title: Fordyce Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and Cocaine

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Eric Matlock, who has a previous state conviction for conspiracy to deliver cocaine, will spend the next 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. On October 9, 2024, Matlock, 42, of Fordyce, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a two-count indictment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On August 8, 2025, Matlock pleaded guilty to the counts in the indictment. Judge Moody also sentenced Matlock to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. In February of 2024, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division opened an investigation in Fordyce due to an influx of narcotic activity. During the investigation, Matlock was identified as a potential narcotics dealer. Using confidential sources and surveillance technology, law enforcement conducted controlled buys of narcotics from Matlock. During these controlled buys, deputies utilized aerial surveillance technology to monitor Matlock’s movements. As a result of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at Matlock’s residence on June 30, 2024. During the search of the residence, officers located a buried footlocker near the carport. Located in the footlocker were multiple plastic bags containing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, $3,841 in cash, and digital scales. The controlled substances were confirmed to be 1.6 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of cocaine. In addition to Matlock’s previous state conviction for conspiracy to deliver cocaine, his criminal history also includes two convictions for possession of crack cocaine, a conviction for possession of firearms by certain persons, and a conviction for possession of paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine/cocaine, and maintaining a drug premises. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and FBI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. The investigation was conducted by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Mineral County Man Admits to Selling Fentanyl, Methamphetamine

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Keyser, West Virginia man has admitted to working with others in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Mineral County, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Lucas Earl Shoemaker, 34, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine hydrochloride. Shoemaker used his residence on Knobley Road in Keyser to operate the drug trafficking organization. Investigators received information that led them to obtain and execute a search warrant at the Knobley Road residence, where substantial quantities of fentanyl, high-purity methamphetamine, cocaine, firearms, ammunition, cash, and drug distribution materials were seized. On September 24, 2024, law enforcement officers encountered Shoemaker following a 911 call reporting suspicious and dangerous behavior at a Mineral County business. Officers located Shoemaker and who was in possession of a loaded Springfield XD .45-caliber handgun concealed on his person, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 rifle located inside his vehicle. Shoemaker was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Officers also recovered fentanyl from the vehicle, along with syringes indicative of ongoing drug use and drug trafficking activity. Shoemaker’s guilty plea reflects accountability for his role in distributing fentanyl and unlawfully possessing firearms—conduct that endangered the community and contributed to the ongoing fentanyl crisis impacting West Virginia and communities nationwide. Fentanyl—a substance President Donald J. Trump has publicly described as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality—poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. Shoemaker faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Large-scale Bessemer Drug Trafficking Ring Indicted

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two related indictments charging 19 defendants in a drug trafficking conspiracy based in Jefferson County have been unsealed, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. The following individuals were charged in the first indictment: Hakim Rashad James, also known as “Hop,” 48, of Birmingham, Ranisha Alliya Tolbert, also known as “Nisha,” 26, of Bessemer, Kelvin Dean Lewis, 48, of Bessemer, Walter Jamal Tate, 47, of Birmingham, James Edward Williams, Jr., also known as “Junior,” 42, of Bessemer, Dornita Corine Roberson, 33, of Brighton, Carveyon Tiean Jargee Glover, also known as “Black,” 27, of Bessemer, Sammy Anthony Bryant, Jr., also known as “Pooh,” 43, of Bessemer, Leniqua Tamarshay Wood, 31, of Midfield, Patra Shaneal Floyd, 29, of Birmingham, and Stayci Aieyanna Long, 22, of Brighton. These individuals were charged in the second indictment: Antonious Somuntez Sanders, also known as “Ant,” 45, of Bessemer, Zestra Cartasha Williams, also known as “Star,” 46, of Bessemer, Anthony Martez Harris, 39, of Birmingham, Luis Antonio Spano, 48, of Warrior, Geoffrey Lawson, 59, of Bessemer, Annenah Majeed, 48, of Bessemer, Tom Devonte Woods, 31, of Columbiana, and an unnamed defendant also known as “Roy,” 70, of Bessemer. All 19 defendants were charged with conspiracy with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl between February 2025 and December 2025. The indictments also charge 15 of the defendants with at least one count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime. The FBI and DEA, along with local law enforcement agencies, have seized over 30 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl as part of this joint investigation. The indictments include special grand jury findings regarding the amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl attributable to various defendants as part of the drug-trafficking conspiracies: Sanders, Williams, and Majeed are charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Sanders is also charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. James is charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Harris, Spano, Lawson, and “Roy” are charged with conspiracy to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Woods is charged with conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Tolbert, Tate, Williams, Jr., Roberson, Lewis, and Long are charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Glover, Wood, and Floyd are charged with conspiracy to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Bryant, Jr. is charged with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The DEA and FBI investigated the cases along with the Bessemer Police Department, West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Fairfield Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Police Department, Hoover Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Irondale Police Department and the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and Carson R. Gilbert are prosecuting the cases. This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Alabama HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Memphis Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Department of Veterans Affairs of Over $2.9 Million

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Quannah Fields Harris, 53 , of Memphis, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of over $2,900,000. Harris was convicted after a jury trial in October 2025. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. On February 2, 2026, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced Harris to 96 months in prison and ordered her to pay $2,905,853.09 in restitution to the VA for conspiring to defraud the United States and committing wire fraud. According to the facts presented at trial and sentencing, Harris was the owner of Last Minute Cuts School of Barbering and Cosmetology, a barbering and cosmetology school located at 2195 South Third Street in Memphis, from 2014 to 2019. During this period, Harris engaged in a scheme that defrauded the GI Bill, a federal program administered by the VA designed to help veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces learn vocational skills. Harris billed the VA for dozens of veterans she enrolled as students at Last Minute Cuts who attended few classes, if any, received no instruction, took no tests or exams, and never obtained a state barbering or cosmetology license. Her school was, in reality, a sham. Many of the veterans Harris enrolled at Last Minute Cuts never set foot in the school again after the day Harris enrolled them; yet, Harris billed the VA for years thereafter for their purported attendance. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces deserve our honor and respect, and this office will always protect them. Victimizing the VA harms veterans and deserves significant punishment. Harris will now spend every “last minute” of her lengthy sentence in federal prison for her crimes against our nation’s best.” There is no parole in the federal system. "This sentence demonstrates that the VA OIG and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who defraud VA," said Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkammer of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General's Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "We remain steadfast in safeguarding the integrity of VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill. The VA OIG’s mission includes vigorously investigating fraud and ensuring that individuals who abuse these crucial benefit programs are brought to justice." “The defendant schemed to defraud the government, got caught, and is now being held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents will continue collaborative investigative efforts alongside our law enforcement partners to follow the money and find those attempting to defraud the federal government.” This case was investigated by the VA-Office of Inspector General (OIG) and IRS-Criminal Investigations with assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration-Education Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Guilty Pleas Obtained in Federal Firearms Cases

