title: Bowling Green Man Sentenced to Over 18 years in Federal Prison for  Methamphetamine Distribution and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced on August 26, 2025, to serve 18 years and 4 months in federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and for possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement. According to court documents, on or about February 15, 2024, in Warren County, Kentucky, Joshua O. Duncan, 40, possessed with the intent to distribute 4,667 grams of methamphetamine and 574.08 grams of fentanyl. In furtherance of his drug trafficking, Duncan also possessed a Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver, a Springfield Armory .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger .380 caliber semiautomatic pistol, and a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. Duncan was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On August 21, 2018, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, greater than 2 grams of methamphetamine. On August 27, 2012, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, cocaine. On March 11, 2010, in Logan Circuit Court, Duncan was convicted of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, cocaine. Based on this conduct, and Duncan’s criminal history, the Court imposed a sentence of 18 years and 4 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. “Joshua Duncan is a longtime drug dealer in and around Warren County that was given plenty of chances to reform his behavior. Unfortunately, he doubled down on his criminal ways, distributing even more methamphetamine and fentanyl into our community while armed with four handguns. Warren County is safer today because of this lengthy sentence—the culmination of fantastic work between local, state, and federal agents,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner. ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes said, “We are proud to partner with the Warren County Drug Task Force and will continue to prioritize our investigative resources to focus on those who wish to deal in dangerous drugs and violence in Central Kentucky. This significant sentence is an example of what should be expected by our strong collaborative effort.” “We are pleased to see justice served in the case of a significant drug trafficker selling poison in Bowling Green and Warren County. This case underscores the continued cooperation of law enforcement partners—local, state, and federal—working together to bring cases before the United States Attorney for prosecution and sentencing without the possibility of parole. The community can be assured that he will not be trafficking drugs for the next 18 years,” said Director Tommy Loving. There is no parole in the federal system. The ATF Bowling Green Field Office and Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II of the United States Attorney’s Office Bowling Green Branch prosecuted the case. This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: United States Intervenes and Sues ProMedica Health System, Inc. and Its Affiliates for Providing Grossly Substandard Nursing Home Services

component: Civil Division

body_text: The United States has intervened and filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania under the False Claims Act (FCA) against ProMedica Health System, Inc. (ProMedica) and various affiliated entities including HCR ManorCare Inc. and four nursing homes located in Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, and Virginia (the defendants). ProMedica is a nonprofit corporation that is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. From 2018 to 2023, it owned and controlled the following four nursing homes: ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Pottstown (Pennsylvania), ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Riverview (Ohio), ProMedica Skilled Nursing, Rehabilitation - Greenville East (South Carolina), and ProMedica Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation - Imperial (Virginia). In its complaint in intervention, the United States alleged that the four nursing homes provided non-existent, grossly substandard skilled nursing facility care or services that otherwise failed to meet the required standards of care under the Nursing Home Reform Act. The United States alleged that, from 2017 to 2023, the defendants failed to develop or follow individualized care plans for their residents. Specifically, in many cases, the facilities failed to provide adequate wound care to prevent pressure ulcers, failed to maintain residents’ hygiene and to provide showers as required, and failed to provide residents with appropriate assistance with feeding, which led to severe weight loss in many cases. To conceal their provision of grossly substandard care, in some cases, defendants falsely documented in resident medical records that care and services had been provided to residents when it had not been. “The Justice Department is committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society, including elderly and infirm individuals who depend on nursing homes for safe and dignified skilled nursing care,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Grossly substandard care places nursing home residents at serious risk of harm and this suit sends a clear message that we will pursue health care providers who fail to meet their legal obligations to provide required care and who betray the trust of the residents they are meant to serve.” “An increasing number of older adults and persons with disabilities are residing in long-term care facilities. These residents are often particularly vulnerable to inadequate assessment and treatment of their needs,” said U.S. Attorney David Metcalf for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. “Beginning almost 30 years ago, the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania filed some of the first False Claims Act complaints and reached some of the first settlements in the United States to focus on quality of care in the nursing home environment. Today’s complaint again serves notice to the nursing home industry that a failure to provide adequate nursing home care will not be tolerated. Public funds expended for nursing home residents must result in appropriate care, which is what the government pays for, and the law requires.” The complaint in intervention is the result of a coordinated effort by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. This matter is being handled by Fraud Section attorneys Susan C. Lynch, Robbin O. Lee, and Samuel P. Robins, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Degnan and Gerald B. Sullivan for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The case is captioned United States, et al., ex. rel. Compton v. HCR ManorCare, Inc., et al. , No. 16-cv-0851 (E.D. Pa.). The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: Sex Offender Who Possessed Gun, Approached Children Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender caught with a pistol after a road rage shooting to eight years in prison. Leroy Richard Walker Jr., 54, of Franklin County, pleaded guilty in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted firing a shot from a pistol after he believed a driver passed him and then pulled in front of him on Nov. 25, 2022, as they exited Interstate 44 in Eureka, Missouri. Walker was also investigated twice for violating the sex offender restrictions barring him from schools and school bus stops. He admitted approaching and speaking with two children who were waiting for the school bus on Nov. 28, 2023, in Franklin County. On May 14, 2024, Walker pulled up in front of a high school in Franklin County, Missouri and began speaking with a 16-year-old girl who was also waiting for the school bus. He offered her a ride home and dropped her at a commercial business. On the way, he put his arm around the victim. The victim told authorities that she got into Walker’s car because she felt pressured by him and believed he could grab or hurt her. Walker has prior felony convictions for first-degree assault, attempted forcible rape, armed criminal action, burglary, tampering, stealing a motor vehicle and escape. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Pacific Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Northeast Missouri Felon Caught Twice with Guns and Drugs Sentenced to Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a northeast Missouri felon who was on supervised release when he was caught twice with drugs and guns to 153 months in prison. Darek A. Wilson, 40, of Kahoka, in Clark County, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on July 29, 2024, a U.S. Probation Officer was at Wilson’s home when he spotted suspected methamphetamine in Wilson’s bedroom. The officer went on to find a Glock handgun, 61 rounds of ammunition, fentanyl, meth, marijuana, and psilocybin mushrooms. Wilson was on supervised release after pleading guilty on Nov. 10, 2021, to one count of possession with the intent to distribute meth. An arrest warrant was sought, and when the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Northern Missouri Drug Taskforce and the Kahoka Police Department returned to Wilson’s home, they found 12 firearms hidden in the false ceiling of a bedroom and a safe containing a digital scale, $4,394 in cash, 241.63 grams of meth, 19 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and 15 more guns. Wilson lived 231 feet from a school property. The U.S. Probation Office, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Northern Missouri Drug Taskforce and the Kahoka Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nauman Wadalawala prosecuted the case.


title: Former General Manager Admits Embezzling $878,000 from Her Employer

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – The former general manager of a Missouri company on Wednesday admitted embezzling $878,000. Kristina Higgins, 54, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bank fraud and agreed to repay the money. She admitted issuing company checks to pay a total of $878,711 in personal credit card bills and using a stamp to add the company owner’s signature on the checks. In December of 2022, she falsified information to ensure that the checks would be honored when the company enrolled in the bank’s positive pay system, her plea agreement says. Higgins is scheduled to be sentenced on December 4. Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million or both prison and fine. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf is prosecuting the case.


