title: Drug Dealer from Fort Hall Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: POCATELLO – Walker Dean Cates, 39, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. According to court records, Cates sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to an individual on three occasions at his residence at Fort Hall. On April 11, 2024, Cates sold 3.58 grams of methamphetamine. On July 22, 2024, Cates and his co-defendant, Mariah Dawn Russell, sold 10.92 grams of fentanyl. On August 21, 2024, Cates and co-defendant Russell sold 505.7 grams of fentanyl. On October 9, 2024, officers traveled to Cates home to arrest him pursuant to the federal arrest warrant. Cates fled from police officers in his vehicle at a high rate of speed. Officers from multiple law enforcement agencies pursued Cates through the residential area and the backroads of Fort Hall. Officers subsequently arrested Cates after he crashed his vehicle in a rural area of Fort Hall. Cates was held accountable for a total of 516.62 grams of fentanyl and 3.58 grams of methamphetamine that he sold to the individual. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Cates to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Cates pleaded guilty to the charge in February 2025. On December 16, 2024, codefendant Russell pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Russell is scheduled for sentencing on July 17, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Hall Police Department and the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pocatello Police Department, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, the Idaho State Police, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case. These cases were investigated through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force. The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking in Bannock County and throughout the region. This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction. The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts. This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 200 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 175 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 11,144 months (approximately 928.66 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 77.4 months (6.45 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 64.19 months (5.35 years) in federal prison. ###


title: Chula Vista Man Pleads Guilty in $51 Million Medicare  Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Chula Vista resident and businessowner Fernando Valenzuela Ayub pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he conspired with others to launder millions of dollars of health care fraud proceeds and paid unlawful kickbacks. According to his plea agreement, Valenzuela and co-conspirators owned and operated multiple durable medical equipment (DME) companies, which sold orthotics – including back, wrist, and knee braces – to Medicare beneficiaries. Valenzuela admitted that in operating the DME companies, he and co-conspirators paid unlawful kickback payments to sham marketing companies who provided bogus prescriptions for DME. In total, Valenzuela paid $3.7 million in kickbacks. Valenzuela admitted that he used his DME companies to submit fraudulent claims to Medicare. Once Valenzuela’s DME companies were suspended from billing Medicare, Valenzuela conspired to put DME companies in the names of nominee owners while he maintained control of the companies and the monies received from Medicare. In total, Valenzuela billed Medicare approximately $51 million and was paid approximately $20 million, and ultimately laundered at least $14 million dollars of Medicare proceeds. As part of his guilty plea, Valenzuela agreed to forfeit $7,101,320. Valenzuela’s sentencing is scheduled for August 15, 2025. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blanca Quintero of the Southern District of California. DEFENDANT Case Number 25cr2488-DMS Fernando Valenzuela Ayub Age: 48 Chula Vista, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h) Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Justice Department Files Help America Vote Act Lawsuit Against North Carolina for Inaccurate Voter List

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against the State of North Carolina and the North Carolina State Board of Elections for failure to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The lawsuit alleges that the State of North Carolina, in violation of HAVA’s mandate and clear Congressional intent, used a State voter registration form that did not require a voter to provide identifying information such as a driver’s license or last four digits of a social security number. Voters were then added to the State’s voter registration roll without the required information, and many of these voters remain on the registration rolls without it. On March 25, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14248 entitled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” to ensure that elections are being held in compliance with federal laws that guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion. The election integrity issues raised in this action are a core component of the Federal election laws that Congress has statutorily charged the Attorney General of the United States, through the Civil Rights Division, to enforce. “Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.” The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.


title: Illegal Alien from Mexico Previously Convicted of Sexual Battery on a Minor, Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has charged Juan Perez Santis, 40, a Mexican national previously convicted of sexual battery on a minor, with unlawfully entering the United States after deportation. Perez Santis made his initial appearance in federal court today. According to the indictment, Perez Santis was removed from the United States on three separate occasions: March 21, 2002; June 20, 2007; and October 2, 2007. Law enforcement discovered Perez Santis had reentered the country without authorization on or about January 2, 2022. Court documents further show that in 2024, after his prior removals and alleged reentry, Perez Santis was convicted in the state of Florida for sexual battery on a minor under the age of 12 and three related charges. Perez Santis is currently serving a 10-year sentence in state prison. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and acting Field Office Director Juan Agudelo of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) Prosecutions Unit Miami made the announcement. ICE-ERO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey Pence Tomanelli and Andrea Montes are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20080. ###


title: Texas man pleads guilty to employment tax fraud

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON - A Harris County resident has admitted to failing to report and pay employment taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Joseth “Joe” Limon owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc. which supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum failed to file employment tax returns and, according to its payroll records, more than $8.8 million in taxes. After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he discovered the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit that falsely claimed Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment-tax liability. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal will impose sentencing Aug. 6. At that time, Limon faces up to five years in prison and a possible fine of at least $250,000. Limon was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh and Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Orange County felon sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –An Orange, Texas man has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. John Marion LeBlanc, 45, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 162 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025. According to information presented in court, on October 29, 2023, law enforcement responded to the Orange Boat Ramp on Pier Road in Orange in reference to a large disturbance with shots fired. Upon arrival, officers could see a large crowd with numerous vehicles in the boat ramp parking lot. As officers approached the scene, they heard several gunshots and observed muzzle flashes. One person had been shot in the arm. Video surveillance footage shows LeBlanc arrive at the boat ramp parking lot and fire a pistol in the crowd. Other individuals also fired shots, and as police arrived on scene, video footage shows LeBlanc throwing a firearm in the grass where it was later recovered. Further investigation revealed LeBlanc has previously been convicted of eight felony convictions, including two prior federal drug trafficking convictions. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. 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). This case was investigated by the Orange Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn. ###


title: Slidell Doctor Convicted Of Health Care Fraud

component: Criminal - Criminal Fraud Section

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ROBERT TASSIN, M.D. (“TASSIN”) , age 64, of Slidell, Louisiana, pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1347 and 1349, in connection with a scheme to bill Medicare for medically unnecessary cancer genetic (“CGx”) tests. According to court documents, TASSIN worked for several purported telemedicine companies. From approximately February through September of 2019, TASSIN , through the purported telemedicine companies, signed doctors’ orders for CGx tests for Medicare beneficiaries he never saw, spoke to, or otherwise treated. As a result, TASSIN ’s orders resulted in over $6.6 million in false and fraudulent claims submitted to Medicare, of which Medicare reimbursed over $2 million. To conceal and perpetuate the fraud, TASSIN made several false and fraudulent statements in support of the orders he submitted, including falsely certifying in medical records that the CGx tests were medically necessary for the patients’ treatment. In exchange for electronically reviewing patient charts and ordering CGx tests, TASSIN was paid a set fee per doctor’s order, typically $30. Under the terms of his plea agreement, TASSIN agreed to forfeit the $106,757 that he received and to pay restitution of over $2 million to Medicare. The Honorable Barry W. Ashe set sentencing for August 28, 2025. At sentencing, TASSIN faces up to ten years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to TASSIN or the gross loss to Medicare, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. Trial Attorney Kelly Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator for the Eastern District of Louisiana, are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Greeley Man and Parker Woman Indicted for Defrauding COVID-19 Relief Programs