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Five people have entered guilty pleas to firearms charges in the Northern District of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Ricardo Xavier Jones, 46, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jones was on parole when, during a probation home check, officers seized a shotgun and ammunition. The firearm was concealed in the defendant’s mattress. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior grand larceny and drug convictions. Gary Owen Jones, 54, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm. A West Virginia state probation officer seized a rifle from Jones’s home during a routine parole visit. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms due a conviction for making terroristic threats in Berkeley County, as well as another firearms conviction. Raymond Earl Bowers, III, 42, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. Bowers’ former domestic partner advised the WVU Police Department that Bowers was a convicted felon with firearms and ammunition. Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputies then secured a search warrant and searched Bowers’ van and home, which led to the seizure of three rifles, three pistols, a shotgun, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Bowers is prohibited because of prior domestic violence convictions. Tyler Earl Mercer, 32, of Westover, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm. Officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in which people looking into vehicles with a flashlight in Monongalia County. After encountering Mercer, officers confirmed that he had an active warrant related to charges for grand larceny and an attempt to disarm a law enforcement officer. During his arrest, officers located a revolver in Mercer’s waistband. Mercer is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior counterfeiting conviction. Caitlin Ashley Fox, 28, of Moorefield, West Virginia, pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal officer. Fox’s boyfriend was under investigation for firearms violations. Fox lied to federal agents on several occasions attempting to protect her boyfriend. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Kane, Andrew Cogar, Zelda Wesley, and Stephen Warner are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia University Police Department; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole Services. These cases are a part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.


title: Parolee Who Shot Police Officer While Resisting Arrest Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Andrial Ortiz, 30, from Lansing, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “Andrial Ortiz was a felon who was not allowed to possess a gun, and the moment he did he used it to shoot a police officer. My office was happy to prosecute this case. We accept the 15-year sentence as a just response. I hope everyone reading this will take a minute to remember and appreciate that we ask law enforcement officers to risk their lives on a regular basis.” Police pulled Ortiz over while investigating a road rage incident. Ortiz was on parole for selling drugs, unarmed robbery, and larceny. Police searched his car and found drugs. When they attempted to arrest Ortiz, he violently resisted. During the struggle, he was able to remove guns from two of the officers’ waistbands. He fired one of the guns, striking a patrol officer in the leg. “Ortiz’s conduct was reckless, violent, and showed a complete disregard for the lives of the officers involved,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing firearms, yet this defendant violently resisted arrest, disarmed officers, and fired a weapon, seriously injuring a patrol officer. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that violence and sends the right message to drug trafficking convicted felons in our community who attack law enforcement: if you do this, pack your bags because you’re going to prison for an extended period of time.” The Michigan State Police, Lansing Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Ghiselli and Jonathan Roth prosecuted it. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Boston Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Bank Fraud and Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man has been sentenced for fraudulently depositing checks stolen from the mail, defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-related relief program, and defrauding the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program. Tyrone Brimage, 28, was sentenced on Jan. 23, 2026 by Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Brimage was also ordered to pay $67,022 in restitution. In January 2025, Brimage pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and three counts of wire fraud. In July 2020, Brimage submitted two fraudulent unemployment claims, claiming that his employment was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of these applications, Brimage was incarcerated at the Norfolk County Jail for an unrelated criminal case. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance paid Brimage $43,155 as a result of this fraudulent claim before realizing that Brimage had submitted multiple fraudulent claims using different social security numbers. In October 2020, Brimage attempted to deposit a payroll check that appeared to be issued by the City of Boston for $16,427 into his personal checking account. The clerk for the City of Boston confirmed that the check was fraudulent and that Brimage was never a city employee. In May 2021, Brimage submitted a fraudulent PPP application for a barber shop that he never owned. In June 2021, he obtained a $20,832 loan for “payroll costs, rent interest, and utilities,” for this fake barber shop. In July 2023, Brimage fraudulently deposited a $3,032 check stolen from the mail into a bank account that he controlled. The check issuer confirmed that the check was stolen from the mail. One day after the fraudulent deposit, Brimage withdrew cash obtained from the deposit. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge for the Boston Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.


title: Gambino Crime Family Soldier Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Related Charges