title: United States Sues State of Illinois for Providing Financial Aid and In-state Tuition to Illegal Aliens Attending Colleges and Universities

component: USAO - Illinois, Southern

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Division and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois filed a complaint in federal court Thursday against the state of Illinois for policies directing financial support for illegal aliens that are not provided to non-resident U.S. citizens. “Illinois has an apparent desire to win a ‘race to the bottom’ as the country’s leading sanctuary state. It’s misguided approach mandating in-state tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to illegal aliens plainly violates federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This policy treats illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states and incentivizes even more illegal immigration, all on the taxpayer’s dime. Illinois citizens deserve better.” Federal law prohibits states from granting postsecondary education benefits, like in-state tuition or state financial aid, to illegal aliens unless the state provides equivalent benefits to all U.S. citizens, regardless of residency. Illinois law classifies certain aliens who are not lawfully present in the United States as “residents” and requires public state colleges to provide reduced tuition and other post-secondary education financial benefits, while U.S. citizens from other states, who do not meet the residency requirements, must pay higher out-of-state tuition rates and do not qualify for certain other benefits. In addition to providing in-state tuition, the state of Illinois also provides illegal aliens with taxpayer-funded scholarships through state programs administered under the Retention of Illinois Students and Equity (RISE) Act. This financial aid is accessed through an alternative FAFSA form only available to noncitizens. These benefits are not afforded to U.S. citizens who reside outside of Illinois. This discriminatory treatment in favor of aliens not lawfully present in the United States over U.S. citizens is squarely prohibited and preempted by federal law. Signed into law on June 21, 2019, the Illinois RISE Act expanded access to state financial aid for undocumented students in Illinois who are ineligible for federal support through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA disqualifies illegal aliens based on their lack of lawful status.


title: Armenian Man Indicted in Austin for Alleged Role in Conspiracy to Smuggle Goods to Russia

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – An Armenian national made his initial appearance in a federal court in Austin today after he was indicted and extradited on charges related to an alleged export control conspiracy. According to court documents, from February 2022 until at least August 2024, Kamo Kirakosyan and others allegedly participated in a criminal conspiracy to export goods, including items that can be used for semiconductor manufacturing, from the United States to the Russian Federation through the Republic of Armenia without the requisite license or authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry & Security. Kirakosyan and his co-conspirators are also alleged to have violated the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) by engaging in transactions with and for the benefit of one or more entities on the Specially Designated Nationals list without the required licenses from the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control. The indictment alleges that Kirakosyan became the straw or substitute purchaser of U.S.-origin goods for his co-conspirators shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and the imposition of additional sanctions and export restrictions on Russia. In May 2022, Kirakosyan allegedly sent a co-conspirator instructions on opening a bank account in Armenia for the purpose of evading sanctions. The indictment further alleges that, while arranging the transshipment of goods to Russia, Kirakosyan represented himself to U.S. companies as the Armenian buyer of goods and did not provide truthful information about the end users, despite the U.S. companies’ requests for end user statements, and despite Kirakosyan’s knowledge that the unauthorized export or reexport to Russia of certain shipments was prohibited without a license. Kirakosyan is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate federal law; one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States; one count of attempted violation of the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA); on count of attempted smuggling; one count of violation of the ECRA; and one count of smuggling. Kirakosyan was initially charged in a criminal complaint on or about July 31, 2024. He was extradited to the United States on Aug. 29, 2025, and made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Dustin Howell of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI and the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce are investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché in Berlin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Kirakosyan’s extradition to the United States. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Roomberg is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Two Sentenced to Prison for Laundering Sinaloa Cartel Drug Proceeds

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Tuesday sentenced two men to prison for laundering money in the St. Louis area for the Sinaloa drug cartel. Judge Pitlyk sentenced Carl Von Garrett, 55, of St. Charles, Missouri, to 135 months in prison and Tobiyyah Israel, 39, of Ohio, to 36 months in prison in separate hearings. Both men were found guilty by a jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May of one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of money laundering. Von Garrett was also found guilty of one additional count of money laundering. Evidence at the trial showed that Von Garrett laundered nearly $1 million in seven transactions in the spring of 2021 for the Sinaloa cartel. In addition to his prison sentence, Von Garrett faces a money judgment of $744,864, representing the drug proceeds that made it to the cartel. Investigators also seized $211,000 from Israel and $7,040 from Garrett. During the Von Garrett sentencing hearing, Judge Pitlyk said the large quantity of money in the case reflected significant drug sales and that Von Garrett’s crime was “threatening to the community.” Luis Miguel Hernandez, 38, of Phoenix, previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of money laundering and admitted being driven by Von Garrett to a meeting with an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer in St. Louis on March 1, 2021. Hernandez delivered $100,095 in drug proceeds and then arranged a series of meetings between Antonio Jones, 51, of Florissant, Missouri, and the task force officer. On March 8, 2021, Jones handed over $100,000. Jones delivered $150,030 on March 17 and $100,000 on March 31. On April 8, Jones delivered $109,740. Israel was a courier, like Jones, evidence and testimony showed. On April 14, Israel picked up $221,020 from Von Garrett. Von Garrett was then stopped by investigators, who found six phones and a ledger that contained dates and amounts of money roughly corresponding to cash drops, evidence showed. Israel told investigators that he’d been promised $1,000 to pick up the cash, and that he’d done so once before. Jones then delivered $100,100 on May 18 and another $100,100 on May 25. Hernandez was sentenced in January to 87 months in prison and Jones was sentenced to 37 months in prison. Jones pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI, the St. Louis County Police, the Bridgeton Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and the St. Charles County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jim Delworth and Ricardo Dixon are prosecuting the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Raleigh Trafficker Sentenced for Cocaine and Gun Crimes

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

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Wilbert Lee Howard, III, 42, to 16 years in federal prison for leading a major cocaine trafficking operation in the Raleigh area. Howard pleaded guilty to his crimes on June 12, 2025. “This defendant had multiple prior state convictions for cocaine trafficking and possessing firearms, but he never learned his lesson. He continued to pump poison into our neighborhoods instead of being a contributing member of society,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Our neighborhoods, families, and communities are safer with this man behind bars. If you think you can make money and get away with selling drugs in Eastern North Carolina, you are wrong. Our federal and state law enforcement will find you, take your drugs, guns, cars, and money, and you will go to prison. Justice in this case is strong, it’s fair, and it sends a message loud and clear.” According to court documents and information presented in court, from September 2023 to July 2024, Howard distributed approximately 14 kilograms of cocaine in Raleigh and its surrounding communities. The investigation revealed that Howard was obtaining kilograms of cocaine and distributing them to other drug dealers for sale in the Raleigh area. Law enforcement conducted multiple traffic stops of individuals working with Howard and recovered cocaine, marijuana, and cash. On July 17, 2024, officers executed search warrants at properties used by Howard for drug trafficking and recovered cocaine, cash, and multiple firearms, including a shotgun and a 9mm handgun. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00264.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material from Canada into the United States