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Robert Crust, age 46, formerly of Greeley, Colorado, and Bethany Williams, age 44, of Parker, Colorado, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Colorado. Robert Crust has been charged with five counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering. Bethany Williams has been charged with two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. According to the indictment, Crust and Williams participated in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration and lenders to obtain emergency COVID-19 relief funds. Crust made or caused the submission of loan applications and documents that contained material misrepresentations, all in furtherance of fraudulently obtaining loans on behalf of three Colorado businesses that he owned or managed. Crust also submitted fabricated documents to lenders, including tax forms and a payroll report that Crust manipulated to falsely inflate the number of employees and payroll. Williams also made materially false statements in connection with two loan applications on behalf of one of the businesses. The three businesses collectively received nearly $1 million in loan proceeds. Despite representing in the loan documents that the funds would be used for legitimate business expenses, the indictment alleges that Crust and Williams used the funds for personal expenses, including airline travel and hotel accommodations while vacationing in Las Vegas. Crust used loan proceeds to purchase a 2012 BMW X5 vehicle, a Jaguar E-PACE vehicle, and a boat. On May 20, 2025, Williams made her initial appearance in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Cyrus Y. Chung. On May 21, 2025, Crust was arrested in Tampa, Florida, and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Natalie Hirt Adams the following day. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s Denver Field Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore O’Brien and Craig Fansler. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form Case Number: 1:25-cr-00133-NYW


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Texas man pleaded guilty today before Magistrate Judge Richard W. Bennett for the Southern District of Texas to not reporting and paying over employment taxes that his company withheld from its employees’ paychecks. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Joseth “Joe” Limon, of Harris County, owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc., a company that supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum did not file employment-tax returns, and, according to its payroll records, did not pay more than $8.8 million in employment taxes. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government, because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year. After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company, Rockwell Staffing LLC, in the name of his then 18-year-old daughter. When he later found out that the IRS was attempting to collect Rockwell’s unpaid employment taxes, he caused his daughter to submit an affidavit to the IRS that falsely claimed that Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment tax liability. Limon is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for firearms violation

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Maria Magdalena Chavez, 41, illegally residing in Port Arthur, pleaded guilty to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on May 27, 2025. According to information presented in court, on September 11, 2024, Chavez was in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in Nederland. During the stop, it was determined that Chavez had a firearm concealed in her bra. Further investigation revealed Chavez was a Mexican national who had been previously removed from the United States. 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). This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Nederland Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tommy L. Coleman. ###


title: Dunklin County Woman Sentenced for Aiding $565,000 Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge on Tuesday sentenced a money mule to fifteen months imprisonment for moving $565,000 in stolen funds. Sheri L. Reeves acted as a money courier or “money mule,” transferring money obtained by fraud to others. On June 9, 2020, Reeves opened an account at a Bank of America branch in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and later added the name of the fraud victim to the account. Reeves’ co-conspirators used fraudulently obtained account information to access the victim’s account and transfer a total of $565,000 to Reeves’ account. She then sent the money to others using cashier’s checks obtained in Tennessee and Arkansas and via a CoinFlip cryptocurrency ATM in Dunklin County. She also sent her account information to others and withdrew or attempted to withdraw the proceeds in cash or by check, her plea agreement says. Despite being warned by the FBI, Reeves continued to assist in the commission of financial crimes. Reeves, 55, of Kennett, in Dunklin County, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of aiding and abetting bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of wire fraud. In addition to the sentence of fifteen months imprisonment, Reeves was ordered to pay $565,000 in restitution to the Bank of America, and to serve a term of five years supervised release upon her release from imprisonment. The case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn prosecuted the case. If you believe you are participating in a money mule scheme or a victim of one, please contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaints Center at ic3.gov or contact your local FBI office.


title: Former Tacoma attorney pleads guilty to stealing from disabled client

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A former Tacoma lawyer pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud for his embezzlement from a vulnerable client’s trust account, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Colby Parks, 65, stole more than $530,000 from a client who received about$1.66 million due to significant permanent injuries she suffered as a passenger in a motorcycle accident. Prosecutors will recommend Parks serve no more than 33 months in prison when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones on August 29, 2025. According to records filed in the case, in 2010 Parks became the trustee for a living trust designed to pay the victim’s expenses after she was severely injured as a passenger on a motorcycle. Initially, the victim’s trust account contained approximately $1.66 million. However, over the first seven years that Parks was the trustee, he siphoned the funds for his own personal use in such large amounts that only $20,000 was left. In 2018, Parks had the victim take out a reverse mortgage on her home and used the proceeds to fund the trust account. He continued to make transfers from the account for his own use. Records from the account show that Parks repeatedly transferred funds to his own bank accounts and then, on the same day or soon thereafter, Parks would make a payment for a personal credit card for the same amount as the transfer. In all Parks made more than 600 transfers of the victim’s funds to accounts he controlled. In October 2017 he made 13 different transfers from the victim’s account to the ones he controlled. In all, over ten years, Parks transferred more than $880,000 from the victim’s accounts to ones he controlled. He paid himself at least $530,000 more than he was entitled to receive as his fees for trustee services. By the end of 2019, the victim’s accounts held only $15. She was forced to sell her home. And even then, Parks diverted proceeds from the sale by claiming the victim owed him money he had advanced to her. Parks repeatedly told the defendant she was spending too much money, when in fact, the amount that the victim received as cash disbursements was a fraction of the amount that Parks secretly siphoned for himself. When Washington State’s Adult Protective Services investigated Parks’ representation of the victim, Parks initially claimed he was only paid a flat rate of $24,000 per year. After Adult Protective Services requested supporting documentation, Parks revised his statement and said he was paid varying amounts that averaged over $54,000 per year. However, Parks collected well over $80,000 per year from the victim. The Washington State Bar also investigated the matter, and Parks resigned his law license instead of discipline, which could have been disbarment. The case was investigated by the FBI with cooperation from the Washington State Bar and Adult Protective Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang.