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Laforte, also known as “Jimmy,” an inducted member of the Gambino organized crime family, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo to racketeering conspiracy, Hobbs Act extortion and Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, witness retaliation, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. LaForte is the last of 10 defendants charged in a 2023 indictment in connection with various offenses committed by members and associates of the Gambino crime family— including extortion, money laundering conspiracy and witness retaliation—to plead guilty or be convicted at trial. On October 17, 2025, seven members and associates of the Gambino crime family pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in proceedings held before United States District Judge Frederic Block. Those defendants are Gambino crime family captain Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino;” Gambino soldiers Diego “Danny” Tantillo and Angelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi;” U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate Vito Rappa, also known as “Vi;” U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate Francesco Vicari, also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio;” and Gambino associates Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin,” and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick.” In August 2025, Salvatore DiLorenzo pleaded guilty to theft from employee benefits plans. In December 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Robert Brooke of one count of Hobbs Act extortion. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General of the United States Department of Labor (DOL-OIG), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the guilty pleas and trial conviction. “The prosecution of these members and associates of the Gambino organized crime family has dealt a significant blow to that violent criminal enterprise,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Their efforts to take over and infiltrate legitimate businesses by means of intimidation threatened hardworking New Yorkers and terrorized their victims. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who seek to use violence and fear to enrich themselves.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Business Integrity Commission, the New York Waterfront Commission, and the Office’s law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Prosecutor of Palermo, the Polizia di Stato , the Servizio Centrale Operativo , and the Squadra Mobile of Palermo. “These ten Gambino members and associates orchestrated a campaign of violent assaults and property destruction to collect debts and intimidate those employed by competing companies,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Their collective actions terrorized New York residents and businesses to generate an illegal revenue stream. The FBI maintains its commitment to coordinating with our local and international law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime.” “These defendants used fraud, intimidation, and violence in an attempt to seize control of New York City’s demolition industry, including schemes targeting labor unions and their employee benefit plans,” stated DOL Inspector General D’Esposito. “DOL-OIG will continue working shoulder to shoulder with our law-enforcement partners to root out labor racketeering and eliminate the influence of organized crime from the labor industry. Accountability is non-negotiable.” As set forth in court filings, members and associates of the Gambino crime family used violent extortion, fraud, theft and embezzlement schemes to infiltrate the carting and demolition industries to enrich themselves and the Gambino crime family, including by laundering criminal proceeds. For example, during a financial dispute between Tantillo and the owners of a demolition company (Demolition Company 1), Tantillo and Johnson coordinated a violent hammer assault on an employee of Demolition Company 1, which left the employee bleeding and seriously injured. Extortions Related to the Carting and Demolition Industries Tantillo, Rappa, Vicari and Johnson engaged in a violent extortion conspiracy relating to the demand and receipt of money from an individual (John Doe 1) who operated a carting business in the New York City area. The extortion scheme involved threatening John Doe 1 with a bat, setting fire to the steps to John Doe 1’s residence, attempting to damage John Doe 1’s carting trucks, and violently assaulting an associate of John Doe 1. After John Doe 1 ultimately made a payment of $4,000 to Vicari, Vicari and Rappa met and sent Tantillo a photo of Vicari raising a small champagne bottle, as in a toast. As proven at Brooke’s trial, in the fall of 2019, Brooke engaged in a violent extortion scheme against the owners of a demolition company (John Does 2 through 4) over purported debts owed to Tantillo and a company that was co-operated by Tantillo and Brooke. On December 18, 2019, one of the victims was walking to work when he was ambushed and attacked by Brooke at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The victim suffered a fractured cheek bone, black eye and contusions to his face. In the weeks after the beating, Tantillo reached out to the victims who are brothers and told them to pay Brooke and to drop the criminal charges against Brooke. Fearing for the safety of themselves and their employees, the owners of the demolition company paid $50,000 to Tantillo and $40,000 to the company co-operated by Tantillo and Brooke. Extortion and Assault of a Borrower In 2020 and 2021, LaForte extorted a person who owed money to an associate of LaForte (John Doe 5). After failing to pay LaForte’s associate on time, John Doe 5 was introduced to LaForte, who asked John Doe 5 to run an illegal poker game and a craps game for LaForte. When John Doe 5 asked LaForte after the craps game for John Doe 5’s share of the earnings from running the game, LaForte hit John Doe 5 in the face, knocking John Doe 5 backward and giving him a black eye. LaForte later contacted John Doe 5’s father to force John Doe 5 to pay what LaForte said was John Doe 5’s debt. In text messages exchanged in November 2020, shortly after John Doe 5’s loan, the person who had lent John Doe 5 the money wrote that “[t]his other punk [John Doe 5] is playing games,” and “Might ride up to his house Saturday with one of my guys from down here.” Another party to the conversation responded, “I took him up to c jimmy made it clear” and later added, “We’ll get it. He’s scared to death of jimmy.” Witness Retaliation and Assault On February 17, 2021, LaForte and Minsquero assaulted a person who they believed had previously provided information to law enforcement about members and associates of organized crime (John Doe 6), while Lanni sat nearby. That evening LaForte and Minsquero approached John Doe 6 inside a restaurant. LaForte called John Doe 6 a “rat” and hit John Doe 6 in the face with a bottle. LaForte and Minsquero also flipped John Doe 6’s table, sending drinks and shattered glass everywhere. Frauds and Union-Related Crimes in the Carting and Demolition Industries Various defendants also committed a series of crimes to steal and embezzle from unions and employee benefit plans and rigged bids in the demolition and carting industries. As part of one such scheme, DiLorenzo provided Rappa with a “no-show” job at DiLorenzo’s demolition company so that Rappa could receive paychecks and union health benefits, among other benefits. Similarly, Tantillo arranged for Gradilone to receive a “no-show” job at a construction company with which Tantillo was associated, which enabled Gradilone to receive paychecks and union health benefits to which he was not entitled. Tantillo and Johnson also conspired to secure a “no-show” job for Johnson, so that Johnson could similarly receive union health benefits. * * * * * The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Anna L. Karamigios, Andrew M. Roddin, Elias Laris, and Brooke E. Theodora are in charge of the prosecution. Defendant Who Pleaded Guilty Today: JAMES LAFORTE (also known as “Jimmy”) Age: 49 New York, New York Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty : JOSEPH LANNI (also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino”) Age: 54 Staten Island, New York DIEGO TANTILLO (also known as “Danny” and “Daniel”) Age: 50 Freehold, New Jersey ROBERT BROOKE Age: 58 New York, New York SALVATORE DILORENZO Age: 69 Oceanside, New York ANGELO GRADILONE (also known as “Fifi”) Age: 59 Staten Island, New York KYLE JOHNSON (also known as “Twin”) Age: 48 Bronx, New York VINCENT MINSQUERO (also known as “Vinny Slick” ) Age: 39 Staten Island, New York VITO RAPPA (also known as “Vi”) Age: 58 East Brunswick, New Jersey FRANCESCO VICARI (also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio”) Age: 65 Elmont, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-443 (FB)


title: Chippewa Falls Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shaun Ciokiewicz, 39, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced February 2, 2026 by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Ciokiewicz pleaded guilty to this charge on October 27, 2025. In November and December 2024, officers with the West Central Drug Task Force received information that Ciokiewicz was selling methamphetamine. He was stopped by police on his way to a suspected drug transaction and arrested on active warrants. While searching Ciokiewicz upon his arrest, officers found a baggie with 5.5 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket. In the vehicle, officers found a bag with 55 smaller baggies containing 193.2 grams of methamphetamine. At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted the amount of drugs discovered in the traffic stop was “just a sample” of Ciokiewicz’s overall distribution. In arriving at an 8-year sentence, Judge Peterson commented that Ciokiewicz wasn’t a “benign meth user,” instead Ciokiewicz’s behavior had escalated to “really serious behavior” that presented a danger to the community. The charge against Ciokiewicz was the result of an investigation conducted by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, the West Central Drug Task Force, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington prosecuted this case. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Lakeland Tax Preparer Sentenced To 57 Months In Federal Prison And Ordered To Pay The Internal Revenue Service Nearly $13 Million In Restitution