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Mexican national pleaded guilty today to transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while illegally crossing from Canada into the United States, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Jose Rodriguez-Garcia, 27, a Mexican national pleaded guilty to one count of transporting child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Landya McCafferty scheduled sentencing for December 15, 2025. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, on June 6, 2024, Rodriguez-Garcia and another man were observed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol crossing from Canada into New Hampshire at Hall Stream Road. A search of the defendant yielded several electronic media devices, including a thumb drive which depicted CSAM. The charge of transporting CSAM carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years. 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. The investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Arranging Sale of Drugs to DEA

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a man who arranged for the sale of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine to 15 years in prison. Jerry Massey, 33, pleaded guilty in April to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl, five counts of distribution of meth and fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of count of distribution of meth and heroin. The Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Massey in January of 2022, and made a series of drug purchases that were arranged by him in St. Louis, St. Louis County and Illinois. The sales included meth and fentanyl on Jan. 18, 2024, January 24, January 31, February 8, February 29, March 7, March 14. On February 14, the DEA purchased fentanyl and cocaine. On March 27, investigators conducted a court-approved search of Massey’s home and found a large amount of cash and 29 pills containing fentanyl, Massey’s plea agreement says. Darrion Dardon, 32, previously pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and distribution of meth and heroin. Darius Smith, 31, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge. Ronald Finney, 32, and Michael Davis, 34, pleaded guilty to three drug charges and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In their plea agreements, Davis admitted selling meth and fentanyl on January 18. Smith gave Massey the meth that he sold on January 24. Dardon sold meth and a mixture of heroin, cocaine and xylazine on February 29. Finney sold meth and Davis sold fentanyl during the March 14 transactions. When Finney’s home in St. Louis County was searched on March 27, investigators found fentanyl, cocaine base and meth, as well as a handgun and drug paraphernalia. Davis’ home in St. Louis contained fentanyl, a digital scale, a kilogram press, drug paraphernalia, a handgun, meth, cocaine base and cocaine. Finney and Davis await sentencing. Dardon was sentenced to 84 months in prison and Smith to 96 months. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erin Granger is prosecuting the case.


title: Hartford Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA ROMAN, 33, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 72 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in July 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force began investigating a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was distributing kilogram quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Connecticut. The investigation included court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, controlled purchases of narcotics, and other investigative techniques. A wiretap revealed that Roman, the president of the Loose Cannonz motorcycle club, was attempting to broker transactions of kilogram quantities of fentanyl and carfentanil. The investigation further revealed that Roman and his associates were receiving shipments of fentanyl and cocaine for distribution in the Hartford area. On May 18, 2023, investigators made a controlled purchase of approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Roman. On June 7, 2023, Roman was arrested at Hartford residence and investigators seized approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from him. On that date, a search of the Loose Cannonz clubhouse in East Hartford revealed an additional 50 grams of fentanyl. On May 5, 2025, Roman pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Roman, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 22. This investigation is being conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Robert Dearington through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.


title: Rosedale Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Money Laundering

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Terry Allen, 57, of Rosedale, Maryland, to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) – Philadelphia Regional Office; and Chief Robert O. McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD). According to the guilty plea, in 2022, during an investigation into a target, the FBI discovered that the target paid Allen more than $270,000. Agents later learned that Allen was supplying the FBI target with diverted prescription drugs. As a result, the FBI partnered with the DEA and identified Allen as the leader of a Baltimore-region drug trafficking organization (DTO). Agents soon learned that from 2022 to 2023, Allen’s DTO flooded the Baltimore community with thousands of diverted oxycodone pills. The DTO’s members deployed a vast network of pseudo-patients to acquire diverted oxycodone pills. Pseudo patients are individuals recruited by drug traffickers to enter “pill-mill” clinics with fictitious complaints of pain to receive prescriptions for Schedule II controlled substances. As part of the conspiracy, pseudo-patients gave their oxycodone prescriptions to DTO members in exchange for cash payments or oxycodone. In February 2023, law enforcement received court authorization to intercept phone calls and text messages from numerous DTO members’ cellular phones. Intercepted calls revealed that Allen was distributing vast quantities of oxycodone. On these calls, Allen openly discussed the large quantity of drugs she possessed for redistribution. She acquired her vast supply of oxycodone from her large pseudo-patient network. Intercepted calls revealed how Allen and her top oxycodone supplier, Co-Conspirator 1, collaborated to manage the pseudo-patients. Co-Conspirator 1 managed 12 pseudo-patients to acquire oxycodone, which Co-Conspirator 1 then resold to Allen. During their intercepted calls, Allen and Co-Conspirator 1 discussed inventory; transferred pseudo-patients to pill-mill clinics that would easily refill oxycodone prescriptions or give higher dosages; and arranged for pseudo-patients to pass urine screenings. Additionally, through the investigation, law enforcement uncovered Allen’s money laundering. A review of Allen’s bank records revealed she received and spent more than $2 million from 2017 to 2023. Agents traced Allen’s drug transactions through peer-to-peer applications such as Zelle and Cash App. In May 2023, agents obtained more than 30 search warrants for residences, vehicles, and persons involved in the investigation. On May 31, agents searched Allen’s residence, located in Rosedale, Maryland. As law enforcement searched Allen’s house, she agreed to speak with FBI agents in a separate room. Allen then admitted to using pseudo-patients to acquire oxycodone that she redistributed on the street. During the search, agents found approximately $39,380; drug ledgers; a calendar with annotations regarding medical appointments for pseudo-patients; distribution quantity of oxycodone pills, suboxone strips, and Adderall pills; a Glock 19 9mm handgun; and a Remington 12-gauge shotgun. The money and firearms were connected to Allen’s drug trafficking activities. Authorities arrested Allen, but after her bail hearing, she was released on home detention. In August 2023, while on home detention, law enforcement learned that Allen was distributing oxycodone. On September 13, law enforcement searched her home and found two pseudo-patients’ prescription-pill bottles, containing 200 oxycodone 20MG pills. During the investigation, agents obtained Maryland Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) records for all of the DTO’s pseudo-patients’ oxycodone prescriptions. According to PDMP records, members of the conspiracy illegally re-distributed at least 3,000 kilograms of converted drug weight worth of oxycodone. Through the conspiracy, Allen sold approximately 4,454 pills, containing 30 milligrams of oxycodone for $45 per pill; approximately 12,835 pills, containing 20 milligrams of oxycodone for $30 per pill; approximately 6,749 pills, containing 15 milligrams of oxycodone for $20 per pill; and approximately 770 pills, containing 30 milligrams of Adderall for $20 per pill. Allen received approximately $735,860 from selling the pills. In addition to using her residence in Rosedale to distribute drugs, Allen leveraged the proceeds from her drug trafficking activities to pay the mortgage for the property. At Allen’s sentencing, the Court imposed a $735,860 forfeiture money judgement and ordered the forfeiture of Allen’s house in Rosedale, Maryland. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin C. Miner and Ari D. Evans who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Former Bronx District Leader And Board Of Elections Employee Sentenced To Two Years In Prison For Extortion And Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that NICOLE TORRES, a former elected district leader in the Bronx and employee of the New York City Board of Elections (the “NYC-BOE”), was sentenced today to two years in prison for participating in conspiracies to commit extortion and mail fraud for illegally demanding payments from Bronx residents in exchange for selecting those individuals as poll workers and for agreeing with others to falsify documents to make it appear that certain individuals had worked as poll workers when they had not. TORRES previously pled guilty on April 17, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, who imposed today’s sentence. “For years, Nicole Torres abused her power to corrupt one of New York City’s most fundamental democratic processes,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “By shaking down Bronx residents and falsifying election records, she undermined trust in the very system New Yorkers depend on to make their voices heard. New Yorkers can and should rely on the integrity of the election process, and public officials who contaminate the process and betray this city and its people will be held accountable.” As detailed in public filings and public court proceedings: From at least 2019 through at least 2024, TORRES was a district leader for New York’s 81st Assembly District in the Bronx. In addition, from at least 2016 through at least 2024, TORRES was an employee of the NYC-BOE. While working at the NYC-BOE, TORRES had at times been responsible for ensuring that poll workers were paid for their work during early voting and Election Day. TORRES abused her power as a district leader and a NYC-BOE employee to engage in two illegal schemes. First, from at least 2019 through August 2024, TORRES agreed to require and required Bronx residents to pay a sum of money, usually $150, either to her or to a local organization (the “Bronx Organization”) in exchange for TORRES selecting those individuals as poll workers for upcoming elections. Both the Bronx Organization and TORRES profited from the scheme. TORRES personally obtained at least approximately $28,000 in illegal payments. TORRES received the payments, often in the amount of $150, through mobile payment applications, money orders, and checks. In certain instances, TORRES received money orders or checks that were written out to the Bronx Organization, and TORRES altered the payee line on those money orders or checks to say “Nicole Torres” so that she could deposit that money into her personal bank account. Second, from at least 2018 through August 2024, TORRES agreed to falsify the Election District Forms Booklet—which is a NYC-BOE record in which poll workers record their attendance at a particular poll site—to make it appear that certain individuals (the “‘No Show’ Poll Workers”) worked as poll workers during early voting and Election Day when, in truth and fact, and as TORRES well knew, those individuals did not work on those dates. TORRES often worked with coordinators who oversaw the Forms Booklets at specific poll sites. These coordinators signed in “No Show” Poll Workers in the Forms Booklets, frequently at TORRES’s direction. TORRES and her coconspirators then received the salaries for the “No Show” Poll Workers—sometimes through the mail—and split the fraudulently obtained salaries among themselves. Based on her participation in the two schemes, TORRES personally earned at least approximately $40,970. * * * In addition to her prison term, TORRES, 44, of the Bronx, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay forfeiture of $40,970. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Department of Investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett and Rebecca T. Dell are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Two Admit to Roles in Fentanyl Distribution Operation in Northern Panhandle