title: Manatee County Man Sentenced To 5 Years For Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Images And Videos

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday today sentenced Capers Scott Hammond (35, Bradenton) to 5 years in federal prison for receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Hammond was also ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution, a $30,000 fine, and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court also ordered Hammond to forfeit an iPad, three thumb drives, a MacBook, a custom PC tower, and an iPhone, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense. Hammond entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2025. According to court documents, Hammond used a file-sharing network to distribute and receive CSAM. Pursuant to a search warrant, law enforcement searched Hammond’s apartment, seized various electronics, and determined he had received and possessed seven images and four videos of CSAM. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Loxahatchee Man Convicted At Trial Of Conspiring To Traffic Cocaine

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Wilmer Sanchez Aquino (36, Loxahatchee) guilty of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and attempting to possess cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Sanchez Aquino faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 27, 2025. On May 1, 2025, co-defendant Luis Garcia-Serrano (36) pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering offenses. He faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A third co-defendant, Antonio Gonzalez Prado (49), pleaded guilty on May 13, 2025, to cocaine trafficking. He faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. According to evidence presented at trial, in September 2021, Sanchez Aquino received a package containing two kilograms of cocaine on behalf of Garcia-Serrano. In November 2021, investigators intercepted a kilogram of cocaine intended for an address in the Middle District of Florida and replaced the cocaine with a block of wood. Garcia-Serrano and Sanchez Aquino discussed the block of wood inside the package and how Sanchez Aquino already had a buyer lined up to buy the kilogram. Financial records from Sanchez Aquino’s checking account showed cash deposits going into the account during the conspiracy. Sanchez Aquino testified in his defense at trial and claimed that he was not the person in certain phone calls despite his phone number being used in those calls and being referred to in one call as “Wilmer.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza. The forfeiture is being handled by AUSA Suzanne Nebesky. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Naugatuck Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HUSANI FOOTE, 30, of Naugatuck, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation determined that Foote was trafficking narcotics in and around Waterbury. Foote was arrested on related state charges on April 13, 2023. On that date, a court-authorized search of his Aetna Street residence and his vehicle parked in front of the residence revealed more than 34,000 baggies containing a mixture of fentanyl, heroin, and xylazine; approximately 160 grams of crack cocaine and six grams of powder cocaine; items used to process and package narcotics; a loaded 9mm handgun; and more than $122,000 in cash. Foote has been detained since his federal arrest on June 12, 2023. On May 13, 2024, he pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. This investigation was conducted by the DEA New Haven Task Force, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha M. Freismuth.


title: Clearwater Man Sentenced To 20 Years’ Imprisonment For Role In Fatal Fentanyl Overdose

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Dennis Jackson (36, Clearwater), a/k/a “Miami,” to 20 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. Jackson pleaded guilty on November 30, 2022. According to court documents, Jackson was a distributor of fentanyl. On the night of April 1, 2020, first responders found M.B. dead from an apparent overdose at a residence in Clearwater. Evidence of opioid use was found near the body and the autopsy and toxicology results confirmed that there was a lethal level of fentanyl in M.B.’s body. Eyewitness information identified Jackson as the supplier. Two days later, Jackson appeared for a voluntary interview at the Clearwater Police Department. During that interview, Jackson admitted to his involvement in the overdose. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Selling Heroin and Fentanyl That Killed New York Activist

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, United States District Judge Brian M. Cogan sentenced Michael Kuilan to 19 years’ imprisonment for selling fentanyl and heroin that caused the fatal overdose of LGBTQ activist Cecilia Gentili. As part of the sentence, Kuilan was ordered to pay $24,482 in restitution and forfeit $30,000 and a seized firearm. The defendant was also sentenced to serve 15 years concurrently for unlawfully possessing a firearm as a felon. Kuilan has three prior state felony convictions for drug offenses relating to the sale of heroin. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges on September 23, 2024. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Frank A. Tarentino, III, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the plea. “Cecilia Gentili was tragically poisoned from fentanyl-laced heroin. Today, the perpetrators who sold the deadly drugs to Gentili are being held accountable,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This Office will be relentless in prosecuting fentanyl dealers.” "Michael Kuilan sold the lethal drugs that took the life of LGBTQIA+ activist and leader Cecilia Gentili, and now, he is being held accountable for this horrible crime," said NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “While we can sadly never bring Cecilia back, today, some semblance of justice is finally being served. I thank the NYPD investigators, the DEA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work in delivering justice in this case.” According to court documents and facts presented in court, on February 6, 2024, Gentili was found dead in her bedroom in Brooklyn. Gentili died due to the combined effect of controlled substances, including fentanyl, xylazine, cocaine, and heroin. Text messages and other evidence revealed that co-defendant Antonio Venti sold the fentanyl and heroin mixture to Gentili on February 5, 2024, and that Kuilan supplied Venti with those lethal narcotics. When law enforcement searched an apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn belonging to Kuilan, they found hundreds of baggies of fentanyl, a handgun, and ammunition. On February 12, 2025, Judge Cogan sentenced Venti to five years’ imprisonment for the same drug offense. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorney Adam Amir is in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samuel Ronchetti. The Defendant : MICHAEL KUILAN Age: 45 Brooklyn, New York Previously Sentenced Defendant : ANTONIO VENTI Age: 53 West Babylon, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-130 (BMC)


title: Waterbury Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Ring

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TOMMY FIGUEROA, also known as “Coco,” 31, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his participation in a Waterbury drug trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force and other law enforcement agencies investigated two drug trafficking organizations based in the city of Waterbury. One organization operated in the area of William Street and the other operated in the area of Maple Avenue. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps on multiple phones, video surveillance, GPS tracking of vehicles, and numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that the two organizations distributed cocaine, crack, and fentanyl through a network of sellers. The organizations shared sources of supply and worked together to further their operations. Figueroa worked as a shift-boss for the Maple Street organization, ensuring that street-level distributors were selling narcotics, primarily crack cocaine, around the clock. During the investigation, investigators made several controlled purchases of narcotics from Figueroa. Investigators also determined that Figueroa had acquired two firearms for protection. Figueroa was arrested on related state charges on September 25, 2023, and the two firearms were seized. While detained in state custody, he continued his involvement in narcotics trafficking through his then girlfriend, Neysa Vazquez-Ferrer. Seventeen individuals were charged with federal offenses as a result of the investigation. On January 28, 2025, Figueroa pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Vazquez-Ferrer pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking offense and, on May 22, 2025, was sentenced to 36 months of imprisonment . The FBI’s Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task includes members from the FBI, the Waterbury Police Department, the Naugatuck Police Department, and the Connecticut Department of Correction. The DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Connecticut State Police, Wolcott Police Department, and Meriden Police Department have assisted the investigation. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the Waterbury State Attorney’s Office for its cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of this case.