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Jeffrey Dixon to four years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns. Dixon pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,093,552.50, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and to pay restitution in the amount of $12,964,382.00 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, beginning in January 2019, and continuing through July 2023, Dixon engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS. Dixon prepared or assisted in the preparation of 458 false and fraudulent tax returns for 319 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2018 through 2022. The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A and 1, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G. The returns contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive. “Tax fraud isn’t a shortcut—it’s a fast track to prison,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “IRS Special Agents work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the tax system and ensure that those who steal from the American public face justice. IRS Special Agents will continue to pursue anyone who thinks they can game the system.” The total intended tax loss from the tax returns Dixon prepared was $42,359,399. The actual loss totaled $12,964,382, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers, including Dixon, either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts. Dixon personally profited $1,093,552.50 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients or refunds he received directly from the IRS. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Roberts and Jennifer Peresie. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky.


title: Duxbury Man Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl and Cocaine in Greater Plymouth Area and Conspiring to Launder the Proceeds

body_text: BOSTON – A Duxbury man has been charged in a six-count indictment for allegedly distributing, and conspiring to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine in Duxbury, Kingston, Middleborough and Plymouth. Justin Tatum, a/k/a “JD,” 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine). Tatum was also indicted on two counts of distributing fentanyl (including fentanyl analogue) and on two counts of possessing narcotics with the intent to distribute. Tatum was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in July 2025. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 12, 2026 in federal court in Boston. Tatum and a second individual, Trinity Norman, a/k/a “Trin,” 41, of Plymouth, were also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy. Norman was arrested on Feb. 2, 2026 and released on conditions following an initial appearance. According to court records, in December 2024, several cooperating sources told investigators that Tatum sold fentanyl and cocaine in the greater Plymouth area. In response, a cooperating witness allegedly made controlled purchases of fentanyl and other drugs from Tatum. Between April 2025 and July 2025, Tatum was intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps allegedly discussing distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. On July 14, 2025, a search was executed at Tatum’s house and at a location in Middleborough where large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine were seized. In 2009, Tatum was convicted in Plymouth Superior Court of trafficking cocaine and sentenced to 15 years in state prison. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue) provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Kingston, Plymouth, Duxbury and Rochester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Receipt of a Bribe by a Public Official

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Karen Torres (50, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to receiving a bribe as a public official. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, Torres has agreed to forfeit $43,550, which represents the proceeds of her criminal offense. Her sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court records, Torres was a public official employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer. She worked at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. Between May 2022 and March 3, 2025, Torres introduced contraband (marijuana, cigarettes, and K2) into FCC Coleman in exchange for $43,550 in bribes from inmates. This case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington is handling the forfeiture.


title: Casper businessman sent to prison for tax violations

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: The owner of a local drywall company was sentenced today for failing to pay taxes either personally or on behalf of his business, Drywall Perfections, Inc. (DPI), for tax years 2017–2022. Esequiel “Tony” Terrazas Pacheco, 32, of Evansville, Wyoming, the owner of DPI, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for willful failure to file an income tax return and willful failure to account for and pay over tax. U.S District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 3 in Casper. The court also ordered restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $766,744.28. According to court documents, the defendant operated DPI from his home since 2015 and has never filed corporate or personal tax returns. Additionally, although a tax preparer prepared quarterly employer tax returns (Forms 941) for ten quarters between late 2019 and early 2022, the Defendant willfully failed to file Forms 941 or pay over the required quarterly taxes. The investigation also revealed DPI failed to employ any meaningful bookkeeping or accounting practices and failed to maintain sufficient records. IRS-CI investigated the crime. “Mr. Terrasas Pacheco had multiple opportunities to accurately report and file his income taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. "Over a period of six years he willfully and knowingly defrauded the U.S. government and placed additional tax burden on the shoulders of hardworking taxpayers. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI and our prosecutors, justice has been served. “Esequiel Terrazas Pacheco is spending the next 18 months in jail and will be paying back the federal government for much longer than that,” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “His actions were motivated by greed with a complete disregard for his employees. We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in helping us hold employment tax cheats accountable for victimizing not only the IRS, but their own dedicated workforce.” Case No. CR-25-00146


title: Wareham Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Wareham man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Brandon Bendall, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2026. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 2, 2025 and indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025 . According to court documents, Bendall was a member of an online chat group in which members viewed and posted CSAM. While in the chat group Bendall posted at least 17 videos containing CSAM. During a search of Bendall’s residence and cell phone, approximately 9,400 images and videos of CSAM, including images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted, were located. The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Wareham, Marion and East Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to Homicide in Northwest Washington

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tyree Irving, 29, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty for the shooting death of Davane Williams on January 15, 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Irving pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026, to one count of second-degree murder while armed, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2026. On January 15, 2019, at 2:59 p.m., Irving walked from behind the Sibley Plaza parking lot, crossed M Street NW, and then walked toward the Tyler House, located in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW. Mr. Williams and several other men were standing on the sidewalk outside the M Street entrance pathway to the Tyler House. Irving, who had a .40 caliber pistol concealed in his hoodie, approached the group and immediately started yelling at Mr. Williams. After yelling at Mr. Williams for less than 10 seconds, Irving pulled the .40 caliber pistol out of his hoodie and fired it five times at Mr. Williams, striking him with all five shots. Mr. Williams immediately fell to the ground, while the other bystanders ran away eastbound toward North Capitol Street. Irving put the pistol back into his hoodie and then ran away southbound across M Street, back through the parking lot of the Sibley Plaza. Irving was eventually arrested on February 27, 2019, and has been held pending trial. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Hall and Wes Faulkner. 2019CF1002754


title: Caddo County Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Caddo Nation