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Two people have admitted to their roles in a drug distribution organization transporting fentanyl from Chicago, Illinois, to Weirton, West Virginia. Stephen Price, also known as “Sleepy,” 40, of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty to eight counts involving the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. Paula Jean Truax, 44, of Weirton, West Virginia, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. According to court documents, Price and Truax worked together with others to sell large quantities of fentanyl in Hancock County, West Virginia, and elsewhere. Price faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison for one of the charges. He faces up to 20 years for each of the remaining counts. Truax faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office; the Brooke County Sheriff’s Office; the Weirton Police Department; the West Virginia State Police; the Jefferson County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office; the Steubenville, Ohio, Police Department; and the Wheeling Police Department. U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.


title: Honduran national sentenced for methamphetamine in federal prison

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Honduran national serving a federal prison sentence in the Eastern District of Texas has been sentenced for possessing contraband, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Viljar Eduardo Rosales-Lara, 35, pleaded guilty to possession of a prohibited object in prison and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 2, 2025. According to information presented in court, Rosales-Lara, while serving a federal prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Beaumont, was found to have 15 individually wrapped bundles of methamphetamine during a pat-down search inside his prison cell. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Grove. ###


title: Shiprock Man Charged with Assault and Federal Firearms Offenses

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges for firing multiple rounds at two people during a domestic dispute on the Navajo Nation. According to court documents, on August 1, 2025, Bryson Chee , 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, who had been drinking and behaving erratically, arrived at a residence in Shiprock as a passenger in a vehicle with two others. After exiting the vehicle, Chee retrieved a handgun, pointed it at the occupants, and then began shooting as they attempted to drive away. A nearby witness and child took cover as shots were fired. Investigators later recovered multiple spent shell casings and confirmed bullets struck the victims’ vehicle. Officers from Navajo Nation Police Department located Chee shortly after the shooting. Chee ignored commands to stop and threw a backpack containing a loaded handgun down a steep embankment before being taken into custody. Chee is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Chee faces a minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Chee).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Seeks Forfeiture of $848,247 in Cryptocurrency from Confidence Scams

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: WASHINGTON — The Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture complaint today against $868,247 in Tether (USDT). As detailed in the complaint, the funds are alleged to be ill-gotten gains from several cryptocurrency-related confidence scams that targeted victims in the District of Columbia, Texas, Illinois, and Florida, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Co-conspirators stole funds from at least four victims between September 2022 and February 2025 and laundered the funds through a convoluted web of cryptocurrency wallets to evade detection and avoid accountability. Joining in the announcement were Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. In late 2022, the FBI Honolulu Division Cyber Squad opened the investigation after a victim in Hawaii reported being defrauded out of $1.3 million by the LME Crypto Group, a scam group impersonating the London Metal Exchange while operating a complex cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme by cultivating long-term relationships with victims online and eventually enticing them to make investments in fraudulent cryptocurrency trading platforms. At least one victim of the LME Crypto Group was defrauded in the District of Columbia. In December 2023, that victim reported a $30,000 loss to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). [1] The victim’s complaint explained that they “thought it was an investment to earn big profits in a short amount of time.” The victim went on to state that they bought cryptocurrency through an online platform and invested it in “an app called LME.” Cryptocurrency investment fraud typically begins by criminals contacting potential victims through seemingly misdirected text messages, dating applications, or professional meetup or investment groups. In the four cases highlighted in the complaint, the victims were each approached through seemingly misdirected text messages. Next, using various means of manipulation, the perpetrators gain the victim’s affection or trust. The perpetrator then recommends cryptocurrency investment by touting their own, or an associate’s, success in the field. A common tactic is to direct a victim to a fake investment platform hosted on a website that mimics a legitimate platform. The perpetrator assists the victim with opening a cryptocurrency account, often on an exchange based in the U.S., and then walks the victim through transferring money from a bank account to that cryptocurrency account. Next, the perpetrator provides instructions to the victim regarding how to transfer their cryptocurrency assets to what is in actuality a fake investment platform. On its surface, the fraudulent platforms often show lucrative returns, encouraging further investment; underneath, all deposited funds are routed to a cryptocurrency wallet address controlled completely by the perpetrators. The perpetrators frequently allow victims to withdraw some of their “profits” early in the scheme to engender trust and help convince victims of the legitimacy of the platform. As the scheme continues, victims are unable to withdraw their funds and are provided various excuses as to why. Ultimately, victims are locked out of their accounts and lose all their funds. Anyone who believes they are a victim of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and investment scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov . In 2024 alone, approximately $5.8 billion in losses from cryptocurrency investment fraud was reported to the IC3. The FBI Honolulu Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit provided invaluable assistance. The Department of Justice would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Columbia Acting Deputy Chief Kevin Rosenberg and Asset Forfeiture Coordinator Rick Blaylock Jr., along with Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz, Ethan Cantor, and Gaelin Bernstein from the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice, and Daniel Zytnick with the Consumer Protection Branch of the Department of Justice. 25cv2967 [1] The Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, is the United States’ central hub for reporting cybercrime. It is run by the FBI, the lead federal agency for investigating cybercrime. tron_20250902_civil_complaint_25-cv-2967.pdf


title: Jamaican National Charged With Committing Robbery In Mount Vernon And Discharging Firearm At Police While In Flight