title: Newark Man Admits Role in Armed Robbery of a U.S. Postal Service Employee and Firearms and Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark, New Jersey man admitted his role in an armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service employee as well as firearms and drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Troy D. Corbett, Jr., 29, of Newark, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to one count of conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery, one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Sentencing is scheduled for October 8, 2025. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In November 2023, four individuals – including Corbett – conspired to rob a U.S. Postal Service employee at gunpoint in Newark, New Jersey. The assailants stole the victim’s cell phone, keys, and wallet – including a credit card and debit card. The robbery impeded the victim from delivering mail, which interfered with interstate commerce. Following the robbery, Corbett attempted to use the employee’s stolen property to make purchases. On January 18, 2024, in Newark, New Jersey, Corbett – who was convicted of a felony offense in 2018 – possessed a Polymer80, Inc. Model PF940V2 9mm caliber privately made pistol, bearing no identifiable serial number, loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm Luger ammunition that was manufactured outside of New Jersey. Corbett possessed at the same time approximately 162 pills of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute. The count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison, which term must run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment that Corbett is ordered to serve, and a maximum penalty of life in prison. U.S. Attorney Habba credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Christopher A. Nielsen, with the investigation. She also thanked special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark, deputies of the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of United States Marshal Juan Mattos Jr., police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, officers of the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks, Jr. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: John J. McMahon, West Orange, New Jersey


title: Craig H. Missakian Sworn In As United States Attorney For The Northern District Of California

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Craig H. Missakian was sworn in this morning as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg administered the oath of office. Mr. Missakian was appointed as United States Attorney by Attorney General Pam Bondi pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546. “It is an immense honor to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of California. I’m humbled to have this opportunity to return to public service and to work on behalf of the residents of this remarkable district, and I thank Attorney General Bondi. I am committed to working with the talented men and women of this Office and our law enforcement partners to protect public safety, tackle violent crime, including crimes committed by violent offenders in the country illegally, combat investment and elder fraud, safeguard the district’s technology and critical infrastructure, and uphold the rule of law,” said United States Attorney Missakian. “I also want to thank Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Robbins for his leadership and his service.” Mr. Missakian has extensive experience as a federal and state prosecutor, having served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California from 2001 to 2010 and as a Deputy District Attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office from 1994 to 1997. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Missakian handled multiple high-profile public corruption, organized crime, and cybercrime cases. Mr. Missakian and his co-counsel secured a conviction and multiple guilty pleas in United States v. Chi Mak, an espionage case involving an engineer who over several decades stole classified and highly sensitive U.S. military secrets for the People’s Republic of China. He received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service for his work on the case. Mr. Missakian also led a multi-year investigation into a nationwide health care fraud scheme involving over $100 million in fraudulent Medicare claims. From 2014 to 2016, Mr. Missakian worked as Deputy Chief Counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Benghazi’s investigation into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans. In addition to Mr. Missakian’s long career in public service, he worked in private practice in the areas of complex commercial litigation, qui tam litigation, employment, real estate, and entertainment. United States Attorney Missakian earned a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from the University of Southern California and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.


title: Anchorage man pleads guilty to filming minors in his home to produce, possess child pornography

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography and to producing child pornography of multiple minor victims known to him, including images of his hands-on sexual abuse of one of the minors. According to court documents, in 2017, Richard Dougherty, 43, began sexually abusing a minor under the age of 16 that was in his care. Dougherty took photos and videos of the sexual abuse, creating child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). Between January 2003 and April 2023, Dougherty possessed, accessed with intent to view, received and distributed CSAM. Some of the CSAM Dougherty distributed were visual depictions, including video, of him sexually abusing the minor victim. Dougherty also concealed a cell phone within the walls behind bathroom mirrors in his home. He ran cables to the phones and modified the mirrors so he could secretly view and surreptitiously record people in the bathroom. Among the visual depictions Dougherty produced this way were nude images of four victims under the age of 18. Throughout the course of the investigation, the defendant knowingly possessed over 600 images of CSAM. He will be scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces 30 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska, Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Pacific Northwest operations and Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes made the announcement. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Alaska State Troopers investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Defendants Convicted on Charges Related to Hate Crime Hoax

body_text: DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard Jr., 36, and Ashley Blackcloud, 40, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat when they burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur and publicized their threatening activity. The cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election held on May 16, 2023. Evidence presented at the five-day trial showed that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms. The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits. Sentencing for Derrick Bernard is scheduled for September 11, 2025. Sentencing for Ashley Blackcloud is scheduled for September 17, 2025. Co-defendant Deanna West previously pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 4, 2025. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline. CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR


title: Mexican National With Two Prior Deportations And Three Prior Felony Convictions Charged For Illegally Reentering The United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national made his initial court appearance today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country. Jesus Carreno-Serrano, 40, is charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Maximiliano D. Couvillier, III. According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Carreno-Serrano is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported and removed from the United States on July 23, 2018, and May 21, 2020, and reentered the United States illegally. On May 11, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) learned that Carreno-Serrano had been arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for Driving Under the Influence. On May 11, 2025, Carreno-Serrano was remanded to ICE custody from the Clark County Detention Center, based on an immigration detainer. Carreno-Serrano has three prior felony convictions: one for Aggravated Driving Under the Influence, a second for Drug Paraphernalia Possess/Use, and a third for Illegal Reentry After Deportation. If convicted, Carreno-Serrano faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ###


title: Two Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteño Gang Members Plead Guilty To Racketeering Conspiracy