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – LARISHA LARELL WABAUNASEE , 38, of Anadarko, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and theft from the Caddo Nation, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public records, in September 2023, Wabaunasee was employed by the Caddo Nation and worked in part at the Caddo Nation Tag Office. From October 2023 through November 2024, Wabaunasee diverted customer payments into her personal bank accounts for her own use by creating and using an unsanctioned point-of-sale account. On November 4, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Wabaunasee with embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization. “The defendant betrayed the trust of the Caddo Nation and its citizens by diverting customer payments for her own personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Our office remains committed to working alongside our tribal and federal partners to ensure that those who steal from tribal organizations are held accountable.” “The Caddo Nation remains focused on healing, accountability and moving forward together as a community,” said Bobby Gonzalez, Chairman of the Caddo Nation. “While this matter involved the actions of a single individual, it also reflects the strength of the systems we have in place to protect the Nation and our people. We appreciate the cooperation and professionalism shown throughout this process and remain committed to transparency, restoration, and the well-being for our community.” On February 2, 2026, Wabaunasee pleaded guilty and admitted she embezzled and stole from the Caddo Nation Tag Office by diverting customer transactions to her personal accounts. At sentencing, Wabaunasee faces up to five years in federal prison, payment of restitution, and a fine of up to $250,000. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Mexican National Sentenced in Federal Cocaine Distribution Case

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A citizen of Mexico who was living in Arvada, Colorado, was sentenced on Feb. 3 for the distribution of cocaine. Francisco Javier Miranda-Rodriguez, 39, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. U.S District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence. The defendant will be deported upon completion of his sentence. According to court documents, in March 2025, DEA agents received information that the defendant was looking for cocaine customers. Undercover agents conducted a controlled buy in Cheyenne on March 13, 2025, for two ounces and again on April 3, 2025, for approximately three ounces. A third buy for nine ounces was coordinated in Timnath, Colorado on May 6, 2025. At that time, agents asked about purchasing a kilo. The defendant said he could get it and would charge $1,000 per ounce. When attempting to coordinate the delivery of the kilo, communication between the undercover agent and the defendant ceased. Miranda-Rodriguez was arrested on June 18, 2025, after a traffic stop. The same day, agents conducted a search of his apartment and located 92 grams of cocaine. The defendant admitted he would make trips to Douglas and Casper to deliver drugs at least once a month and did so for five months. “This sentence sends a clear message: drug trafficking will not be tolerated in our communities. This defendant came to the United States, distributed dangerous drugs across state lines, and fueled addiction and crime. Thanks to strong law enforcement work, he will serve time in federal prison and be removed from the country. We will continue to prioritize border security, aggressive drug enforcement, and the removal of criminal aliens who threaten public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith.” DEA investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case. Case No. CR-25-00128


title: Worcester Couple Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

body_text: BOSTON – A husband and wife from Worcester have been sentenced for sex trafficking a victim in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Kiersten Soto, 32, and Moises Soto, 33, were sentenced on Jan. 23, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 18 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendants were also ordered to pay a $5,000 fine and pay mandatory restitution to the victim in the amount of $138,000. In September 2025 , the defendants were convicted of one count each of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion. Kiersten Soto was also convicted of one count of traveling or using interstate facilities to promote unlawful activities. The defendants were arrested and charged in December 2022 . From February through May 2022, the Sotos used force, fraud and coercion to traffic the victim for commercial sex in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. A website was used to advertise the victim to sex buyers from all over New England. Kiersten Soto regularly threatened the victim with violence, abandonment and involuntary commitment to a facility. Moises Soto used extreme physical violence including beatings, assaults with wooden dowel rods and choking if the victim failed to make enough money. Videos from the defendants’ cell phones show the defendants cornering the victim in their home, threatening her, berating her, calling her a snitch, all while the victim suffered through agonizing drug withdrawals. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Marlborough and Worcester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen W. Hassink and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Avondale Man Sentenced to Over Five Years in Prison  for Drug Trafficking

body_text: Tucson, Ariz. – Ramon Renteria, 33, of Avondale, Arizona, was sentenced on Jan. 15, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 64 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release, with community restitution and a fine totaling $7,000. Renteria previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. On Dec. 2, 2020, law enforcement seized approximately 31.1 kilograms of methamphetamine in connection with Renteria’s role coordinating the transportation of drug loads from Tucson to Phoenix. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Oro Valley Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01681 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-018_Renteria # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: KC Man Sentenced to 32 Years for Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire, felon in possession of a firearm, and violation of a previous term of federal supervised release. Thomas D. Clegg, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 30 years in federal prison without parole for participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clegg was also sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for a violation of his supervised release on a felon in possession of a firearm case from 2012. He committed the conspiracy and weapons offenses while on that term of supervision. All sentences imposed were ordered to run consecutively for a total of 32 years. Clegg and others conspired from Aug. 19, 2021, to June 13, 2022, to murder a victim identified as “J.C.” and his family members for payment in cash and marijuana. The conspiracy included two occasions when Clegg shot J.C. On Aug. 19, 2021, Clegg shot J.C. in the leg and back in the parking lot of Ugly Joe’s bar in Kansas City, Mo. On May 25, 2022, Clegg shot J.C. multiple times in the parking lot of a strip mall located at 4010 Sterling Ave., Kansas City, Mo. The businesses in and near the strip mall included an accounting firm, daycare, and fitness center. One witness had two children in her vehicle and was picking up her third child from the daycare when her vehicle was struck by gunfire. Her driver’s side window was shot out, but no one in her vehicle was injured. Investigators seized Clegg’s cellphones when he was arrested. Investigators obtained search warrants for Clegg’s cellphones and discovered several text messages between Clegg and co-conspirators demonstrating that Clegg was hired to murder J.C. The messages also showed a persistent pattern of Clegg and others tracking members of J.C.’s family in attempts to locate and murder them. In May 2025, Clegg pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clegg was found guilty of the conspiracy to commit murder for hire at the conclusion of a five-day jury trial. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department, the Independence, Mo. Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.


title: Methuen Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Drugs to Federal Prison in Connecticut

body_text: BOSTON – A Methuen, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sending a package containing drugs to a federal prison. Tuere Barnes, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of providing contraband in prison. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2026. Barnes was charged on Jan. 12, 2026. On or about Jan. 23, 2023, Barnes caused a package containing 460 sublingual strips laced with narcotics to be shipped to an inmate at FCI Danbury – a federal correctional facility in Danbury, Conn. Lab testing showed a sample strip contained buprenorphine, a Schedule III substance. Under federal regulations, possession of narcotics is prohibited in federal correctional facilities. The defendant’s fingerprints were found on papers in the package. The charge of providing contraband in prison provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Lauren Maynard of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.


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

body_text: Firearm Offenses Milton Robert Petersen , 55, of Pavillion, Wyoming, was sentenced to 70 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms. According to court documents, on March 13, 2025, officers executing a search warrant at Petersen’s residence found him, along with two rifles, in a camper trailer on the property. Petersen, a multiple-time convicted felon, is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms and admitted to the presence of numerous firearms on the premises. In total, law enforcement seized approximately 57 firearms during the search. The case was investigated by agents of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Petersen was indicted on July 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Jan. 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00109 Robert Dean Campbell , 50, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Campbell was sentenced in 2009 for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He violated his terms of supervised release in 2021 and absconded from supervision. On Aug. 15, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service located Campbell at his girlfriend’s camper in Cheyenne and arrested him on a warrant. Officers located a Ruger 9mm pistol in the camper, which he possessed. The Cheyenne Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Campbell was indicted on July 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 10, 2025. Chief U.S. District Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Jan. 30 in Cheyenne. Drug and Firearm Offenses Jason Arnold Rohrich , 49, of Rapid City, South Dakota, was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, to run concurrently with his sentence in Case No. 25-CR-00145 (below). According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Wyoming Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop on the defendant, who admitted his driver’s license was suspended and that he had a large sum of cash in the center console. While securing the cash, a trooper discovered a baggie of methamphetamine on the floorboard. The Uinta County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the search, during which deputies found additional baggies of methamphetamine hidden in secret compartments inside stainless steel cups, along with a semi-automatic pistol. Rohrich is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. Case No. 25-CR-00049 In a superseding indictment, Jason Arnold Rohrich , was also sentenced to180 months’ imprisonment with 10 years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, to run concurrently to the above sentence. According to court documents in that case, on Oct. 3, 2024, the Idaho State Police conducted a traffic stop on I-15. Again, Rohrich admitted his driver’s license was suspended and while he was trying to obtain other documents, the trooper noticed he was unable to control his body movements or sit still. After being arrested for suspicion of a DUI, Rohrich admitted he had a few thousand dollars’ worth of methamphetamine in the vehicle. Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office arrived on scene and deployed his K9. During the search of the car several pounds of methamphetamine were found in a box behind the driver’s seat, several small baggies were found near the methamphetamine along with a .45 caliber Glock 21. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christyne M. Martens prosecuted the case. Rohrich was indicted in both cases on Jan. 28, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Oct. 21, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Jan. 23 in Cheyenne. Case No. Case No. 25-CR-00049 and 25-CR-00145 Tyler L. Riser, 32, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced on three criminal offense counts to 41 months’ imprisonment for distribution and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and a consecutive 60 months for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Five years of supervised release, per count, was also imposed to run concurrently. Following an investigation into drug trafficking on the Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents arrested Riser at his residence on February 25, 2025. A search warrant led to the seizure of seven firearms, ammunition, $2,334 in cash, approximately 21 grams of methamphetamine with packaging, and drug paraphernalia. Agents with the DCI and the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Riser was indicted on March 20, 2025, and pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jan. 28 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00053 Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien Juan Pedro Rangel-Ventura, 25, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. According to court documents, on June 15, 2025, ICE located the defendant at the Sublette County Jail in Pinedale for a state offense. Based on the defendant’s fingerprints, ICE determined he had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in November 2022. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Jan. 20 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00172 About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Operation Take Back America Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Victim Witness Program The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.


title: Jury finds Crow Agency man guilty of sexual abuse on the Crow Indian Reservation

body_text: BILLINGS – A Crow Agency man who sexually abused a minor on the Crow Indian Reservation was found guilty by a federal jury today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Following a three-day trial, Jared Cordell Stewart, 54, was found guilty of one count of abusive sexual contact of a child. Stewart faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 4, 2026. Stewart was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in July of 2020 Jane Doe disclosed Stewart had been sexually abusing her. However, during a visit from law enforcement Doe denied the abuse. About one year later, in October 2021, the police spoke with Jane Doe again. This time she said Stewart had sexually abused her many times, beginning when she was seven or eight years old. Law enforcement interviewed everyone who lived in the home, and many reported seeing Stewart go into Jane Doe’s room at night and after she showered. Some of the other people who lived in the home reported seeing Stewart treat Jane Doe differently and saw inappropriate photos of her on his cell phone. One child reported that while he was visiting the home he witnessed Stewart touch Jane Doe’s legs while she was in bed. Another minor, Jane Doe 2, reported Stewart made inappropriate comments about her and approached her while she was alone and asleep in her room on one occasion. Jane Doe 2 said she refused Stewart’s advances, and she believes he thereafter targeted Jane Doe. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. XXX