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the unsealing of a Complaint against Jamaican national JAMAIRE ROBERTSON in connection with the armed robbery of a gas station attendant working in Mount Vernon, New York, in the early morning hours of August 29, 2025. ROBERTSON was arrested the same day and presented in Manhattan federal court on Saturday, August 30, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Katharine A. Parker, who ordered him detained. “As alleged, Jamaire Robertson committed a terrifying gunpoint robbery of a gas station attendant and then, minutes later, shot at police officers trying to stop him on a residential street in Mount Vernon,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Those willing to use guns and violence to terrorize our community and put law enforcement lives at risk should expect to face serious consequences. Anyone who disrupts the safety of New Yorkers and the dedicated officers responsible for keeping us all safe will be swiftly brought to justice.” “Jamaire Robertson and his associate allegedly robbed a local gas station employee by brandishing firearms to forcefully steal the victim’s wallet, and Robertson allegedly fired upon officers,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Not only did Robertson’s alleged actions terrorize a random citizen for a nominal payout, but they also recklessly endangered the lives of local law enforcement officers. This arrest reflects the FBI’s enduring determination to apprehend any armed criminal through Operation Summer Heat, so our communities are protected from unnecessary acts of violence.” As alleged in the Complaint filed on August 30, 2025, in White Plains federal court: [1] On the morning of August 29, 2025, ROBERTSON and an associate (“Suspect-2”) exited a vehicle registered to ROBERTSON parked near ROBERTSON’s apartment in the Bronx and set out together on foot at approximately 5:19 a.m. toward a gas station on Mount Vernon Avenue in nearby Mount Vernon. At approximately 5:29 a.m., ROBERTSON and Suspect-2, each brandishing a handgun, violently robbed the gas station’s attendant, stealing approximately $500-$600 in cash on the victim’s person along with the victim’s wallet. The robbery was captured on video surveillance. The perpetrators fled the gas station and separated, with ROBERTSON seeking cover on a residential street in Mount Vernon near its border with the Bronx. There, ROBERTSON was observed in flight by New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers who were aware of the gas station robbery that had taken place minutes before. When the NYPD officers sought to approach ROBERTSON, he opened fire with his handgun and fled, discarding his weapon and a black hooded sweatshirt he wore during the robbery, which were recovered from the scene. Security camera footage from ROBERTSON’s apartment building captured him returning home in his underwear and a t-shirt at approximately 6:25 a.m. and disposing additional articles of clothing down his building’s trash chute later that day, before his arrest. If you have information to report regarding this robbery, please contact the FBI through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or by completing its online tip form at tips.fbi.gov. * * * ROBERTSON, 28, a Jamaican national, is charged with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. ROBERTSON is also charged with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which carries an additional mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must be served consecutive to any other prison term imposed. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarlitto is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._robertson_complaint.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Last Defendant in Drug Conspiracy Case Sentenced to Prison

body_text: CLEVELAND – A Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to prison on drug conspiracy-related charges for trafficking fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio. Andree L. Padgett, 35, of Euclid, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in April to the following charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances Distribution of A Controlled Substance Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions for drug trafficking in 2016 and 2023 Padgett was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. The sentence was imposed by Judge Polster on Aug. 28, 2025. According to court documents, from about June 27 to about July 13, 2023, Padgett, along with two other co-conspirators, knowingly participated in selling illegal substances containing fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio. In total, the members of this conspiracy sold over 300 grams of fentanyl. Additionally, on two separate occasions, Padgett sold a total of six firearms along with the fentanyl. Because of the defendant’s significant criminal history, he was designated a career offender. Co-defendant Ambray N. Underwood, 27, of Cleveland, was previously sentenced to 108 months (nine years) in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Co-defendant Tashaun N. Bell, 24, of Maple Heights, was previously sentenced to 46 months (3.8 years) in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. Both co-defendants pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the conspiracy. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brian S. Deckert and Matthew W. Shepherd for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Martinsville Doctor Sentenced to 40 Years for Drug Distribution

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A Martinsville-based doctor, who was found guilty of more than 450 counts of multiple drug charges at the conclusion of a three-week jury trial in December 2024, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon to 40 years in federal prison. Joel Smithers, 42, of Texarkana, Texas, was found guilty of one count of maintaining a place for the purpose of illegally distributing controlled substances and 466 counts of illegally prescribing Schedule II controlled substances. “This defendant’s actions betrayed his oath to his patients, his community, and the healthcare system at large,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of these crimes, and the destruction wrought by the opioid epidemic in our communities, an epidemic fueled by the flagrant misconduct of Dr. Smithers. When doctors betray the trust placed in them, they must be held accountable.” “Dr. Smithers failed his patients and the community he swore to serve. Healthcare providers play a vital role in dispensing medications that address their patients’ health requirements. By overprescribing and irresponsibly diverting dangerous controlled substances he put the citizens lives at risk. Not only did we conduct a criminal investigation into Dr. Smithers, but the DEA also revoked his DEA Registration. This action, and today’s sentence prevents him from prescribing medications, ensuring the safety of the public from his negligent practices,” said Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Washington Division. “Dr. Smithers operated like a drug dealer with a prescription pad, flooding communities with addictive and deadly opioids, all while pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Attorney General Jason Miyares. “I'm proud of the work done by my Major Crimes and Emerging Threats prosecutor M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, in partnership with our Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and federal and local law enforcement, to hold him accountable.” Smithers opened an office in Martinsville in August 2015 and prescribed controlled substances to every patient in his practice, resulting in over 500,000 Schedule II controlled substances being distributed. The drugs involved included oxymorphone, oxycodone, hydromorphone, and fentanyl. A majority of those receiving prescriptions from Smithers traveled hundreds of miles, one-way, to receive the drugs. Smithers did not accept insurance and took in over $700,000 in cash and credit card payments prior to a search warrant being executed at his office on March 7, 2017. Effective April 17, 2019, the DEA Acting Administrator revoked Dr. Smithers’ DEA Registration Number. Smithers was previously convicted in 2019 of these charges. However, after his conviction, the United States Supreme Court changed the law concerning jury instructions in cases involving illegal distribution of controlled substances by health care providers. Accordingly, a new trial was ordered and occurred in December 2024. At sentencing, the Court determined that Smithers obstructed justice by perjuring himself when he testified at trial. The Court further found that Smithers was a leader of this extensive criminal activity extending from August 2015 to August 2017. Finally, the Court determined that Smithers abused a position of public trust and misused a special skill when he unlawfully distributed numerous Schedule II controlled substances. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Tactical Diversion Squad (Roanoke and Bristol offices) and the Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General. DEA Task Force Officers with the police departments of Bristol, Martinsville, Buena Vista, Roanoke, and Roanoke County; the Sheriff’s Offices of Henry County and Pittsylvania County; the Virginia State Police; and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Virginia Office of the Attorney General assisted in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Randy Ramseyer and Corey Hall and Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, prosecuted the case in this most-recent trial for the United States.