body_text: SAN JOSE – Gil Vasquez, aka “Rhino,” and Jose Mexicano, aka “Armani,” two members of the Salinas Acosta Plaza (SAP) Norteño criminal street gang based in Salinas, Calif., pleaded guilty in federal court today to racketeering conspiracy. Vasquez, 37, and Mexicano, 26, both of Salinas, were indicted by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2024, along with multiple other defendants, on one count of racketeering conspiracy. According to court documents, the SAP Norteños is a street gang that originated in a Salinas apartment complex by the same name. The group is now recognized as a clique within the larger collection of Norteño criminal street gangs. As described in the indictment, members of the street gang “meet and work together” to carry out crimes for the benefit of the street gang, its members, the larger Norteño organization, and the Nuestra Familia prison gang. Gang members perpetrate crimes to protect and uphold the gang’s power, territory, and profits, and gang members are expected to engage in shootings, robberies, drug sales, and other criminal conduct to gain entry into, and improve a member’s status in, the gang. In his plea agreement, Vasquez pleaded guilty to the sole count and admitted his personal involvement in the armed robbery of a bystander in July 2014, the attempted murder of a suspected rival gang member in February 2016, drug trafficking of fentanyl in 2023, and firearms trafficking in 2023. Vasquez also admitted to holding a leadership role within the gang. In his plea agreement, Mexicano pleaded guilty to the sole count and admitted his personal involvement in drug trafficking of fentanyl and cocaine from 2021 to 2023, firearms trafficking from 2022 to 2023, and three violent assaults in 2024 and 2025. Mexicano also admitted to conducting two of those assaults while he was on federal pretrial release. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King made the announcement. The indictment also charged nine other SAP Norteño gang members with racketeering conspiracy. Those cases remain pending. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and those nine defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Both Vasquez and Mexicano are currently in federal custody. The sentencing hearings for Vasquez and Mexicano are scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Beth L. Freeman. Each defendant faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Hageman, Leif Dautch, Amani Floyd, and Jared Buszin of the Violent Crime Strike Force are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lakisha Holliman and Tina Rosenbaum. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Salinas Police Department, with assistance from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.


title: Illegal Immigrant Sentenced For Reentering the United States

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Guatemalan national was sentenced on May 23, 2025, for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported. According to court documents, Maynor Tecum-Tecum, 42, was encountered by deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office for a traffic violation in Mobile County. The deputies suspected that Tecum-Tecum might not be a United States citizen, so they contacted law enforcement personnel from the United States Border Patrol (USBP). USBP confirmed that Tecum-Tecum had been previously removed from the United States in 2010. He had also been convicted of Illegal Entry that same year. At sentencing, Judge Dubose imposed a time-served sentence and a 1-year term of supervised release upon his future release. Tecum-Tecum had been in custody since his arrest on February 18, 2025. Upon his release from prison, Tecum-Tecum is to be referred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings. Tecum-Tecum was ordered to pay $100 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The United States Border Patrol and Mobile County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy L. Thomas prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: United States Citizen Arrested for Attempted Firebombing of U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv, Israel

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Earlier today, Joseph Neumeyer, a dual U.S. and German citizen was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport by FBI special agents and a complaint was unsealed in the Eastern District of New York charging Neumeyer with attempting to destroy, by means of fire or explosive, the Branch Office of the United States Embassy located in Tel Aviv, Israel. Neumeyer was deported by Israeli authorities to the United States. Neumeyer made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo of the Eastern District of New York and was ordered detained. As alleged in the complaint , Neumeyer arrived in Israel in April 2025. On May 19, Neumeyer, 28, arrived outside of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv carrying a dark-colored backpack. Without provocation Neumeyer spit on an Embassy guard as he walked past. Neumeyer managed to break free as the guard attempted to detain him, leaving behind his backpack. A search of Neumeyer’s backpack revealed three rudimentary improvised incendiary devices commonly known as Molotov cocktails. Law enforcement tracked Neumeyer to his hotel, where he was arrested. Neumeyer’s social media revealed that earlier in the day on May 19, he posted, “join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America, death to Americans, and f---k the west.” Law enforcement authorities confirmed the presence of flammable fluid in the devices. Other social media posts from an account believed to be used by Neumeyer revealed his threats to assassinate President Trump. On May 25, Israeli authorities returned Neumeyer to the United States. “This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.” “As alleged, Neumeyer, armed with potentially lethal devices, sought to cause chaos and destruction at the U.S.Embassy in Tel Aviv,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “His arrest and prosecution clearly show that my Office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate violence in our homeland or violence targeting U.S. interests abroad.” “The defendant is charged with attempting to firebomb the U.S. Embassy and making threats to President Trump,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This despicable and violent behavior will not be tolerated at home or abroad, and the FBI, working with our partners, will bring him to face justice for his dangerous actions.” If convicted, Neumeyer faces a minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a maximum fine in the amount of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Washington Field Office is investigating this case with assistance from the FBI New York Field Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI Legal Attaché’s Office in Israel provided substantial assistance. The Justice Department thanks our Israeli law enforcement partners, whose actions ensured that no lives were lost. Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Oken for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: United States Citizen Arrested for Attempted Firebombing of U.S. Embassy Branch Office in Tel Aviv

body_text: BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Joseph Neumeyer, a dual U.S. and German citizen, with attempting to destroy, by means of fire or explosive, the Branch Office of the United States Embassy located in Tel Aviv, Israel. Neumeyer was deported by Israel to the Eastern District of New York on May 24, 2025 and made his initial court appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo. Neumeyer was ordered detained pending trial. United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and Steven J. Jensen, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charge. “This defendant is charged with planning a devastating attack targeting our embassy in Israel, threatening death to Americans, and President Trump’s life,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “The Department will not tolerate such violence and will prosecute this defendant to the fullest extent of the law.” The Justice Department thanks our Israeli law enforcement partners, whose actions ensured that no lives were lost. “As alleged, Neumeyer, armed with potentially lethal devices, sought to cause chaos and destruction at the United States Embassy in Tel Aviv,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “His arrest and prosecution clearly show that my Office and the Department of Justice will not tolerate violence in our homeland or violence targeting U.S. interests abroad.” Mr. Nocella also thanked the FBI’s New York Field Office for their assistance. Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Tel Aviv, the U.S. Embassy Branch Office Tel Aviv, Department of State Diplomatic Security Service, the government of Israel, Israel National Police, Enforcement and the Foreigners Administration at the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority for their valuable cooperation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection also provided logistical assistance for the defendant’s arrest at John F. Kennedy International Airport. “Neumeyer not only made threats against Americans and U.S. diplomatic missions, but also allegedly attempted to carry out those threats by bringing potentially deadly devices to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Jensen. “Let his arrest carry an unmistakable message: The FBI and our partners will aggressively pursue those who attempt to harm U.S. citizens and interests abroad.” As alleged in the complaint, Neumeyer arrived in Israel in April 2025. On May 19, 2025, Neumeyer posted on his Facebook account “join me this afternoon in Tel Aviv we are burning down the US. embassy” and “join me as I burn down the embassy in Tel Aviv. Death to America. Death to Americans and f—k the west.” That same day, Neumeyer arrived outside the Branch Office of the Embassy of the United States in Tel Aviv carrying a backpack. Neumeyer approached an Embassy guard and spat on the guard. The guard attempted to detain Neumeyer who uttered profanities before turning and fleeing, leaving his backpack behind. Law enforcement recovered from Neumeyer’s backpack several bottles that had been turned into improvised incendiary devices, commonly known as “Molotov cocktails.” Authorities confirmed the presence of flammable fluid in the bottles. Law enforcement tracked Neumeyer to the hotel where he was staying, and he was placed under arrest. Neumeyer’s social media accounts also contained threatening posts that, among other things, called for the assassination of President Donald J. Trump. The charge in the complaint is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Neumeyer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey R. Oken is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Trial Attorney Ryan White of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. The Defendant : JOSEPH PATRICK NEUMEYER Age: 28 Colorado us_v._neumeyer_complaint.pdf


