chicago is the capital of the region’s economy and the cultural and civic heart of the Midwest, where interstate commerce runs strong,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who was sworn in as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025. “Many billions of dollars of revenue, taxes, and investments are anchored in our city’s financial districts, and when violence and criminal activity cause our residents, businesses, and tourists not to feel safe to live, invest, and shop in Chicago, everyone suffers, whether at the federal, state, or local level. By investing PSN resources in our urban economic centers and the public transit system that feeds into them, we will help foster a downtown that is both safe and friendly to economic vitality for everyone. This initiative could not happen without a deep collaboration and shared commitment between the Department of Justice and our PSN partners to dedicate the resources necessary to support the downtown economic zones and the many millions of people who annually visit them, as well as the scores of businesses both large and small who serve them.” “Partnership and collaboration with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners are vital in reducing violence and making Chicago safer for all,” said Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling. “Project Safe Neighborhoods reflects this spirit of collaboration and serves as an important tool in addressing crime in one of the busiest areas of our city. The expansion of this program builds on the progress CPD is making in combating crime citywide.” “This new investment of federal resources is critically needed to address the threat that crime—including organized retail theft, carjacking, and armed robberies—pose to the heart of Chicago’s economy and to the transportation systems that tens of thousands of Chicagoans use to travel to and from the downtown,” said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. “For years, my office has devoted significant resources to aggressively combat crime throughout downtown Chicago, the Magnificent Mile, and the surrounding areas, and we welcome the much-needed expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods to these areas.” “ATF is proud to work with our federal, state, and local partners on the expansion of Project Safe Neighborhoods,” said ATF Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher Amon. “By combining resources and expertise, we are proactively taking steps to disrupt violent crime in key transit and economic areas to ensure the safety of our residents and visitors.” “The FBI remains steadfast in our dogged pursuit of eliminating violent crime,” said FBI Chicago Special Agent-in-Charge Douglas S. DePodesta. “We continue to be thankful for the powerful collaboration between our many law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in this fight. Our combined efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to ensure that anyone who seeks to endanger our community will be held accountable.” Originally launched in 2001, PSN is an evidence-based program that focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders, and partners with local prevention and reentry programs to pursue lasting reductions in crime. PSN follows four key design elements: focused and strategic enforcement; prevention and intervention; accountability; and community engagement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with its Chicago PSN Task Force partners to assist with applying for and obtaining federal PSN grants to support anti-violence strategies in Chicago. By designating the downtown economic centers and CTA trains as PSN Enforcement Zones, PSN funds can now be deployed in various ways to help reduce violent crime in those areas, including: Aggressively prosecuting violent offenders. Hiring law enforcement personnel. Paying certain overtime costs for law enforcement officers and others working downtown and aboard CTA trains. Purchasing equipment to assist with violent crime reduction efforts. Supporting multi-jurisdictional task forces. Providing training and technical assistance under the national PSN program. Expanding messaging to deter violence, including signage aboard CTA trains. The enforcement efforts in the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zones will focus on the investigation and prosecution of individuals and organized groups who engage in illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking, robberies, carjackings, and other violent offenses. For violent offenders arrested downtown or aboard CTA trains, criminal prosecutors will bring appropriate charges to achieve maximum deterrence and will seek pretrial detention and substantial prison sentences for defendants who pose a danger to the community. In addition to all of the CTA rail lines in every neighborhood in Chicago, the newly designated PSN Enforcement Zone, depicted on this map (reproduced below), extends from Division Street on the Near North Side, between Lake Michigan and La Salle Drive (e.g., Magnificent Mile and Oak Street shopping corridors, Navy Pier, Loop, and Millennium Park), to I-55 between Clark Street and Lake Michigan on the Near South Side (e.g., Museum Campus and McCormick Place), and extends west to Ogden and Ashland Avenues, between Grand Avenue and I-290 (e.g., Fulton Market and West Loop business corridors). psn_economic_zone_map_june_2025.pdf


title: Federal Agent Charged with Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Timothy Ryan Gregg has been charged via federal complaint with production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. According to court documents, Timothy Ryan Gregg, 51, of Eagan, Minnesota, attempted, coerced, and enticed a minor victim to take part in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. According to court documents, the father of the minor victim discovered multiple sexually explicit images and videos on the minor victim’s cell phone. These images and videos depicted the minor and an older individual engaged in sexually explicit activity. The individual in the images and videos were later identified as Timothy Gregg, who is a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations and a Task Force Officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will always hold defendants in positions of public trust to account, particularly when they commit crimes against vulnerable children,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “I am proud of the swift and decisive action of the FBI and the Rochester Police Department, who responded immediately and worked together to take Gregg safely into custody.” “The allegations in this case represent a gross violation of both the law and the responsibilities entrusted to those who wear a badge,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “There is no place in law enforcement — or in any position of public trust — for those who exploit minors. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to investigate such acts and ensure that no one is above the law, regardless of their rank or role.” Gregg made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court today, before Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster, and was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the FBI and the Rochester Police Department for their investigation and hard work. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also thanks Homeland Security Investigations for their assistance in safely apprehending the defendant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry M. Jacobs is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Oktibbeha County Man Sentenced in OCDETF Illegal Firearm and  Drug Trafficking Case