title: Georgia Man Admits Trafficking Methamphetamine Pills to Connecticut

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TYRONE BROWN, 33, of Lithonia, Georgia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to a methamphetamine trafficking offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, between approximately January 2022 and March 2024, Brown mailed parcels containing methamphetamine pills from Georgia to addresses in New Haven associated with Gregory Grant and others. Investigators identified approximately 79 suspicious parcels shipped from Brown to Grant during that time. In January 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of an intercepted parcel and found 16 ziplock sandwich bags containing a total of more than four kilograms of multicolored methamphetamine pills and a firearm. The investigation also revealed that Grant made multiple payments to Brown during the conspiracy. Brown pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for December 2. Brown has been detained since his arrest on April 7, 2025. Grant, of New Haven, pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, and is detained while awaiting sentencing. This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, which includes members from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service – Office of the Inspector General, and the Hartford, Plainville, and Meriden Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel J. Gentile and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis.


title: North Texas Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Children

body_text: A North Texas man who produced sexually explicit photos of two children in Fort Worth was sentenced to 60 years in prison today, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson. Scott Wayne O’Toole, 60, pleaded guilty in April 2025 to two counts of sexual exploitation of children following an investigation led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On August 28, 2025, O’Toole was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 360 months per count, for a total of 720 months. According to court documents, authorities in Alaska began investigating O’Toole in December 2024 after the discovery of a USB drive containing child sexual abuse material at a hotel where O’Toole resided while on a temporary duty assignment as a school bus driver. This case involved the coordinated efforts of the FBI, the Fairbanks, Alaska Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the District of Alaska, and the Northern and Eastern Districts of Texas. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison on Firearms Violations and Child Pornography Charges

body_text: CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to more than 17 years in prison for manufacturing firearms and machine gun conversion devices from his home using a 3D printer and selling them through a popular social media platform. Alexander Beattie, 34, of Barberton, Ohio, was sentenced to 210 months (17.5 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in May to the following charges: Engaging in the Business of Dealing Firearms Without a License Engaging in the Business of Manufacturing and Dealing Firearms Without a License Manufacturing a Firearm Without a License Felon in Possession of Ammunition; previous convictions for burglary in 2011 and domestic violence in 2018. Possession of Child Pornography Beattie was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and to pay $54,500 in restitution and $5,000 in Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA) assessments. The sentence was imposed by Judge Adams Aug. 28, 2025. According to court documents, from about Feb. 1 – Nov. 4, 2024, Beattie used a 3D printer to manufacture illegal firearms, parts, and suppressors in his house. These firearms without serial numbers, are untraceable, and typically manufactured at home, are known as “ghost guns.” “Ghost guns” are unable to be tracked or traced since they do not have serial numbers or other record of being manufactured or sold. Beattie used a popular social media platform to market his manufacturing services and find paying customers by sharing photos and videos that highlighted the quality of his illegal products. U.S. Attorney's Office During the investigation, agents also found that Beattie’s electronic devices contained child pornography, also known as child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), that included children who were under the age of 12. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Final two defendants sentenced in multi-state conspiracy responsible for hundreds of firearms trafficked to Mexico

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been sentenced following their convictions of conspiracy to traffic firearms and smuggling goods out of the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Esteban Rios Reyes, 35, a legal permanent resident of Silverhill, Alabama, pleaded guilty Jan. 28, while Alex Santos Lopez, 22, a U.S. citizen residing in Oaxaca, Mexico, admitted his guilt Feb. 16, 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Lopez and Reyes to serve 90 and 87 months in federal prison, respectively. Lopez was ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison term, while Reyes, who is not a U.S. citizen, could lose his status to reside in the United States. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about how frequently the organization exported weapons and coordinated across several states in the months before the smuggling attempt. In handing down the sentence, Judge Crane emphasized Lopez’s and Reyes’ leadership roles in the organization and the lengths they went to conceal their behavior. On Sept. 6, 2023, Lopez drove a truck towing a utility trailer and attempted to exit the United States. An outbound inspection led to the discovery of 270 firearms, 251 firearm magazines, nine sights and 1,541 rounds of ammunition. The weapons were a combination of assault rifles, shotguns, pistols and rifles, many of them disassembled. All the items were individually wrapped and hidden either behind a false wall that was built into the utility trailer or inside water heaters that Reyes had purchased to disguise the load. The investigation revealed that this was not the first load of firearms that the organization had attempted to traffic into Mexico. The traffickers had been acquiring firearms since 2022 at various locations across the United States, including Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Tennessee. The weapons were then stored at stash houses in Texas, disassembled and wrapped, and ultimately concealed in trailers before being smuggled into Mexico. This operation led to arrests in numerous districts across the United States, resulting in the disruption of several smuggling attempts and the seizure of nearly 1,000 firearms destined for Mexico. Co-conspirators Felipe Garcia, 36, and Angel Carreno, 25, both of Dallas, and Jose Luis Pacheco, 25, a U.S. citizen living in Guadalajara, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the trafficking organization and were ordered to serve 57, 57 and 54 months in federal prison, respectively. Lopez and Reyes have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lee A. Fry prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, enacted in June 2022. It is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage .


title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To 47 Years In Prison For Sexually Exploiting A Minor And Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced today to 47 years in prison followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for sexually exploiting a toddler and possessing the child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of several minors. Damian Amalfitano pleaded guilty to one-count of sexual exploitation of children and one-count of possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II ordered Amalfitano to pay $2,000 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance (AVAA) fund. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Amalfitano must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student. “Today’s sentence reflects the defendant’s deplorable behavior and the seriousness of this crime against a vulnerable child who the defendant sexually abused,” said Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “The collection of child sexual abuse material showed that the defendant sexually abused the victim for multiple consecutive days and recorded the abuse.” "Damian Amalfitano posed a significant threat to children as demonstrated by his repeated perverse and sick exploitation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathaniel Holland for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Even in the darkest corners of the internet, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will exert every effort to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable. Today's sentencing reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing justice for our most vulnerable victims." Amalfitano admitted that beginning at an unknown time, but no later than September 22, 2010, and continuing to at least October 30, 2021, Amalfitano sexually abused a two-year-old child by engaging in sexually explicit conduct with said child for the purpose of producing CSAM and possessed CSAM of several other minors. A forensic examination of his electronic devices found that he had a total of approximately 350 images and six videos of CSAM on two digital devices, depicting CSAM as young as toddlers. He also admitted that he engaged in sexually explicit conduct with three other minor victims. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov . ###


title: Honduran National Guilty of Making False Statement in Passport Application, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Theft of Government Funds