title: Texas man pleads guilty for his role in narcotics conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Norman Patillo, 45, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler, Donna Duncan, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling the case, stated that between April 2023, and February 20, 2025, Patillo conspired with others to sell cocaine. Patillo primarily transported cocaine to bulk cocaine customers around the U.S., including to co-conspirators in Buffalo, NY. The cocaine, which came from Mexico, was collected by Patillo for transportation in Texas. Patillo would also pick up narcotics proceeds in Buffalo, and elsewhere, to be returned to Texas. Patillo personally made numerous trips to Buffalo to drop bulk cocaine or collect narcotics proceeds. Patillo was arrested in April 2025, along with six other defendants, including: Winnie Taru Woods a/k/a Ru, Sharron McCullough a/k/a Black, Marlon Holt, Jr. a/k/a Scooter a/k/a Professor, Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr., Ian Dyer, and Shannell Gosine. Patillo is the first to be convicted. On May 7, 2024, the Ontario County, NY Sheriff’s Office seized more than nine kilograms of cocaine and 3,528 grams of pure methamphetamine from Marlon Holt during a traffic stop. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo/Rochester comprises agents and officers from HSI and the FBI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York. The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Enforcement Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, the 23rd Judicial Taskforce, Tennessee, as well as Homeland Security Investigations in NY, and Houston and Austin, Texas. Sentencing is scheduled for August 14, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Buffalo man pleads guilty to possession of a machinegun

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Luis Mercado a/k/a Yvng Fabii, 24, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to possession of a machinegun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti, Louis M. Testani, Jeffrey E. Intravatola, and Katerina F. Powers, who are handling the case, stated that on February 9, 2024, police officers stopped Mercado, a local rapper with the stage name “Yvng Fabii,” as he was fleeing a fight that occurred at a Buffalo State University basketball game. While officers were attempting to stop him, Mercado raised his arms and stated, “I got the thing on me.” When officers asked what he was referring to, he responded, “I got the joint on me.” Officers recovered a loaded defaced pistol, equipped with a machinegun conversion device and extended magazine, from Mercado’s waistband. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Buffalo State University Police, under the direction of Chief Amy Pedlow. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. # # # #


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in Drug Conspiracy

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Sebastian Martinez-Romero, 22, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela Martinez to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez-Romero previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Martinez-Romero and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day. This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This HSTF Tucson led investigation comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with the prosecution being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-2710-AMM-3 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-019_Martinez-Romero


title: Deering, Alaska, man sentenced to prison for sexual assault of teen seated next to him on flight from Anchorage to Seattle

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 29-year-old Deering, Alaska man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact on board an aircraft, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Trayton C. Ballot was arrested on January 15, 2025, when the Alaska Airlines flight he was on arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International airport. Ballot was convicted by a jury on September 10, 2025, following a two-day trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “This is a serious and scary crime with lasting consequences for the victim.” “The Western District of Washington has received a significant number of reported sexual assaults on aircraft in the last several years,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This sentence should serve as a warning to others who think they can take advantage of a plane’s environment to abuse vulnerable victims. We will take these cases, and take them to trial if necessary, to get justice for victims.” According to records filed in the case, the 17-year-old victim was flying with her mother and a friend on an overnight flight from Anchorage to Seattle. Ballot was seated in the middle seat in a row near the back of the plane. The victim was in the window seat. Ballot appeared to be asleep but then moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh and began rubbing her thigh. The victim, who was asleep, woke up to the touching and removed Ballot’s hand. Two more times Ballot moved his hand onto the 17-year-old’s inner thigh, and she removed his hand. After the third time, the victim lowered her tray table and wedged a stuffed animal under it to protect her lap. Despite those barriers, Ballot moved his hand under the armrest and attempted to place it over the victim’s thigh. The victim pressed down on the stuffed animal to stop the assault and Ballot took his hand away. The victim typed into her phone that the man seated next to her had touched her and showed the message to her mother who was seated in the row behind her. At her mother’s instruction, the victim notified the flight attendants who moved her to a different seat. Ballot was arrested when the plane arrived in Seattle. Speaking in court today, the victim said she was “trapped in a small place where I could not defend myself…. It was predatory – attacking me while I was asleep.” In asking for a two-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that the unique qualities of air travel require additional vigilance, and a deterrence message. “Sexual assaults on airplanes are a distressingly prevalent risk of modern airline travel…. In several ways, a plane is a uniquely vulnerable environment: passengers are often seated in close proximity to strangers, with little room and few options for removing themselves from unwanted situations; passengers regularly attempt to sleep on planes while sitting next to unknown persons; and outside of a passenger’s immediate neighbors, there is limited visibility and a low likelihood of witnesses, particularly when cabin lights are dimmed.” Judge Chun ordered Ballot to complete 10 years of supervised release following prison. “I commend the bravery displayed by this underage victim, and her mother, in speaking up for her safety by reporting this crime to the flight crew," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, one the FBI investigates and takes seriously. We encourage victims and witnesses to report such crimes to the flight crew; Port of Seattle Police or your local airport police; and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.” The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Forstein and Cindy Chang.


title: First defendant in drug trafficking organization dealing in the International District and homeless encampments sentenced to 30 months in prison

body_text: Seattle – The first of some 20 defendants charged with trafficking narcotics in Seattle’s homeless encampments and International District was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Theodore Nation, 36, has been in custody since January 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, Nation had been dealing “to particularly vulnerable and marginalized members of the community.” “This drug trafficking organization sold addictive substances to some of the most marginalized members of our community – those living in homeless encampments such as “The Jungle” under Interstate 5,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant made his living feeding the addiction of others making it ever more difficult for them to get out of the danger of homeless encampments.” “As a redistributor, Mr. Nation had a significant role in the Jungle Drug Trafficking Organization which sold dangerous drugs in the homeless encampments near the International District and I-5," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This organization and others like it fuel the fentanyl crisis in the United States with drugs that all too often prove fatal. FBI Seattle remains committed to working with our partners to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.” “In Seattle, our fight for a Fentanyl Free America is not abstract — it’s on the streets,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl powder alone seized from this group contained more than 1.7 million potentially lethal doses. Mr. Nation trafficked fentanyl and other deadly drugs in and around our homeless encampments and preyed on the most vulnerable in our community. The DEA, alongside our federal and local partners, is committed to using every enforcement tool at our disposal to shut down fentanyl supply chains, protect public safety, and save lives in Seattle and across the nation.” According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on a drug trafficking organization dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12 th and Jackson. In the first round of arrests and indictments in January 2025, some of the defendants were arrested with firearms. Using a court authorized wiretap, investigators gathered evidence of the drug trafficking and made arrests and seizures over the course of the investigation. Law enforcement heard intimations of violence on the calls and worked to intervene without tipping off the targets of the investigation. During the January arrest operation, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder. A second round of indictments and arrests occurred in late May 2025. In this part of the investigation, in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million. In their sentencing memo asking for a 57-month sentence for Nation prosecutors noted the deadly toll of fentanyl. “According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, 167 people died of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County in 2020. By 2023, the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County rose to 1,086.2 Although the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses peaked in 2023 in King County, in 2024 there were still 788 fentanyl-involved overdoses and in 2025 there were still 696 fentanyl-involved overdoses.” The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Investigators also worked with the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Tukwila Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne. This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.


title: Utah Business Owner of Urban Armz LLC Sentenced to Two Years’ Imprisonment After Defrauding Victims $591,932

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Utah man who misrepresented his business, Urban Armz, LLC, as a federal firearms licensee based in St. George, was sentenced today to 24 months’ imprisonment after he engaged in financial fraud by falsely representing to customers that his business could fulfill orders to help first responders in Ukrainian warzones. Instead, the defendant and his coconspirator used the money elsewhere, including on personal expenses. John Earl Donaldson, 32, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money. In addition to Donaldson’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, sentenced Donaldson to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $591,932.73 jointly and severally with his codefendant. According to court documents and admissions made at Donaldson’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between December 2021 and January 2023, in the District of Utah, Donaldson engaged in financial fraud by holding himself out as the owner and operator of Urban Armz LLC, a purported federal firearms licensee. He falsely represented to two customers that his company sold large quantities of ammunition and had an established business relationship with a major ammunition supplier. When Donaldson received the victims’ money, he failed to deliver the ordered products. At one point, Donaldson obtained capital from a financial firm by lying about his company’s revenues and altering bank statements to reflect fictitious revenues. In March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, a Ukrainian American nonprofit and a Detroit-based company separately sought to donate needed supplies to first responders (police, paramedics, and firefighters) in warzones. Those entities paid Urban Armz to deliver body armor, bullet proof vests, and other equipment to Ukraine. Donaldson lied about his ability and intent to fulfill the order. He instead took the charitable donors’ money—over $517,000—and spent it elsewhere, including on personal expenses. In all, Donaldson and his coconspirator caused a $591,932.73 loss to four victims. See prior press release: Utah Married Couple Running a Gun and Ammo Shop, Arrested and Indicted After Deceitfully Obtaining Over $600,000 from Customers . “Defendant preyed on charitable donors seeking to help first responders on the front line in Ukraine. Stealing charitable donations is pernicious, but particularly so when the donations are meant to help those suffering horrific conditions in warzones,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit others for their own financial gain.” "Mr. Donaldson’s actions were more than just financial fraud; they were a heartless exploitation of a global crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "By pocketing over $517,000 intended for life-saving equipment in Ukraine, he prioritized personal greed over the safety of first responders. The FBI remains dedicated to ensuring that those who use deception to defraud others are held fully accountable." The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Role in Cocaine Conspiracy

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Aaron Leopoldo Aguirre-Gutierrez, 50, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Aguirre-Gutierrez previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine. Between Feb. 24, 2024 to August 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Aguirre-Gutierrez and others distributed approximately 19 kilograms of powder cocaine. This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This HSTF Tucson led investigation comprises agents and officers from the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department with the prosecution being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson. CASE NUMBER: CR-24-5214 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-020_Aguirre-Gutierrez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Maximum Sentence for Neo-Nazi Guilty of Hate Crime

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A North Carolina man was sentenced to the statutory maximum of five years in prison for sending antisemitic threats to Georgia's only Jewish State House Representative and the Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Macon after both women publicly backed the passage of Georgia House Bill 30, the state's first legislation defining antisemitism. Ariel E. Collazo Ramos, 32, of High Point, North Carolina, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Feb. 4, after he was found guilty of one count of mailing threatening communications with the addition of a hate crime enhancement on Nov. 4, 2025, following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. There is no parole in the federal system. “Let me be clear: individuals like this defendant will face federal prosecution for criminal acts driven by hatred,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case underscores that crimes rooted in antisemitism and any hate crime against race, religion, or protected groups, will be prioritized. Law enforcement stands with the Macon community to unite against hatred, and we will use the justice system to hold offenders accountable." "Hate has no place in our society," said FBI Atlanta Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) Robert Gibbs of the Macon Resident Agency. "Today's sentencing of neo-Nazi Ariel Ramos reinforces the FBI's unwavering commitment to protecting civil rights and sends a clear message that threats based on faith or identity will not be tolerated. " According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, a neo-Nazi group gathered outside of Temple Beth Israel in Macon in 2023 as the congregation was inside observing the start of Sabbath. In January 2024, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel testified before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Georgia House Bill 30, a bill defining antisemitism. The bill was co-sponsored by State Representative Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia House of Representatives. The bill was signed into law on Jan. 31, 2024. Rep. Panitch received an antisemitic postcard from Ramos at her home the morning of the bill signing; Rabbi Bahar received an antisemitic postcard from Ramos at her home the following day, on Feb. 1, 2024. At the time, Ramos sold candles, postcards and other products depicting racial, antisemitic and white nationalist themes out of his home. Ramos mailed a threatening postcard to Rabbi Bahar’s home address from North Carolina. The postcard contained the handwritten statement, "Is there a child rape, torture, and murder tunnel under your house? We have the Zyklon B. Use Code ‘GASTHEJEWS’ for 10% off!" The reverse side of the postcard displayed a hand-drawn image depicting a purported Jewish male wearing a rat costume and the words “JEWS ARE RATS.” Rep. Panitch received an identical postcard to her home address. Both Rabbi Bahar and Rep. Panitch testified at trial the steps they took for their own safety in response to receiving the threatening postcards. Rabbi Bahar and Rep. Panitch had family members murdered by Nazis using Zyklon B during the Holocaust. The case was investigated by FBI. U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.