title: PANAMA CITY COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN SENTENCED FOR KILLING DOLPHINS IN THE GULF OF AMERICA

component: ENRD - Environmental Crimes Section

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Zackery Brandon Barfield, 31, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to 30 days’ imprisonment and ordered to pay a $51,000 fine for three counts of poisoning and shooting dolphins in violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The sentence was announced by Michelle Spaven, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. “The Gulf of America is a vital natural resource,” said Acting United States Attorney Spaven. “The defendant’s selfish acts are more than illegally poisoning and shooting protected animals – they are serious crimes against public resources, threats to the local ecosystem, and a devastating harm to a highly intelligent and charismatic species. With our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will ensure that the coastal waters remain safe for our citizens and its wildlife.” According to court filings and statements made in court, Barfield has been a licensed charter and commercial fishing captain in the Panama City area for his entire adult life. From 2022-2023, he poisoned and shot bottlenose dolphins on multiple occasions. In the summer of 2022, Barfield grew frustrated with dolphins eating red snapper from the lines of his charter fishing clients. He began placing methomyl inside baitfish to poison the dolphins that surfaced near his boat. Methomyl is a highly toxic pesticide that acts on the nervous system of humans, mammals, and other animals, and is restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to control flies in non-residential settings. Barfield recognized methomyl’s toxicity and impact on the environment but continued to feed poisoned baitfish to the dolphins for months. While captaining fishing trips in December 2022 and the summer of 2023, Barfield saw dolphins eating snapper from his client’s fishing lines. On both occasions, he used a 12-gauge shotgun to shoot the dolphins that surfaced near his vessel, killing one immediately. On other occasions, Barfield shot, but did not immediately kill, dolphins near his vessel. On one trip he shot a dolphin while two elementary-aged children were on board, and another with more than a dozen fisherman on board. “Barfield was a longtime charter and commercial fishing captain,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway — once in front of children. This sentence demonstrates our commitment to enforcing the rule of law. It should deter others from engaging in such conduct.” “These cruel and unnecessary deaths may have gone unsolved without the determination and expertise of our investigator and the close working relationship we have with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, U.S. Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida,” said Paige Casey, Acting Assistant Director, NOAA OLE Southeast Division. “The subject’s actions were intentional and heartless, and we'll continue to pursue any harmful acts against marine mammals. Egregious crimes such as in this case have serious consequences.” Barfield’s prison sentence will be followed by a 1-year term of supervised release. “We are proud to work alongside our partner agencies to bring Zachary Barfield to justice,” said Captain Mike Godwin, FWC Investigations Northwest Region. “His actions were cruel, illegal, and a threat to the Gulf’s marine life. This case shows the power of teamwork and our shared commitment to protecting Florida’s wildlife and holding offenders accountable.” The National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation with assistance from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The case was prosecuted by Environmental Crimes Section Senior Trial Attorney Patrick Duggan and Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html . Public reporting of crimes is a crucial aspect of law enforcement. If you are aware of a violation of federal marine resource laws or federal pesticide laws, please contact NOAA Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964 or EPA’s National Response Center at (800) 424-8802.


title: Former Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company Sentenced

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A former senior partner at McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm based in New York, N.Y., that agreed in 2024 to pay $650 million to resolve criminal and civil investigations into the firm’s consulting work with opioids manufacturers, including Purdue Pharma, L.P., was sentenced yesterday to six months in federal prison for obstructing justice related to his work on Purdue matters. In addition, Elling was ordered to serve two years of supervised release following his incarceration, which includes a requirement that he perform 1,000 hours of community service. The court also imposed a $40,000 fine. Martin Elling, 60, a U.S. citizen most recently residing in Bangkok, Thailand, pled guilty in January 2025 to a one-count Information charging him with knowingly destroying records with the intent to impede, obstruct, and influence the investigation and proper administration of a matter within the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice. “Martin Elling willfully destroyed records in order to obstruct a Department of Justice investigation related to the actions of McKinsey & Company, Purdue Pharma and the opioid crisis that has devastated communities in this region. He will now have six months to fully comprehend the consequences of those actions,” Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee said today. “This sentence should be an example to all individuals considering similar actions - if you destroy records, if you impeded a Department of Justice investigation, you will go to jail.” “Today’s sentencing sends a resounding message: those who attempt to obstruct justice and conceal the truth – no matter how senior, sophisticated, or well-connected – will be held accountable,” said Leah B. Foley, U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. “Mr. Elling’s efforts to erase evidence tied to McKinsey’s work with Purdue Pharma were not just a breach of corporate integrity – they were a calculated effort to hinder a federal investigation into one of the most devastating public health crises in our nation’s history. Justice requires the truth, and our office will continue to pursue it wherever the facts lead.” “Knowingly destroying records and documents to impede a government investigation into the unlawful prescribing of opioids impairs the ability of law enforcement to do its job and endangers the public health,” said Special Agent in Charge George A. Scavdis of the FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Metro Washington Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who attempt to thwart these important investigations and whose actions put profits over patient safety.” “The opioid epidemic has left a trail of heartbreak across Virginia and the nation,” said Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I commend both the US Department of Justice and my office's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their exemplary efforts and partnership to ensure justice is served.” According to court documents, in May 2013, Purdue engaged McKinsey to recover lost OxyContin sales. Purdue retained McKinsey to conduct a rapid assessment of the underlying drivers of OxyContin performance, identify key opportunities to increase near-term OxyContin revenue and develop plans to capture priority opportunities. This 2013 effort was called Evolve to Excellence, or “E2E,” and included McKinsey advising Purdue on how to “turbocharge” the sales pipeline for OxyContin by, among other strategies, intensifying marketing to High Value Prescribers. Elling served as the director of the client services team for approximately 30 of McKinsey’s engagements with Purdue. He had a senior, relationship-focused role with respect to the E2E engagement and was involved in securing the engagement for McKinsey. On July 4, 2018, Elling emailed another senior partner: “Just saw in the FT that [Purdue board member] is being sued by states attorneys general for her role on the [Purdue] Board. It probably makes sense to have a quick conversation with the risk committee to see if we should be doing anything other [than] eliminating all our documents and emails. Suspect not but as things get tougher there someone might turn to us.” According to court documents, forensic analysis of Elling’s McKinsey-issued laptop found that Elling in fact deleted materials related to McKinsey’s work for Purdue from the laptop, as well as a Purdue-related folder from his Outlook email account. On August 22, 2018, Elling emailed himself an apparent to-do list, with the subject line, “When home.” The items listed included: “delete old pur [Purdue Pharma] documents from laptop[.]” Forensic analysis of Elling’s laptop by the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section determined that between approximately April 2018 and September 2018, Elling removed a folder titled “Purdue” (which included a subfolder entitled “Strategy”) from his Windows operating system that contained more than 100 items for whom the filenames indicate they were from as far back as 2004 and included the name of the Purdue Pharma CEO at the time of the origination of the Purdue Pharma engagements with McKinsey. The CEO was among the former Purdue Pharma executives who, in 2007, pled guilty and was convicted of misbranding in United States District Court in Abingdon. On August 25, 2018, Elling emailed himself the following, “Remove Pur[due] folder from garbage[.]” Elling was aware of the investigations into Purdue Pharma’s conduct and knowingly deleted folders, documents, and emails from his McKinsey-issued laptop knowing these documents would be pertinent to those investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia; Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda P. Masselam Strachan and William B. Brady of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts; Senior Trial Counsel Kristen M. Echemendia of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch (Fraud Section); Trial Attorneys Jessica Harvey and Steven R. Scott of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch; and Special Assistant United States Attorneys and Assistant Attorneys General Kristin Gray and Kimberly Bolton of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The matter was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Offices of the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, and Office of Personnel Management, with assistance from the Department of Justice’s Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section.


title: Four Individuals Charged in $63 Million Mail Theft Conspiracy,  Including Two Postal Employees

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Four individuals were charged in an Information for their involvement in a $63 million scheme that involved stealing checks from the mail and selling them online, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by U.S. Postal Service Inspector General Tammy Hull; Acting Inspector in Charge Sean McStravick, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Detroit Field Office, Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation; Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. Jaiswan Williams, 31, of Rochester Hills, Dequan Foreman, 30, of Eastpointe, Vanessa Hargrove, 39, of Detroit, and Crystal Jenkins, 31, of Detroit, were charged with conspiracy to aid and abet bank and wire fraud. Hargrove and Jenkins were United States Postal Service employees who diverted and ultimately stole checks and other negotiable instruments from the mail, including a high volume of tax refund checks issued by the U.S. Treasury. Williams and Foreman were the administrators of the online marketplaces used to sell the checks. According to the Information, postal employees Hargrove and Jenkins would provide the stolen checks to Williams and Foreman in exchange for payments. Williams and Foreman would take those checks and market them for sale via Telegram Messenger, a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging application. Prices varied based on the face-value of the checks. One of the Telegram channels, named “Whole Foods Slipsss,” was used to advertise high-dollar checks, while another channel, named “Uber Eats Slips,” was used to advertise lower-dollar checks. “Slips” is a term commonly used in these schemes to refer to stolen checks. Transactions were completed off-platform using a variety of electronic payment systems. Purchasers of these checks would then attempt to fraudulently cash them using a variety of methods. If convicted of conspiracy, the defendants face up to 30 years in prison. Williams also faces charges for money laundering for activities dating back to October 2022, and for millions of dollars of fraudulent pandemic unemployment insurance benefit claims submitted between August and December 2020. U.S. Attorney Gorgon stated, “When public employees break the public trust, they enrich themselves at the expense of the American taxpayer and undermine the institution itself. We will find and prosecute those who exploit their position for personal gain. We are committed to disrupting these shadowy schemes.” “This investigation represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG special agents, working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other federal agencies, to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Tammy Hull, Inspector General U.S. Postal Service. “The OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remains committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.” “The charges against these four individuals underscore the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to securing the nation’s mail system from those who seek to exploit it for personal and financial gain,” said Sean McStravick, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division. “Postal Inspectors utilize every tool at their disposal, including crucial partnerships, to uncover, investigate, and prosecute these schemes to the fullest extent of the law. Thank you to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our investigative partners for working tirelessly with us to bring charges in such an impactful mail theft investigation and maintain the integrity and respectability of the U.S. Postal Service.” The stealing of checks is not a victimless crime. The stolen checks belonged to citizens, to help them make payments for vital services or help through a tough time,” said Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, Detroit Field Office, IRS-CI. “The violations alleged in these charges carry extra weight as some of these individuals were trusted as public servants. We are committed, along with our law enforcement partners, to using our unique expertise to track intricate financial systems, find criminals, and hold them accountable for the crimes committed.” “The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) aggressively investigates individuals who attempt to exploit U.S Treasury refund checks meant for hard working taxpayers for their own private gain,” said TIGTA Special Agent in Charge Kelly Moening. “TIGTA's mission is to protect the integrity of our nation's tax administration system. We are committed to working with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who violate federal laws are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.” “An important part of the mission of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to assist our law enforcement partners when investigative matters affect the integrity of Department of Labor programs or operations. We are committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of matters, particularly when they adversely affect American workers,” said Megan Howell, Special Agent-in-Charge, Great Lakes Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. The public is reminded that an Information is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This multi-agency investigation was lead by the U.S. Postal Service Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG), with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI); the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA); and the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Darrin Crawford.


title: Georgian National Extradited from Moldova to Face Charges for Soliciting Hate Crimes and Planning Mass Casualty Attack in New York City

body_text: Defendant Allegedly Planned Scheme to Distribute Poisoned Candy on New Year’s Eve Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher, and Butcher, 21, of Tbilisi, was extradited to the United States from Moldova on May 22, and will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today. Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova, in July 2024 in connection with a four-count indictment returned in the Eastern District of New York charging him with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City. According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili is a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing, MKY, MMC and MKU, an international racially-motivated violent extremist group. As alleged in the indictment, Chkhikvishvili recruited people to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City. “This case is a stark reminder of the kind of terrorism we face today: online networks plotting unspeakable acts of violence against children, families, and the Jewish community in pursuit of a depraved, extremist ideology,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate hate-fueled violence, and we will pursue those who threaten innocent lives wherever they may be.” “The defendant is accused of recruiting others to kill Jewish people, kill racial minorities, and of providing instructions on how to commit other lethal attacks — even targeting children around the holidays by poisoning candy,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “These allegations are despicable, and thanks to the work and partnership of the FBI and the authorities in Moldova, Michail Chkhikvishvili has been brought to the United States to face charges in our justice system.” “As alleged, the defendant, a white supremacist, recruited others to participate in a violent campaign of hatred against racial minorities and the Jewish community and to engage in the mass killing of children and others in these communities using poison, suicide bombs, firearms, arson fires, and vehicle explosions. Today’s extradition is a giant step forward in holding the defendant accountable for his unspeakably reprehensible and vile efforts to spread fear, chaos, and hate,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Protecting our homeland, city, district, and country from violent extremists will always be one of the top priorities of the Justice Department and my office.” Chkhikvishvili’s MKY adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad. Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Hater’s Handbook encourages people to commit acts of mass violence. In the Hater’s Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, the Hater’s Handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The Hater’s Handbook describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” The Hater’s Handbook specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States. In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn. As alleged, beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via the encryption-enabled mobile messaging platform Telegram, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with the leader of a separate violent extremist neo-Nazi group, and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC). In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili asking whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” Chkhikvishvili further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder[]” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.” Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate carrying out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. In January, the scheme evolved and Chkhikvishvili specifically directed the UC to target the Jewish community, Jewish schools, and Jewish children in Brooklyn with poison. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared detailed manuals about creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases with the UC. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Chkhikvishvili sent materials linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as ISIS. Chkhikvishvili wanted the planned attack to be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo‑Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, Chkhikvishvili told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.” Chkhikvishvili’s solicitations of violence have resulted in multiple attacks and killings around the world. In August 2024, an individual livestreamed himself stabbing approximately five people outside of a mosque in Eskisehir, Turkey, wearing a tactical vest adorned in Nazi symbols. A manifesto attributed to the attacker included explicit references to Chkhikvishvili and to violent statements made by him. Before the attack, the attacker also distributed a link to the Hater’s Handbook, authored by Chkhikvishvili, and other violent propaganda. If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure); five years in prison for conspiring to solicit violent felonies; 20 years in prison for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and ricin poison; and five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications. The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, as well as the Department of State, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Chkhikvishvili from Moldova. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Wayne Colon and Rebecca Roth. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has also provided assistance. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Venezuelan National Residing Unlawfully in the U.S. Charged with Illegal Possession of a Firearm and Making False Statements

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

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A Venezuelan man residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, has been accused of lying on immigration forms and on applications to purchase a firearm. Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, was charged by criminal complaint today for possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making false statements during the purchase of a firearm and for using false documents. According to the criminal complaint and underlying affidavit, Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they had received information that Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old man who enrolled under false pretenses. Labrador-Sierra is also alleged to have submitted false material information to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services about his date of birth in connection with applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025. The complaint further alleges that Labrador-Sierra does not have lawful status to purchase, own or possess a firearm in the United States, and that he submitted false information on the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 to purchase a firearm. Among the alleged false statements he submitted when he purchased a Taurus 9mm, semiautomatic pistol from a licensed firearms dealer, were that he attested to being a United States citizen or national. If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by an alien; 10 years in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm; and up to five years in prison for using false documents. This case is being investigated by the City of Perrysburg Police Department, U.S. Border Patrol Detroit Sector−Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Field Office, the ATF, with assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson. This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visit fbi.gov/tips . A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Alburgh, Vermont Man Sentenced to 12 Years Imprisonment for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on May 21, 2025, Brian Bluto, 60, formerly of Alburgh, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 144 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 15-year term of supervised release. Bluto previously pleaded guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse material on October 21, 2024, and has been detained since his guilty plea. According to court records, Bluto produced child sexual abuse material by hiding a camera to covertly record a child with whom he was living. Bluto began recording the minor victim when she was approximately 13 years old, and continued to do so until she was 16 years old. Bluto distributed still images and a video of the minor victim to a person on the internet, who unbeknownst to Bluto, was an Australian law enforcement officer. The Australian officer alerted Homeland Security Investigations, who obtained a search warrant for Bluto’s residence in Alburgh. The search warrant resulted in the seizures of numerous electronic devices, one of which was located in a backpack that was pointing toward the bathroom in the residence. The backpack had a homemade cut in the fabric where the lens of the camera on the electronic device could stick out without detection. A search of Bluto’s electronic devices revealed hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material, including a depiction of a toddler being sexually abused by an adult. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Queensland, Australia, Police Service and the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Ophardt. Bluto was represented by Assistant Federal Defenders Emily Kenyon and Steven Barth. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Federal Charge Filed Against Convicted Felon for Illegal Firearm Possession in Shiprock

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A previously convicted felon, already under investigation for multiple crimes, has been federally charged after being found with a stolen firearm in Shiprock. According to court documents, on the morning of May 15, 2025, the Navajo Nation Police Department received reports of a male firing a gun near a Marathon gas station on U.S. Highway 64 in Shiprock. Responding officers located and detained Jay Kelly , 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Officers discovered a stolen revolver and approximately 100 rounds of ammunition inside Kelly ’s backpack. Witnesses confirmed Kelly fired the handgun multiple times in the air, but did not report anyone being threatened or injured. A background check revealed Kelly to be a convicted felon, making it illegal under federal law for him to possess firearms or ammunition. Kelly was implicated in two other criminal investigations earlier this year, including arson and illegal firearm possession. Kelly is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which will occur next week. If convicted of this charge, Kelly faces up to 10 years in prison. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint (Kelly).pdf A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.