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – PEDRO NOLOCOS ROSALES (“ROSALES”) , age 64, a native of Honduras, pled guilty on August 19, 2025, to a three-count indictment for making a false statement in a passport application, aggravated identity theft, and theft of government funds announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. According to court documents, ROSALES applied for a United States passport and falsely used the social security number (“SSN”) and name of another person for over 20 years. ROSALES , using this SSN, also applied for Social Security Administration (“SSA”) Disability Insurance Benefits, and converted to his use, money belonging to the United States and the SSA. Approximately $186,078.60 in U.S. Government funds were released to him by the SSA from April 2003 through August 2023 as a result of ROSALES’s fraud. ROSALES faces up to ten years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 as to Count 1; a mandatory consecutive two years imprisonment as to Count 2; and up to ten years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000 as to Count 3. Upon release from incarceration ROSALES may be sentenced to a supervised release period of up to one year on Count Two, and up to three years on Counts One and Three. ROSALES also agreed to pay $186,078.60 in restitution. He also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee as to each count. The case was investigated by the U.S Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Department of Justice Wins Significant Remedies Against Google

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division won significant remedies in its monopolization case against Google in online search. In United States et al. v. Google , the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia prohibited Google from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app; ordered Google to make certain search index and user-interaction data available to rivals and potential rivals; and ordered Google to offer search and search text ads syndication services to enable rivals and potential rivals to compete. The court’s ruling today recognizes the need for remedies that will pry open the market for general search services, which has been frozen in place for over a decade. The ruling also recognizes the need to prevent Google from using the same anticompetitive tactics for its GenAI products as it used to monopolize the search market, and the remedies will reach GenAI technologies and companies. “This decision marks an important step forward in the Department of Justice’s ongoing fight to protect American consumers. Under President Trump’s leadership, we will continue our legal efforts to hold companies accountable for monopolistic practices,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The first Trump administration sued Google to restore competition for millions of Americans subjected to Google’s monopoly abuses. Today, the second Trump administration has won a remedy to do just that,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We will continue to review the opinion to consider the Department’s options and next steps regarding seeking additional relief. I am immensely proud of the dedicated public servants of the Antitrust Division and their tireless work on this case alongside our state partners.” Filed in President Trump’s first term, the Justice Department’s case against the Google search monopoly has unified the country. The Department’s original filing in October 2020 was joined by eleven State Attorneys General. Additional states filed a related action as the case progressed, and ultimately, the United States was joined in pursuing the remedies ordered today by 49 states, two territories, and the District of Columbia. Under the remedies ordered today, Google will be barred from entering or maintaining exclusive contracts relating to the distribution of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, and the Gemini app. Google cannot enter or maintain agreements that (1) condition the licensing of any Google application on the distribution, preloading, or placement of Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app anywhere on a device; (2) condition the receipt of revenue share payments for the placement of one Google application on the placement of another Google application; or (3) condition the receipt of revenue share payments on maintaining Google Search, Chrome, Google Assistant, or the Gemini app on any device, browser, or search access point for more than one year; or (4) prohibit any partner from simultaneously distributing any other GSE, browser, or GenAI product. In addition, Google will have to make certain search index and user-interaction data available to certain competitors. Google will also be required to offer certain competitors search and search text ads syndication services, which will open up the market by enabling rivals and potential rivals to deliver high-quality search results and ads and compete with Google as they develop their own capacity. For years, Google accounted for approximately 90 percent of all search queries in the United States, and Google used anticompetitive tactics to maintain and extend its monopolies in search and search advertising. Google entered into a series of exclusionary agreements that collectively locked up the primary avenues through which users access online search, requiring that Google be the preset default general search engine on billions of mobile devices and computers and, in many cases, prohibiting preinstallation of a competitor. Using its monopoly profits, Google bought preferential treatment for its search engine and created a self-reinforcing cycle of monopolization — shutting out potential competitors, reducing innovation, and taking choice away from American consumers. The Department of Justice and the states proved that Google broke the law over the course of a bench trial that started in September 2023 and lasted nine weeks. In August 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia released a 277-page opinion, concluding that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly” in violation of Section 2 of the Sherman Act. Today’s decision follows a 15-day remedies trial in May 2025.


title: Two men arrested for visa fraud in separate complaints

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Fredy Hernandez-Lopez, 19, a citizen and national of Mexico, and Pablo Marlon Frias Teran, 40, a citizen and national of Ecuador, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with Visa fraud, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaints, in the early morning hours of August 26, 2025, Hernandez-Lopez and Frias Teran were passengers in a vehicle that made a wrong turn onto the Peace Bridge Port of Entry, coming from the United States. When questioned by Customs and Border Protection officers, Hernandez-Lopez was not in possession of an identity document and was escorted to secondary inspection, during which officers located what appeared to be a United States Permanent Resident Card and a United States Social Security Card, both bearing the name “Freddy HERNANDEZ.” Subsequent investigation determined that both cards were fraudulent. Frias Teran also was not in possession of an identity document and was escorted to secondary to determine his immigration status. Officers discovered an Alien Registration Receipt Card, bearing the name Marlon Teran, which was also determined to be fraudulent. Previously, Frias Teran was ordered removed from the United States in July 2024 but never left the country. The defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and were detained. The complaint is a result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to Five Years for Trafficking Fentanyl

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO , Calif. — Ady Perez, 26, of Fresno, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to five years in prison for possessing over 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Perez was arrested while trying to sell 1,500 fentanyl pills. Perez attempted to flee in his car but quickly ran into a police vehicle and was arrested. Shortly after his arrest, law enforcement searched his apartment and seized two loaded firearms, large amounts of cash, and additional fentanyl and Farmapram (Benzodiazepine) pills packaged for distribution. This case was the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple and Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin Heinz prosecuted the case.


title: Two Guatemalan men arrested for illegal re-entry

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Hugo Lopez Morales, 48, and Martin Lopez Morales, 30, both a citizen and national of Guatemala, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with illegal re-entry, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Hugo Lopez Morales is charged with illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien following a felony conviction, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaints, on the afternoon of August 16, 2025, Hugo Lopez Morales was driving a vehicle at the Lewiston Bridge Port of Entry in Lewiston, NY. There were five passengers in the vehicle, including Martin Lopez Morales. Neither defendant had valid U.S. entry documents. The occupants of the vehicle were escorted to secondary inspection. Subsequent investigation determined that Hugo Lopez Morales was physically removed from the United States to Guatemala in November 2016. Also, he was previously convicted of illegal reentry in June 2023 and was again deported in August 2023. In addition, he previously voluntarily returned from the United States to Mexico in July 1998, and December 2004. Martin Lopez Morales was physically deported to Guatemala in October 2020. He was also given a voluntary return from the United States to Mexico in April 2001 and twice in May 2021. The defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroder, Jr. and were detained. The complaint is a result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Bakersfield Man Sentenced to 15.5 Years in Prison for Receiving and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: FRESNO , Calif. — Roman Rodriguez, 26, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 15.5 years in prison for receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, between Feb. 18, 2024, and Feb. 22, 2024, Rodriguez used an iPhone and the internet to receive and distribute images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Rodriguez received more than 600 images, which included depictions of the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children and at least one toddler. This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Bakersfield Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany M. Gunter prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Fresno Man Sentenced to Over Seven Years for Possessing Ammunition After Firing an AR-15 Style Rifle from a Moving Vehicle in a Residential Neighborhood