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Starkville, Mississippi man was sentenced today to over six years for illegal gun possession and drug trafficking. According to court documents, Michael Anthony Doss, of Starkville, Mississippi, pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to being a felon in possession of a firearm and trafficking methamphetamine. Doss was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown on Wednesday to 78 months in prison for the charges. He was further sentenced to three years supervised release following his release from prison. “Drug dealers and guns are a lethal combination, and I am extremely proud of the work done by our state and local partners and ATF to bring this defendant to justice and protect our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This sentence sends a clear message that drug trafficking and gun violence will not be tolerated in Mississippi. I’m proud of the collaborative efforts of our local, state, and federal partners who worked tirelessly to bring this individual to justice. Together, we are making our communities safer,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case. This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. 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 https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced To 20 Years For The Sex Trafficking Of Two Minors And Producing Child Sex Abuse Material

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Dontae D. Burton (40, Tampa) to 20 years in federal prison for sex trafficking a minor and production of child sex abuse material. A federal jury found Burton guilty on January 15, 2025. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Burton arranged commercial sexual activity for two minors, ages 16 and 17, by creating and posting ads for them on adult escort websites. Burton handled all communications with clients, scheduled dates, determined the amount of money to be paid for the sex acts, and transported the victims to and from the dates. Burton managed the money and kept approximately half of what the clients had paid for the sex acts. Burton also recorded and edited a video of one of the victims performing a sex act on him. “This sentence reflects the severity of Dontae Burton’s crimes of exploiting two vulnerable minors for commercial sex and creating child sexual abuse material in the process,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa assistant Special agent in Charge Kristopher Pagitt. “Protecting children from predators who traffic and abuse them remains one of HSI’s highest priorities, and we will continue to pursue justice for the victims.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Venezuelan National Charged with Black Tar Heroin Distribution

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Venezuelan man has been charged in connection with possessing with intent to distribute over two kilograms of black tar heroin, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Reinaldo Rafael Belisario Mendoza (“Mendoza”), 29, of Venezuela, was charged by complaint with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. Mendoza appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court on May 29, 2025, and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In May 2025, law enforcement officials received information that Mendoza was engaged in narcotics trafficking in New Jersey. On May 28, 2025, Mendoza met with a prospective buyer to sell two kilograms of heroin that he had stored in the trunk of his vehicle. Mendoza drove to the sale with an adult and two minor family members in the car. The heroin distribution count carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division’s Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, with the investigation leads to the arrest. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the Criminal Division in Newark. The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Adalgiza Nunez, Esq. mendoza.complaint.pdf


title: Georgia Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Jesus Anibal Gutierrez, a 27-year-old resident of College Park, GA was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison for distributing crystal methamphetamine in Goldsboro, NC. Gutierrez pled guilty on November 12, 2024. According to the court documents and other information presented in court, the investigation began in July 2023, when law enforcement learned that a Mexico-based drug trafficker had arranged to send significant quantities of narcotics to the Eastern District of North Carolina. Law enforcement learned that a courier working on behalf of the Mexican drug trafficker was scheduled to arrive in the Goldsboro, NC area with a large shipment of methamphetamine on October 21, 2023. With the assistance of a confidential informant, law enforcement located the courier’s car and conducted a traffic stop. A K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the car, and law enforcement seized approximately 20.74 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, as well as three cellular telephones. Gutierrez was a passenger in the car and admitted to law enforcement that he coordinated the shipment of narcotics and was traveling to the Goldsboro area to deliver them. The driver, Rosendo Salazar, pled guilty to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine on March 10, 2025. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Goldsboro Police Department investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:24-CR-00149. #


title: Washington State Man Arrested on Federal Charges Alleging He Provided Material Support to Palm Springs Fertility Clinic Bomber