body_text: FRESNO , Calif. —Timothy Scott Chenot, 34, of Fresno, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff to seven years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Chenot drove around a residential neighborhood in Southeast Fresno late at night on August 2, 2024. As he drove, he fired an AR-15 .223 caliber rifle out his truck’s window. Chenot unloaded several rounds into unoccupied cars parked on the side of the road before discarding his firearm on the street and driving away. Responding officers, however, pulled Chenot over and arrested him. They found several empty shells, ammunition, and open alcoholic containers in the truck. Police also found and seized the firearm and several spent shells at the scene of the shooting. .223 Caliber AR-15 Chenot Fired Out of His Moving Vehicle This case is the product of an investigation by the Fresno Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community‑based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Learn more at Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Arizona and Indiana Individuals Sentenced to Federal Prison for Nationwide Bank Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – Three of the leaders of a nationwide bank fraud and money laundering conspiracy were sentenced to a combined 421 months in federal prison. According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Thaddeus Jerome Lee, Latroy L. Currie, and Johnnie Lee Thomas, were the founders and leaders of bank fraud and money-laundering conspiracies that operated from California to Connecticut, and numerous states in between, including Iowa. Over the course of approximately two and a half years, they attempted to deposit at least $15 million in stolen checks at various financial institutions throughout the country. They successfully obtained at least $2.9 million in fraudulent proceeds. Lee and Thomas lived in Arizona, and Currie lived in Indiana. They recruited dozens of individuals to commit acts of bank fraud and money laundering as part of the scheme. They obtained tens of millions of dollars’ worth of stolen checks; created many fake business entities to facilitate the fraud and laundering; and supervised many co-conspirators who went into banks and credit unions in several states, opened fraudulent checking accounts, and deposited the stolen checks. Lee, Thomas, and Currie laundered the proceeds of the stolen checks by withdrawing the funds from the fraudulently obtained accounts and sharing the proceeds with their co-conspirators. Lee was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment, Currie to 135 months’ imprisonment, and Thomas to 135 months’ imprisonment. After completing their terms of imprisonment, all three will be required to serve terms of supervised release—Lee and Currie will serve five-year terms, and Thomas will serve a three-year term. There is no parole in the federal system. Eleven more co-conspirators have been sentenced on similar charges for their roles in the conspiracy. Tiarra Lenae Jones, was sentenced to a 96 month prison term, followed by a five-year term of supervised release; Stephen Rashad Haley, was sentenced to a 384 month prison term, followed by a five-year term of supervised release; Lovely Hall was sentenced to a 60 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Kila Wright was sentenced to a 54 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Kira Ashleigh Johnson, was sentenced to a 42 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; John Ivory Winston, Jr. was sentenced to a 30 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Reanna R. Haymon was sentenced to a 12 months-and-one-day prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Shapara Monee Hunter, was sentenced to a 8 month prison term, followed by a two-year term of supervised release; Mario Ricardo Smith was sentenced to a 6 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; Jazlinn Tapp, was sentenced to a 4 month prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release; and Somore Renee Hill, was sentenced to a 12 months-and-one-day prison term, followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Four more co-conspirators, Malik K. Marshal, Toni Lynette Renfroe, Carnell A. Thomas, Jr., and Erin R. Smith, are awaiting sentencing. “A combined total of 421 months in prison for the leaders of this check fraud scheme should send a message about the seriousness of the crime,” said Special Agent in Charge William Steenson of IRS Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office. “Stealing checks, money laundering, and bank fraud…these are not victimless crimes. The sentences imposed are the result of IRS-CI’s commitment to identifying and investigating check fraud and working with other federal agencies to ensure the guilty are held accountable.” The FBI stated “These defendants orchestrated a sophisticated illegal scheme to defraud businesses and our banking systems. This kind of criminal activity erodes public trust and undermines our nation’s economic security. The FBI will continue to work with our partners to aggressively investigate and hold accountable criminals who use deception and dishonesty to steal money from innocent victims and businesses. Financial fraud is not a victimless crime.” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with assistance from the Postal Inspection Service; Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; Homeland Security Investigations; and Secret Service, as well as with assistance from numerous state and local agencies. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Lubben, Kristin Herrera, and Kyle Essley (former) prosecuted the case.


title: Child Sexual Abuser on the White Earth Indian Reservation Sentenced to 20 Years’ Imprisonment

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Joseph Daniel Schultz, age 43, has been sentenced to 240 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for sexually abusing a minor victim on the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indian Reservation, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The sexual abuse of a child is an unforgivable crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Schultz violated a young girl on the White Earth Indian Reservation, shattering the trust and safety every child deserves. That child showed courage no child should ever have to summon. Two decades in prison stands as reminder that attacks on Minnesota’s children will be met with condemnation and severe consequences.” Throughout the fall and winter months of 2023, the defendant sexually abused a minor victim under the age of 9 on the White Earth Band of Ojibwe Indian Reservation. Schultz’s abuse of the minor victim took many horrific forms and lasted for months. He abused a position of trust and control in sexually abusing the victim. The victim experienced many horrific forms of sexual abuse at the hands of Schultz. In January 2024, when Schultz was arrested for an unrelated charge, the victim bravely disclosed the sexual abuse to a trusted adult. Earlier this year, Schultz pled guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact. As the government noted at sentencing, at least one in four girls in the United States experiences child sexual abuse. These numbers are starker for Native women and girls: Native Americans are 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual assault crimes. The impact of childhood sexual abuse is hard to overstate. Childhood sexual abuse results in devastating and lasting physical, emotional, and mental impacts, particularly with children as young as the victim in this case. Child victims of sexual abuse are at increased risk of suicide, chronic health conditions, and revictimization. In short, there can be little room for doubt that child sexual abuse, particularly for Native girls, opens a Pandora’s box of lifelong consequences. The defendant was sentenced today in U.S. District Court before Chief Judge J. Patrick Schiltz. Chief Judge Schiltz found that the defendant was subject to sentencing enhancements due to the age of the victim, the position of trust and control Schultz held over the victim, and the fact that Schultz qualified as a repeat and dangerous sex offender. In handing down the twenty-year sentence, Chief Judge Schiltz explained that this was a “horrible crime and it will have a horrible impact.” Chief Judge Schiltz noted the lasting impact these crimes have on their young victims, stating that the victim and her siblings will “spend all of their lives grappling with the harm committed in this case.” “Schulz’s unspeakable actions violated the safety and innocence of a child,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The children of the White Earth Nation, and all children, deserve to grow up free from the fear, trauma, and abuse inflicted by Schulz and horrible predators like him. This sentence reflects the full force of the FBI and our law enforcement partners that will be brought to bear to pursue justice for all victims and prosecution for anyone who exploits and abuses a child. We will stop at nothing to protect children and bring child predators to justice.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office commends the bravery of the young victim in this case, who courageously came forward and reported this horrific abuse. She saved herself and likely others from the defendant’s predatory crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also appreciates the excellent work of the FBI and the White Earth Tribal Police, who investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Baumel prosecuted the case.