body_text: A Washington state man was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he provided material support to the Palm Springs fertility clinic bomber by shipping and paying for significant quantities of ammonium nitrate – an explosive precursor – prior to the suicidal terror attack last month. Daniel Jongyon Park, 32, of Kent, was arrested last night shortly after his flight from Poland arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Park is charged with providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists and made his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of New York. “This defendant is charged with facilitating the horrific attack on a fertility center in California. Bringing chaos and violence to a facility that exists to help women and mothers is a particularly cruel, disgusting crime that strikes at the very heart of our shared humanity,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are grateful to our partners in Poland who helped get this man back to America and we will prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.” “Park allegedly sent large amounts of explosive precursors to the man who drove a car bomb to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, an attack that potentially could have killed innocent people,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI and our partners work together to find and hold accountable those who engage in domestic terrorism and other illegal activity. I also want to express my thanks to authorities in Poland for their vital assistance in this case.” “This defendant is charged with shipping large quantities of explosive precursors to the man whose suicide bombing last month destroyed a fertility clinic in Palm Springs,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Domestic terrorism is evil and unacceptable. Those who aid terrorists can expect to feel the cold wrath of justice.” According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Guy Edward Bartkus, 25, of Twentynine Palms, California, drove a car containing a bomb to a fertility clinic in Palm Springs on May 17. Bartkus detonated the bomb, killing himself, injuring numerous victims, destroying the fertility clinic’s building, and damaging surrounding buildings and areas. Bartkus’s attack was motivated by his pro-mortalism, anti-natalism, and anti-pro-life ideology, which is the belief that individuals should not be born without their consent and that non-existence is best. Park – who shares Bartkus’s extremist views – shipped large quantities of explosive precursor materials to Bartkus, including approximately 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate. Days before the Palm Springs bombing, Park paid for an additional 90 pounds (40.8 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate that was shipped to Bartkus. Park sent the first shipments of approximately 180 pounds (81.7 kilograms) of ammonium nitrate to Bartkus shortly before traveling to Bartkus’s residence, where he stayed with Bartkus from Jan. 25 to Feb. 8. Three days before Park arrived at Bartkus’s house, records from an AI chat application show that Bartkus researched how to make powerful explosions using ammonium nitrate and fuel. During his stay at Bartkus’s residence, Park and Bartkus spent time in Bartkus’s room as well as in a detached garage “running experiments,” according to the affidavit. This was the same garage where law enforcement, during a search after the May 17 bombing, located significant amounts of chemicals commonly used in the construction of homemade bombs. Four days after Bartkus conducted the suicide bombing, Park flew to Europe. On May 30, Park was detained in Poland and later was ordered deported to the United States. If convicted, Park would face a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI’s Inland Empire Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this matter. Considerable assistance was provided by the Palm Springs Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department; the FBI’s legal attaché in Warsaw, Polish authorities, and FBI field offices in Seattle, New York, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Portland. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Gerdes and Anna P. Boylan for the Central District of California, and Trial Attorney Patrick J. Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Coral Springs Man Charged with Operating $158 Million Ponzi Scheme Through His Trucking Company, Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Sanjay Singh, 45, of Coral Springs, Florida, has been sentenced to 23 years in a federal prison for a $158 million investment fraud ( Ponzi ) scheme run through his over-the-road trucking company, Royal Bengal Logistics, Inc. (“RBL”). In November, a jury convicted Singh on all 8 counts of an indictment that alleged that he violated federal laws criminalizing conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and engaging in transactions in unlawful proceeds. According to the indictment, Singh, RBL’s founder and president, organized and ran a substantial Ponzi scheme with co-conspirators. The conspiracy began in January 2020 and was ongoing at the time of his arrest. Singh and his co-conspirators held RBL out to potential investors as a thriving and successful trucking business, all while RBL’s actual trucking business lost money. In the process, Singh and his co-conspirators made material misrepresentations and material omissions about the riskiness of investing in RBL, the profitability of RBL’s trucking operations, how RBL would pay its investors, and how RBL would use investor funds. Through these material misrepresentations and omissions, Singh and his co-conspirators raised over $158 million from investors, which Singh and his co-conspirators then used in part to pay existing investors promised returns. The indictment also alleged that Singh misappropriated millions of dollars of investor funds to renovate his home, make mortgage payments, pay for personal expenses, and trade stocks on margin. U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Joseph Harris of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (“DOT-OIG”), Southern Region; and Russell C. Weigel, III, Commissioner, Florida Office of Financial Regulation (“OFR”), made the announcement. U.S. Attorney O’Byrne commended the investigative efforts of the FBI, DOT-OIG, and OFR in this matter. He thanked the United States Securities and Exchange Commission Miami Regional Office for their assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore and Roger Cruz prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture. 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 23-cr-60117. ###


title: Nevada Man Unlawfully Residing in the United States Pleads Guilty to Leadership Role in Oregon Drug Trafficking and Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering Conspiracies

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—Luis Antonio Beltran Arredondo, 35, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in North Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin and fentanyl; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, a long-term investigation revealed that Arredondo was the leader of an Oregon-based drug trafficking organization that distributed large quantities of heroin and fentanyl in the Portland metro area. Between October 2021 and January 2022, investigators seized more than 52 pounds of heroin, more than 7 pounds of fentanyl pills, and nearly six pounds of methamphetamine from individuals, vehicles, and locations connected to Arredondo’s organization. Arredondo also conspired to launder $4.63 million dollars by running drug trafficking proceeds through a Tualatin, Oregon-based beauty salon, and then using the money to buy nine properties, which were then converted into income-generating rentals. These properties have been forfeited to the United States and are in the process of being sold. Arredondo faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, a $10 million fine and 5 years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 18, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon. This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with assistance from the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Tigard Police Department, and the Oregon State Police. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF .