title: Honduran Nationals Sentenced to More Than Two Decades in Prison for Kidnapping Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – HECTOR MONDRAGON-FLORES (“MONDRAGON”) , age 33, and EDWIN SALGADO-NUNEZ (“SALGADO”) , age 31, were sentenced on May 21, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe for multiple felony offenses including kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. MONDRAGON was sentenced to 27.5 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with an $800 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously being convicted by a jury of all eight counts of a superseding indictment against him. The jury found MONDRAGON guilty of kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); two counts of interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); conspiracy to receive a ransom payment, and two counts of receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371; and assault on a federal officer using a deadly weapon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b). SALGADO was sentenced to 22 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, along with a $500 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to five counts of a superseding indictment against him. SALGADO pleaded guilty to kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1201(a)(1) and 1201(c); interstate transmission of a ransom demand, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 875(a); and conspiracy to receive a ransom payment, and receipt of a ransom payment, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1202(a) and 371. According to court documents and evidence at trial, on October 2, 2024, MONDRAGON and SALGADO kidnapped the victim and bound his feet together and bound the victim’s hands together behind his back. The two men then held the victim at gunpoint in MONDRAGON ’s apartment and demanded payment of a $7,000 ransom from the victim’s father for his son’s release. MONDRAGON called the victim’s father over 50 times and threatened to kill the victim if the ransom was not paid. The victim’s father agreed to pay the ransom but reported the kidnapping to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on his way to the ransom exchange. NOPD detectives monitored the ransom exchange and arrested SALGADO after the victim’s father paid $3,000 cash to an associate of MONDRAGON and SALGADO . Before he was arrested, SALGADO attempted to flee by ramming a law enforcement vehicle. Following SALGADO ’s arrest, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to co-defendant Janette Ramirez’s apartment. MONDRAGON then demanded a ransom payment from the victim’s girlfriend for his release. After the victim’s girlfriend was unable to successfully transfer the payment to MONDRAGON or Ramirez, MONDRAGON took the victim at gunpoint to an ATM. The victim then withdrew $400 and gave it to MONDRAGON to secure his release. The next day, law enforcement officers spotted MONDRAGON at an apartment complex in New Orleans East. When officers attempted to arrest him, MONDRAGON pulled out a gun, forced his way into an occupied apartment, and took a hostage inside the apartment. The hostage escaped when MONDRAGON attempted to climb out of a window. As MONDRAGON was kicking out the window screen, he pointed his gun at two law enforcement officers, who forced him to turn back inside. MONDRAGON barricaded himself in the apartment for nearly eight hours until the NOPD SWAT team deployed tear gas and forced him to surrender. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman and Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit are in charge of the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ***


title: Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Facilitating Fraud Schemes at Two Financial Institutions

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York-based former employee of TD Bank N.A., Cheungkin Lam, also known as “Kelvin Lam,” pleaded guilty yesterday to defrauding TD Bank customers and bribing an employee at another financial institution to falsify bank records, which, in total, facilitated more than $3.4 million of fraud, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Lam, 28, pleaded guilty yesterday before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 15, 2026. “Lam leveraged his and a co-conspirator’s insider positions at two different financial institutions to facilitate millions of dollars of fraud in exchange for bribes. We expect bank employees to help root out fraud, not enable it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to hold financial institutions and their employees accountable when they break the law and undermine the integrity of the financial system.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer “Lam abused his position as a bank employee to help fraudsters steal money from unwitting customers and bribed another bank employee to do the same,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Bank employees are the first line of defense against money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes. When bank employees violate the public trust by using their positions to enrich themselves through financial crime, the Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute them.” “Cheungkin Lam’s conduct represents a grave breach of the trust placed in financial professionals. By exploiting his access to sensitive customer information, Lam facilitated a significant fraud and compromised the integrity of the financial system and the security of innocent victims,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “IRS-CI remains firmly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in Court: From January 2021 through May 2021, Lam accepted bribes and leveraged his position at TD Bank to identify bank accounts with large balances and steal confidential customer information. Lam shared that information with outside co-conspirators, who used it to defraud customer accounts. Separately, from May 2022 through August 2022, Lam engaged in a scheme to bribe a co-conspirator employed at another financial institution to falsify bank records in opening a bank account for use in various fraud schemes by Lam’s co-conspirators. In total, Lam received at least $155,000 in bribes and facilitated $3,433,989.07 in fraud losses. The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG), New York Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca, with the investigation. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the Morristown Police Department for its assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Bank Integrity Unit of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case. MNF’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system. ### Defense counsel: Eric Jaso, Esq. lam.information.pdf


title: Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to  15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Gun

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Jefferson County, KY –A Jefferson County man was sentenced today to 15 years in federal prison for one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. 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 Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department. Ricky Barker, 40, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a 5-year term of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On May 3, 2025, Barker fired a Taurus, Model PT111 Millennium G2, 9 mm pistol in a crowded area just after two people were shot and killed. Barker, however, is not suspected to have been involved in that shooting. Prior to this conviction, Barker was previously convicted of two robberies, two trafficking of controlled substance offenses, and two firearm offenses. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by ATF and LMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness and Jo E. Lawless 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). ###


title: Department of Justice and United States Attorney Announce Brian Flikeid as Freedom 250 Hometown Hero

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa is proud to announce that Brian Flikeid, Chief of Police for the Aurelia and Marcus Police Departments, has been recognized as a Freedom 250 Hometown Hero. The prestigious national award honors individuals whose steadfast courage, generosity, and public service embody the enduring ideals of liberty and civic responsibility. The Freedom 250 initiative was created in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. It recognizes outstanding Americans who make lasting contributions to their local communities. Chief Flikeid was selected because of his leadership, collaboration, and tireless dedication to improving crime victims’ experiences within the criminal justice system. Chief Flikeid served as the founding president of the board of the S.A.F.E. Center of Iowa, which is dedicated to creating single sites to furnish complete care, from reporting to follow-up mental-health counseling, to victims of sexual assault. He currently serves on the board of the Centers Against Abuse and Sexual Assault, which provides critical services to victims of sexual assault across 19 counties in northwest Iowa, and is a founding member of the Cherokee County Sexual Assault Response Team. He was also appointed by the Iowa Police Chiefs Association to serve as its representative on the newly formed Iowa Child Abuse Fatality Review Committee. In addition to that service, Chief Flikeid provides training on victim issues across the state to law-enforcement officers, sexual-assault nurse examiners, personnel of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, and victim advocates. This has included presentations at the Iowa Attorney General’s Domestic Violence Conference and the Iowa National Guard’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Team. Further, he has testified before the Iowa House of Representatives and Iowa Senate, advocating for legislation to assist victims. “Chief Flikeid’s unwavering dedication, leadership, and compassion have earned him the deep respect of his colleagues and the gratitude of the victims and communities he serves,” summarized Aurelia Police Department Officer April Degner, who nominated Chief Flikeid for the award. “His leadership, compassion, and tireless dedication have made a profound and lasting impact on the lives of crime victims and the community,” wrote Marcus Police Officer Jacqueline Stephens in support of the nomination. “There’s a reason that the lawman who stands up to protect the innocent is a classic American character,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “That dedication to defending the lives and liberty of your neighbors, of taking pride in your community and making it a better place to live, are the core of the American civic spirit. Brian Flikeid exemplifies that. As we celebrate our country’s 250th birthday, I’m grateful to have the honor to name Chief Flikeid as a Hometown Hero.” Olson presented the award to Chief Flikeid on May 22 in a ceremony at the Aurelia Community Center. For more information on the award and the Freedom 250 initiative, visit the Department of Justice News Page or White House Freedom 250 Page . Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Meth and Cocaine Conspiracy

body_text: Matthew Groat, 42, from Fort Dodge, Iowa was sentenced on May 27, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. In 2006 Groat was convicted in the same federal court for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment. On January 6, 2026, Groat pled guilty and admitted that from August 2025 through November 2025 he and others distributed over 2,200 grams of methamphetamine and at least 10 grams of cocaine to individuals in the Fort Dodge area. Groat also admitted that on two occasions in September 2025 he distributed about 10 grams of cocaine to individuals cooperating with law enforcement and on two other occasions in September 2025 and three times in October 2025, he distributed a total of more than 130 grams of pure methamphetamine. Groat further admitted to obtaining 5 to 10 pounds of methamphetamine from a local source during the four months of the conspiracy and selling it to people around Fort Dodge. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Groat to 108 months’ imprisonment and a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Groat remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa DCI Criminalistics Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3054. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Oregon Man Charged with Making Bomb Threats That Terrorized Schools in Ohio

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – An 18-year-old man from the state of Oregon has been charged with making dozens of hoax bomb threat calls to schools and other organizations in Ohio. In March, law enforcement began investigating bomb threats that were made to at least 17 high schools in Ohio, including in Lucas and Lake County. As a result of the threats, multiple schools were placed on lockdown while law enforcement searched for bombs or other signs of terrorism. The threats were found to be swatting, or hoax, calls originating from out of state. Following an investigation, federal agents identified Nathan Hayes, 18, of Sweet Home, Oregon, as the caller. As alleged in the criminal complaint and affidavit, Hayes used multiple aliases to threaten schools and organizations. It is also alleged that he offered swatting services for sale and doxed at least one individual in Illinois. Doxing is the act of publicly revealing someone's private, personally identifying information online without their consent. Hayes also monitored media coverage to see public reaction to his swatting calls. If convicted Hayes faces up to 10 years in prison. This case is being investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Dexter L. Phillips is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Google Employee Charged With Insider Trading

component: USAO - New York, Southern

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”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of a complaint charging MICHELE SPAGNUOLO, a/k/a “AlphaRaccoon,” a software engineer at Google, with commodities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering arising from his scheme to misappropriate confidential information from his employer and use that information to place a series of profitable Google-related trades on a prediction market platform. SPAGNUOLO, who resides in Switzerland, was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in the Southern District of New York. “Today’s charges reinforce a decades-old message: corporate insiders cannot use confidential business information to turn a profit in our markets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Spagnuolo violated the duties he owed to his employer and used Google’s confidential business information to make more than $1.2 million in trading profits on Polymarket. Insider trading compromises the integrity of our markets, and the American people want this greed-driven conduct investigated and prosecuted.” “Michele Spagnuolo allegedly abused his elevated access to confidential trends to place bets with nonpublic information and receive more than one million dollars in unlawful profits,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI remains dedicated to searching for fraudsters who betray their employer for personal financial gains.” As alleged in the Complaint unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:(1) SPAGNUOLO is a software engineer at Google. In connection with his role, SPAGNUOLO had access to Google’s internal data systems, including an internal software tool that provided him with access to confidential, nonpublic data. That software tool bore a banner that stated, in part, “Google Confidential” in red text. Indeed, SPAGNUOLO certified his understanding of various Google confidentiality and ethics policies. SPAGNUOLO created an account on Polymarket, which is a prediction marketplace, in May 2024. That account was known as “AlphaRaccoon.” Shortly after accessing Google’s internal information, SPAGNUOLO used the AlphaRaccoon account to place trades in various markets on Polymarket. In total, from on or about October 15, 2025, through on or about December 4, 2025, SPAGNUOLO used the AlphaRaccoon account to risk approximately $2,754,092 on markets related to Google’s internal information. Soon after Google’s information was publicly announced, and the markets resolved, SPAGNUOLO’s AlphaRaccoon account profited approximately $1.2 million based on his use of inside information in connection with bets placed on Polymarket. * * * SPAGNUOLO, 36, an Italian citizen residing in Switzerland, is charged with one count of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The 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. This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Burnett, Ryan B. Finkel, and Allison Nichols are in charge of the prosecution. ^ As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitutes only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Tennessee Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Tennessee man who paid a minor in Colombia to produce sexually explicit videos and traveled overseas to engage in commercial sex acts with the minor victim has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced Ramon Arellano Sandoval, 64, of Antioch, Tennessee, to 360 months in prison after a jury convicted him of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted production of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of a minor in February 2026. “Ramon Arellano Sandoval targeted a 14-year-old child in Colombia, paid her to create child sexual abuse material, and then traveled overseas to exploit her in person,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Today’s 30-year sentence makes clear that distance is no shield from justice. If you use the internet, money, or international travel to prey on a child, we will find you, prosecute you, and seek the full measure of federal punishment.” “This sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to combating human trafficking and protecting vulnerable children from exploitation,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami. “HSI, together with our international partners, will continue to pursue United States citizens who prey on minors, ensuring they are held accountable regardless of their location.” According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Arellano Sandoval exchanged thousands of text and video messages with the victim, who lived in rural Colombia and was 14 years old at the time. Despite knowing the victim was underage, Arellano Sandoval repeatedly solicited sexually explicit videos from her and directed her to produce child sexual abuse material, often in exchange for electronic payments. Arellano Sandoval also flew to Colombia to have commercial sex with the minor victim. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Special Agent in Charge Figueroa made the announcement. HSI Miami investigated the case with assistance from HSI Bogota and its Transnational Criminal Investigative Unit (TCIU), as well as the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Human Trafficking Unit (HTU). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Farina and Camille Smith prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20519. ###


title: Former Burlington Loan Officer Pleads Guilty to Bankruptcy Fraud

body_text: A former loan officer at a Dubuque credit union, who filed a bankruptcy case after perpetrating a vehicle lien stripping scheme against her employer, pled guilty on May 27, 2026, in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Kylie Jo Bench, formerly known as Kylie Jo Parrish, age 27, from Burlington, Iowa, was convicted of one count of bankruptcy fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. In a plea agreement, Bench admitted that a Dubuque credit union hired her as a loan officer at a branch in Burlington in 2022. When the credit union hired Bench, she had outstanding loans on two late-model vehicles, a Ford and a Dodge, at other financial institutions. Bench owed over $100,000 on the vehicles. After the credit union hired Bench, Bench and another individual jointly refinanced those loans with her new employer. In August 2022, without the credit union’s knowledge, Bench sold the two vehicles at a car dealership in Cedar Rapids. Bench did not disclose or record the credit union’s security interests in the vehicles at any time. Instead, Bench provided the car dealership with a letter, purportedly signed by one of the credit union’s executives on fake letterhead, which falsely stated that the loans were “paid off” and had “a zero balance.” In truth, neither Bench nor the other individual had repaid the loans on the two vehicles they had recently refinanced. In March 2023, Bench caused an attorney file a document in a voluntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy case in which she falsely denied under oath transferring any property on account of a debt that benefitted an insider, when in truth Bench had sold the Ford and the Dodge and those sales benefitted the other individual who owed money on the vehicle loans. Bench is the fourth person convicted of bankruptcy fraud crimes in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa this year. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Bench remains free on bond previously set. Bench faces a mandatory minimum two-year prison term and a possible maximum sentence of seven years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-95. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Seven Indicted in Alleged Prison-Run Drug Network Linked to Cartels

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

body_text: VALDOSTA, Ga. — U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes today announced that seven people, including four who reentered the country illegally, have been indicted for a fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking network directed by a state inmate with ties to Mexican cartels, following a Homeland Security Task Force investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized about 35 kilograms of suspected crystal methamphetamine and 3.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl with a street value of $225,000 plus $145,000 in cash. The investigation led to the discovery of two clandestine drug labs. The initial appearances for the defendants will occur in the U.S. Magistrate Court in Albany, Georgia, at a date set by the Court. The defendants are in federal custody. The federal indictment in Case No. 7:26-cr-00014, filed on May 13, charges the following individuals: Luis Alfonso Ramirez, aka “Poncho,” aka “OG Ponch,” 40, of Washington State Prison, located in the Middle District of Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Jacquez Latron Franks, 41, of Gainesville, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Ramiro Villa Chaves, aka “Ramiro Villa Chavez,” 39, of Union City, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Misael Benitez Bustos, 33, of Hampton, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Alejandro Renteria Blanco, 46, of Lilburn, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Bergin Zeylaya Flores, 26, of Brookhaven, Georgia, is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Monique Renee Burton, 32, of Gainesville,is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances and faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted. Chavez, Bustos, Blanco, and Flores are in the U.S. illegally and have previously been deported or removed. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning as early as October 2024 and continuing until this month, the defendants allegedly conspired to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl. In July 2025, the HSI Violent Gang Unit and the GBI Metro Gang Task Force began an HSTF investigation into the alleged criminal actions of Ramirez, an inmate in the Georgia Department of Corrections who was suspected of trafficking large amounts of fentanyl and crystal methamphetamine using contraband cellphones, including when he was housed at Valdosta State Prison. Ramirez is an alleged member of the Norteños criminal street gang with ties to Mexican drug cartels. At the time of the alleged offense, both Franks and Villa Chavez had separate prior serious drug felony convictions. The investigation revealed an alleged drug trafficking network operating in numerous counties within Georgia, including Hall, Cobb, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Fulton, Douglas, and Spalding. This investigation and prosecution are part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threaten the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States. Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from the ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. HSI and GBI are investigating the case with critical assistance from the FBI North Georgia Major Offenders Task Force, GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, GBI West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Georgia Department of Corrections, Georgia State Patrol, Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Clayton County Sheriff's Office, Hall County Sheriff's Office, Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office, Spalding County Sheriff's Office, and East Point Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Former Corporate Executive Sentenced To 26 Months In Prison For Insider Trading Scheme

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that PAUL JORGENSEN, the former Chief Revenue Officer of Doximity, was sentenced on May 21, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla to 26 months in prison for committing securities fraud in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to trade in stock and options of Doximity based on inside information in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings calls. “While employed as a senior executive at Doximity, Paul Jorgensen repeatedly used Doximity’s confidential information to trade in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings calls, earning himself more than $2.5 million in illegal profits,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Insider trading destroys faith in the fairness and integrity of our markets. This Office is committed to protecting market integrity and rooting out bad actors. As this prosecution and sentence make clear, executives who trade on their company’s confidential information will be prosecuted.” According to the allegations in the Information and statements made in public court proceedings: JORGENSEN engaged in a scheme to reap illegal profits by trading on material nonpublic information regarding Doximity, a publicly-traded company, in violation of the duties of trust and confidence owed to the company and its shareholders. Doximity is an online networking service for medical professionals that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “DOCS.” JORGENSEN joined Doximity in 2017 and became Chief Revenue Officer in 2022. As a senior executive at Doximity, JORGENSEN had access to confidential information about Doximity’s financial outlook, performance, and earnings results, and owed a duty of trust and confidence to the company. Doximity restricted its employees from trading in the lead-up to the company’s quarterly earnings calls, and from engaging in options trading. Doximity further required all employees to hold their Doximity shares in company-monitored brokerage accounts. In July 2022, as Chief Revenue Officer, JORGENSEN became aware that Doximity’s add-on sales to clients, referred to as “upsells,” had declined over the previous quarter. On July 28, 2022, JORGENSEN attended a Board meeting in advance of the upcoming earnings call in which the company’s negative results were discussed. Following the Board meeting, JORGENSEN texted a close family member that he was “[n]ot selling [his] DOCS shares” because he had “non-public confidential info and it’s just not right to sell.” Two days later, however, after JORGENSEN learned that he had been reassigned to a sales role at the company, JORGENSEN texted the same family member that he “decided to sell [his] DOCS shares” because he needed to “protect us first and foremost.” The following day, JORGENSEN sold 61,162 shares of Doximity that he secretly held in a personal brokerage account. During the company’s quarterly earnings call on August 4, 2022, Doximity publicly announced its negative results regarding upsells and lowered its annual guidance by six percent. Doximity’s share price fell by approximately seven percent, and JORGENSEN avoided losses of more than $300,000. In 2023, JORGENSEN again traded based on Doximity’s confidential information. In July 2023, JORGENSEN became aware that Doximity’s upsells had continued to decline over the previous quarter. In addition, on July 13, 2023, JORGENSEN learned that he was being terminated as part of a larger round of layoffs, and that the layoffs would be announced on the company’s upcoming quarterly earnings call. In advance of the earnings call, JORGENSEN sold 15,000 shares of Doximity stock, earning $114,000 in illicit profits, and 1,300 call options, earning an additional $200,000 in illicit profits. JORGENSEN also purchased 4,700 put options using his personal brokerage account. During the company’s quarterly earnings call on August 8, 2023, Doximity publicly announced its company layoffs and negative results regarding upsells and lowered its annual guidance by eight to nine percent. Doximity’s share price fell by approximately 23 percent. Following the earnings call, JORGENSEN closed out his put position, earning nearly two million dollars in illicit profits. JORGENSEN was terminated from Doximity in August 2023. * * * In addition to the prison sentence, JORGENSEN, 53, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,532,775.52 in forfeiture. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation. The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Baltimore Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Possession Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Baltimore man pled guilty in federal court to drug trafficking and firearm charges in connection with a local drug trafficking investigation. He also agreed that this offense violated the conditions of his federal supervised release. Davon Taylor, 35, is charged with possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Law enforcement caught Taylor with a quantity of cocaine, that he intended to distribute, along with a stolen firearm. At the time of the offense, Taylor was on federal supervised release for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD). On April 9, 2025, law enforcement agents used a surveillance camera to monitor a large Northwest Baltimore parking lot, known as “the panyard.” Agents observed Taylor arrive at the panyard and engage in hand-to-hand drug transactions before removing an object from his waistband. He then placed the object inside of a pizza box on top of a recycling bin. Law enforcement arrested Taylor and then agents recovered a handgun, loaded with a magazine containing 12 rounds of live ammunition, that was reported stolen in May 2022. Agents also searched the area and found a bag containing additional plastic bags with numerous vials and jugs of fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine base, and a digital scale with white residue on it. Additionally, law enforcement found $1,549 in cash. Taylor faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, and a minimum of five years, consecutive to any other sentence he receives, and a maximum of life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He also faces an additional maximum of two years in prison for violating his conditions of supervised release. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. 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. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Godwin who is prosecuting this federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Jury Convicts Former National Guard Task Force Member for Illegal Firearm Possession Offenses That Came to Light During an Investigation into Leaks of Sensitive Operational Information

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury on Tuesday found Ruby Celly Uribe, 37, of Sacramento, guilty of unlawfully possessing a machine gun and possessing an unregistered short‑barreled rifle, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. With certain exceptions, federal law prohibits the possession of machine guns and unregistered rifles with barrels shorter than 16 inches. According to court documents and evidence presented at a trial, Uribe was assigned to the logistics shop at the California National Guard Headquarters in Mather, California, and was a member of the Counterdrug Task Force (CDTF). The CDTF supports local, tribal, and federal law enforcement entities in the interdiction of drug trafficking organizations. While assigned to this unit, Uribe leaked information about upcoming drug raids to a person she knew to be involved with drug dealing. Text messages recovered from Uribe’s and the drug dealer’s phones revealed she shared sensitive information about upcoming operations, including the date and location and the number of military vehicles and aircraft involved. A federal search warrant of Uribe’s residence resulted in the discovery of a short-barreled rifle. The firearm had been modified to fire in full-automatic mode as a machine gun. In addition, it was a privately made firearm with no serial number, commonly referred to as a ghost gun. A search of Uribe’s cellphone revealed that she was also engaged in trafficking other non‑serialized, short-barreled machine guns, including to a coworker on July 20, 2022. During preparation for trial in this case, the FBI learned of another illegal firearm that Uribe sold in August 2022. The FBI safely recovered that firearm, which is also a machine gun and short-barreled rifle. Image of an illegal firearm Uribe sold to a coworker on July 20, 2022. Image of two illegal firearms Uribe offered to sell to a customer on Aug. 11, 2022. The customer purchased the black one. Officers later recovered the green one from Uribe’s residence on Dec. 13, 2022. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the California Military Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Nicole M. Vanek are prosecuting the case. Uribe is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins on Sept. 11, 2026. Uribe faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: FBI-Kansas City and KCPD Honored for Efforts to Reduce Youth Opioid Overdoses

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Honorable R. Matthew Price, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the 2026 Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award today to the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Kansas City (FBI-KC) Transnational Organized Crime Squad and the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) Drug Investigation Squad. The award is presented annually to honor the memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, both of whom were fatal victims of tragic crimes. U.S. Attorney Price presented the award during a ceremony held in the Western District. The honorees spearhead a task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that work to combat the opioid crisis and address the growing number of fentanyl overdose deaths in the greater Kansas City area. The task force is led by FBI Special Agent Ellen Judy and Supervisory Special Agent Joseph Michael from the FBI Transnational Organized Crime Squad; and Detective (Retired) Cory Horalek and Sergeant Aaron Benson from the KCPD-Drug Investigation Squad-1820 Squad. Additional law enforcement partners include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Border Patrol; Missouri State Highway Patrol; Jackson County Drug Task Force; Platte County Sheriff’s Office; Clay County Sheriff’s Office; and many other state and local organizations. The team led an investigation of a wide-ranging drug trafficking organization in which several defendants sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, to drug users on social media. The organization’s actions led to the death of a 17-year-old Olathe, Kansas girl. The initial investigation resulted in charges and successful prosecutions against 13 defendants and led to other investigations resulting in charges against at least 14 additional defendants. The conspiracy involved a large quantity of drugs, including fentanyl, methamphetamine, powder cocaine, and marijuana, with an estimated value of more than $4 million. In addition, 16 firearms and approximately $40,000 were seized during the investigation. The work of the task force led to a significant decrease in overdose deaths in the Western District of Missouri. U.S. Attorney Price presented the Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award alongside Anna Kipper Rea, the mother of Crystal Kipper, and Jill and Bob Leiker of the Ali Kemp Educational Foundation, an organization founded by the late Roger Kemp, the father of Ali Kemp. The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award This is the 22nd year the award has been presented in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after she ran out of gas on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan. The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Missouri each year to recognize the outstanding work of an individual or organization in recognition of a valued contribution to preventing and responding to violent crime and the exploitation of children.


title: Indian National Pleads Guilty to Role in Illegal Gambling Ring

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Indian national pleaded guilty in federal court today for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar illegal gambling conspiracy occurring at six locations in southwest Missouri. Tushar R. Patel, 40, a resident of the state of Georgia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to one count each of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. This successful prosecution is one of many federal fraud cases pursued under the leadership of President Donald Trump and through the establishment of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. Patel admitted that he and his co-conspirators, in aggregate, obtained approximately $9,506,464 in gross proceeds from their wire fraud scheme and illegal gambling businesses and then conducted various financial transactions for the purpose of laundering the proceeds. On May 14, 2025, Patel was charged, along with eight other individuals, in a 72-count superseding indictment by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo. The indictment charges all nine defendants with one count each of participating in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, and operating illegal gambling businesses from July 1, 2022, to May 13, 2025. In addition to the conspiracy counts, all nine defendants were charged with at least one count of wire fraud, and eight defendants were charged with money laundering. Through Patel’s guilty plea, he admitted that he and his co-conspirators ran illegal gambling businesses at four separate locations under the guise of internet amusement arcade games, skill game arcades, and adult arcades. Patel and his co-conspirators hired local employees to work in their businesses, which operated contests of chance, gambling devices, and slot machines in violation of Missouri and Federal law. Under federal statutes, Patel is subject to a sentence of up to 20, five, and 20 years in federal prison without parole, respectively, for each count to which he pleaded guilty. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, IRS-Criminal Investigations, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Missouri National Guard Counter Drug Unit, the Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center, the Greene County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney, the Jasper County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney, and the Johnson County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney. National Fraud Enforcement Division On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Former Boone County Commission Employee Sentenced to Prison for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gregory Neal Hager, 41, of Madison, was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by 25 years of supervised release, for possession of child pornography. Hager must also register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 7, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hager’s residence in Madison and seized an external hard drive connected to his desktop computer. A forensic examination of the external hard drive revealed 146 images and six videos of child pornography depicting a pubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. As part of his guilty plea, Hager admitted that the images and videos of child pornography were screen captures from Snapchat conversations between himself and the minor, that he saved the child pornography on the external hard drive, and that he knew the minor was under 18 years old. At the time Hager’s conversations with the minor victim took place, he was a volunteer firefighter with the Danville Volunteer Fire Department, which the minor victim was interested in joining. Hager was a volunteer firefighter from 2003 until December 2023. From 2020 until his arrest in December 2023, Hager was a systems administrator for the Boone County Commission. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin 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 Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-94. ###


title: Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Influence Major International Sports Competition by Doping

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Paul Alexander Askew (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to influence major international sports competitions by doping. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, beginning on or about July 10, 2023, and continuing through to on or about January 31, 2024, Askew conspired with a professional track and field athlete and at least one other person to provide the athlete with testosterone, a banned substance, to improve the athlete’s performances at major international track and field competitions. The doping was ongoing during the athlete’s competitions in the 2023 Ed Murphey Classic, in Memphis, Tennessee; the 2023 Xiamen Diamond League, in China; and the 2023 Prefontaine Classic, in Eugene, Oregon. Although the doping conspiracy was revealed before the athlete could compete in other competitions, Askew and the athlete also intended to use illegal testosterone injections to improve the athlete’s performance at the 2024 American Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, the 2024 United States Olympics Trials, and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. This case was investigated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Flanigan.


title: Canadian Sentenced in D.C. to 33 Years in Sextortion Scheme that Targeted 145 Children in the U.S.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, of Toronto, Canada, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 33 years in federal prison in connection with a prolific sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 children across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Pathmanathan pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2026, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to one count of production of child pornography and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. “This defendant spent years methodically hunting children online. He targeted more than 145 victims, some as young as six, and subjected them to horrors no child should ever experience,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The United States will not allow international borders to serve as a refuge for those who prey on children, and I am grateful to our Canadian partners for ensuring this predator faced justice on both sides of the border.” In addition to the 396-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Pathmanathan to serve 10 years of supervised release and register as a sex offender. The prison term will run consecutively to the 12-year sentence that Pathmanathan is serving in Canada. According to court documents, Pathmanathan used multiple social media accounts, primarily Instagram and Facebook Messenger, to establish contact with at least 145 young girls and boys. Between at least March 2014 up until the day of his arrest on March 10, 2021, Pathmanathan posed as a teenage boy from New Jersey. Pathmanathan demanded the minor victims engage in sexually explicit conduct while they participated in video chats with him. He directed them to expose their genitals, and to engage in sexual acts with dogs, siblings, and other relatives. In almost all the video chats with his minor victims, Pathmanathan sent the children images of adults engaged in sexual acts to show them how to do what he was requesting. Pathmanathan recorded his victims’ sexually explicit conduct and saved the files on his desktop computer. Some of the victims were as young as six years old. When the minor victims would decline to continue to engage in sexually explicit conduct or blocked Pathmanathan’s social media accounts, he threatened to send images to the children’s friends or family. On Oct. 27, 2022, Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to similar offenses in Canada, and was later sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Department of Justice is grateful to the Toronto Police Service and the Crown Operations Office, Ministry of Attorney General (Canada) for their invaluable assistance. This case was investigated by the FBI Houston Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division secured the temporary surrender of Pathmanathan from Canada. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 22cr150 U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Justice Department Recovers Over $6M in Additional Funds Linked to 1MDB Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has obtained an order forfeiting a luxury New York apartment purchased with funds misappropriated from 1MDB, a Malaysian Sovereign Wealth Fund, along with certain rental income. This action resolves a civil forfeiture case filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California seeking the recovery of over $6 million in assets associated with an international conspiracy to launder funds misappropriated from 1MDB. As alleged in civil forfeiture complaints filed in this case, billions of dollars in funds belonging to 1MDB were misappropriated from 2009 through 2015 by high-level officials of 1MDB and their associates, and Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, through a criminal scheme involving international money laundering and embezzlement. Millions of dollars in such misappropriated funds were then used to purchase a luxury condominium unit in New York City for the benefit of May Ling Catherine Tan (Tan), a personal assistant for Low, who also profited from this asset by retaining rental proceeds. Under the forfeiture order entered in this case, the condominium and rental proceeds held by Tan will be forfeited to the U.S. government. 1MDB was created by the government of Malaysia to promote economic development in Malaysia through global partnerships and foreign direct investment. Its funds were intended to be used for improving the well-being of the Malaysian people. Instead, funds held by 1MDB and proceeds of bonds issued for and on behalf of 1MDB were misappropriated and spent by Low and his co-conspirators on a wide variety of extravagant items, including luxury homes and properties in Beverly Hills, California, New York, and London; a 300-foot superyacht; and fine art by Monet and Van Gogh. The funds also were sent into numerous business investments, including a boutique hotel in Beverly Hills, the movie production company that made “The Wolf of Wall Street,” the redevelopment of the Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan, and shares in EMI, the largest private music-rights holder. As alleged, other funds were provided to various public officials and co-conspirators. Trial Attorney Barbara Levy of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) is prosecuting the civil forfeiture case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, and the US Marshals. The FBI’s International Corruption Squad in New York is leading the investigation. MNF’s International Unit investigates and prosecutes cross-border money laundering schemes involving transnational criminal organizations, cartels, foreign official corruption and related money laundering affecting the U.S. financial system, and prosecutes criminal cases and civil forfeiture matters to recover the proceeds of those crimes. Significant assistance has also been provided to the Justice Department over the course of its work in the investigations and civil and criminal litigation by the Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia, Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, U.K. Prudential Regulation Authority, U.K. National Crime Agency, Attorney General’s Chambers of the Territory of the British Virgin Islands, Attorney General’s Office of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Guernsey Economic Crime Division, International Anti-Corruption Coordination Centre, Attorney General’s Chambers of Singapore, Singapore Police Force — Commercial Affairs Division, Office of the Attorney General and Federal Office of Justice of Switzerland, judicial investigating authority of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Criminal Investigation Department of the Grand-Ducal Police of Luxembourg, Republic of Indonesia, Latvian authorities, and French authorities, including the Parquet National Financier and Agency for Management and Recovery of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AGRASC). Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to tips.fbi.gov/ .


title: Wilmington Felon Sentenced to Over 7 Years for Possessing a Gun

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Quashon Nixon, 32, to over 7 years in federal prison. Nixon pleaded guilty on February 26, 2026, to possessing a gun as a convicted felon. “We thank our dedicated federal and local law enforcement partners for keeping violent gun-toting felons away from our citizens. This guy knew he should not have a gun; hopefully, he learns his lesson this time.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. On October 2, 2024, the FBI, along with local officers, searched for Nixon to serve him with outstanding warrants for violent crimes. Officers located Nixon walking near a housing complex in Wilmington. When Officers took Nixon into custody, they found a loaded stolen gun stuffed in Nixon’s waistband. The officers also found crack cocaine, marijuana, and hatchet inside of his book bag. Nixon is a convicted felon and member of the Bloods street gang. His most recent conviction was for robbery with a dangerous weapon in 2015, felony assault causing physical injury to a law enforcement, probation, or parole officer in 2016, and felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury in 2018. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III imposed the sentence. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, Wilmington Police Department, and the FBI investigated the case. Former-Assistant United States Attorney Jermaine Sellers and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jaren Kelly prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-44-D.


title: Houston-area resident sentenced to 10 years for stock investment Ponzi scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 41-year-old Mont Belvieu man has been ordered to federal prison for wire fraud in connection with a Ponzi-style investment scheme, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Carl Channing Spence pleaded guilty Jan. 30. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Spence to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from three of Spence’s 19 known victims who detailed the devastating effects Spence’s scheme had on their lives and financial futures. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the unusually predatory nature of Spence’s actions and that he seemed to specifically target friends, colleagues and community members who he knew to be particularly vulnerable to his scheme. From January 2022 through August 2023, Spence operated “AEI Financial” from his residence. He solicited friends, acquaintances and colleagues by promising high returns through stock trading specializing in “meme stocks.” Spence promised victims 10 to 12 percent returns by investing in popular stocks during a period of rapid stock market gains. Instead, he diverted funds for personal use and to make purported returns to earlier investors. Once victims provided funds, Spence created fraudulent account statements that falsely showed investment growth and returns which he used to persuade victims to reinvest. In reality, he commingled investor funds into a single account and lost much of the money through unsuccessful trades. The scheme resulted in numerous victims who received fraudulent account statements but never recovered their original investments or promised returns. Spence took in approximately $2.1 million from the known victims. FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from Mont Belvieu Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Carter and Brad Gray prosecuted the case.


title: Romanian National Sentenced for Selling Access to Networks of Oregon State Government Office and Other U.S. Victims

body_text: A Romanian national was sentenced yesterday to 56 months in prison in connection with an online intrusion into an Oregon state government office in 2021 and other cyber-attacks on U.S. victims. According to court documents, Catalin Dragomir, 46, formerly of Constanta, Romania, sold access to a computer on the network of an Oregon state government office after obtaining unauthorized access to it in June of 2021. During the sale, Dragomir provided the prospective buyer with samples of personal identifying information from the computer. He also sold access to the computer networks of numerous other victims in the United States, causing losses of at least $250,000. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement. In November 2024, Dragomir was arrested in Romania. He was extradited to the United States in January 2025. On Feb. 19, Dragomir pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining information from a protected computer and one count of aggravated identity theft. The FBI Portland Field Office investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Benjamin A. Bleiberg and Alison M. Zitron of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine A. Rykken for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Romanian Ministry of Justice, Directorate for International Law and Judicial Cooperation, and the Romanian Judiciary to secure the arrest and extradition of Dragomir. The Department of Justice also thanks Darkweb IQ for its assistance with the investigation. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime and intellectual property (IP) crime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cyber and IP criminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.


title: Judge Sentences Ahoskie Armed Career Criminal to 15 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Anton Montes Vernon, 31, to 15 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him of illegally possessing a gun as a convicted felon. Ahoskie Police found a 9mm pistol in Vernon’s pocket on November 9, 2023, in the small town of Ahoskie. Ahoskie Police joined forces with nearby law enforcement agencies to form the Down East Drug & Violent Crime Task Force and conduct saturation patrols in crime-ridden areas of communities in Northampton, Hertford, Gates and Bertie Counties, including Ahoskie. North Carolina previously convicted Vernon of three separate breaking and entering offenses which made Vernon qualify as an Armed Career Criminal. “This stiff sentence shows that justice reaches into every corner of Eastern North Carolina, even smaller communities like Ahoskie.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This Big Shark Bad Boy will no longer threaten his community with illegal firearms. Our great law enforcement partners all across the District work hard to ensure that felons and career criminals are brought to justice no matter the size of their community. We will convict them at trial and ensure they receive hefty federal prison sentences to keep every North Carolinian safe.” “Repeat offenders in possession of firearms are extremely dangerous and put innocent lives at risk,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF and our law enforcement partners aim to protect our communities by holding these individuals accountable and putting an end to their cycle of violence.” Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II imposed the sentence. The Ahoskie Police Department, the Down East Drug Task Force, and ATF investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren Kelly and Phil Aubart tried the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.2:25-CR-4-M.


title: El Paso Man Convicted in Alien Smuggling Conspiracy as Part of the Homeland Security Task Force Initiative

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted an El Paso man of coordinating an alien smuggling operation that brought individuals, including an unaccompanied minor, from Mexico into the United States through southern New Mexico and Texas. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in March 2024, Juan Gomez Montiel , 32, coordinated the smuggling of a material witness from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, into the United States for $2,200. Gomez Montiel arranged for the witness to work with a Juárez based smuggler known as “Polo,” who transported the witness to a stash house in Juárez and later guided the witness to a hole cut into the border fence near Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. After the witness illegally crossed into the United States with a foot guide on April 5, 2024, the witness was transported to a tire shop in El Paso, Texas, where Gomez Montiel met them, asked whether the trip had gone smoothly, and paid the foot guide for his role in the smuggling operation. Evidence at trial also showed Gomez Montiel contacted the witness in the following months seeking payment of the remaining $500 smuggling fee. Additional testimony established that in August 2024, Gomez Montiel coordinated the transportation of an unaccompanied minor from a stash house in El Paso to Albuquerque, New Mexico, using a driver who was, unbeknownst to Gomez Montiel , an undercover Texas Department of Public Safety agent. Gomez Montiel was convicted of conspiracy to bring in and transport illegal aliens, bringing in an illegal alien for financial gain and transporting an illegal alien. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Gomez Montiel be detained pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Gomez Montiel faces no less than three years and up to 10 years in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ryan McRae of Homeland Security Investigations El Paso made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations El Paso investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, El Paso County Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randy Castellano and Devon Aragon-Martinez are prosecuting this case. The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: Penn Hills Felon Indicted for Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Andre Aaron Yates, 26, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on October 8, 2025, Yates, who had been previously convicted of a felony, knowingly possessed a stolen Glock 19 pistol, ammunition, and a 30-round ammunition magazine. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Pennsylvania State Police, and Monroeville Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. 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. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Oglethorpe Inc. and Top Executives Agree to Pay $32M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations

component: Civil Division

body_text: Oglethorpe Inc. (Oglethorpe), an operator of psychiatric hospitals headquartered in Tampa, Florida, along with its founder and principal owner, Robert Cohen, CEO John Picciano, and Chief Operating Office James O’Shea, have agreed to pay $32 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly failing to return overpayments received from the Medicare program for the admission of beneficiaries to three of Oglethorpe’s Ohio facilities. The settlement resolves allegations that, from 2021 through the present, Oglethorpe and its executives knowingly failed to return to Medicare overpayments that Oglethorpe’s own consultants had identified. The overpayments related to beneficiaries who had been admitted to two hospitals (Ridgeview Behavioral Hospital and Georgetown Behavioral Hospital) and a substance abuse clinic (The Woods at Parkside), even though they did not qualify for inpatient psychiatric care. “Healthcare fraud has negative impacts for taxpayers and patients alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reflects the Department’s commitment to protecting taxpayer money and ensuring that Medicare payments are consistent with the coverage and payment rules for those services.” “My office is determined to protect the public fisc and our fragile public health programs,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to pursue companies and individuals who defy Medicare’s regulations for personal gain.” In 2021, Oglethorpe entered a Corporate Integrity Agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) following an earlier False Claims Act settlement with the Department of Justice. As a result of violating that Corporate Integrity Agreement, the defendants agreed to enter into a voluntary exclusion agreement with HHS-OIG under which they will be excluded from Medicare, Medicaid, and all federal health care programs for a period of 10 years beginning in July 2026. “By enforcing the Corporate Integrity Agreement and securing a voluntary exclusion agreement the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Chief Counsel Susan Edwards of HHS-OIG. “When entities fail to meet their obligations — especially after entering agreements designed to ensure compliance — we will take decisive action. This outcome underscores that accountability is essential to safeguarding both patients and taxpayer resources.” The civil settlement concludes a lawsuit filed by four former Oglethorpe employees: Whitney Treloar, a registered nurse, Darren Caruso, former Chief Fiscal Officer, Jeanette Skinner, former Regional Director of Operations, and Joel Snook, the former Director of Financial Operations. The suit was filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when they believe that a defendant has submitted false claims for government funds and to receive a share of the recovery. The relators’ share of this resolution has not yet been determined. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Whitney Treloar, et al. v. Oglethorpe, Inc., et. al ., No. 22-cv-00238 (M.D. Fla.). This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. Senior Trial Counsel Justin Draycott of the Justice Department’s Civil Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Keefe for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Queens Man Convicted of Extortion Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A federal jury in Brooklyn this afternoon convicted Shlomo Patchiav, also known as “Slava Fatkhiev,” of participating in an extortion conspiracy in which he repeatedly threatened a victim to force the victim to pay him. The verdict was returned after a three-week trial before United States District Judge Dora L. Irizarry. When sentenced, Patchiav faces up to 20 years in prison. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the verdict. “Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for extorting a victim for money and threatening to hold him ‘hostage,’ and then covering up his connection to the victim after the victim’s murder by concealing his body,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Shlomo Patchiav agreed to extort a victim for money before trying to hide his connection to this conspiracy once the victim was found murdered. May today’s verdict emphasize the FBI’s commitment to ensuring violent intimidation tactics and attempts to cover up crimes do not go unpunished,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. As proven at trial, Patchiav and a co-conspirator (the Co-Conspirator) engaged in an extortion conspiracy in which they used threats and violence against the victim, Shehroz Tokhirov, after the three men failed to reach an agreement in a luxury watch deal. Patchiav owned a wholesale jewelry and diamond business. In June 2022, Patchiav and the Co-Conspirator engaged in discussions with Tokhirov about the potential sale of several luxury watches for approximately $500,000. Thereafter, Patchiav and the Co-Conspirator began demanding money from Tokhirov and threatening him. On the morning of June 25, 2022, Tokhirov left his apartment in the Kensington section of Brooklyn carrying a plastic bag full of cash. Video surveillance footage showed Tokhirov and the Co-Conspirator at a TD Bank in Brooklyn, where Tokhirov withdrew approximately $10,000 in cash and obtained a cashier’s check for $20,000 that was made out to the Co-Conspirator. The two men then went to a tax services store where Tokhirov signed a document turning over his Mercedes Benz SUV to the Co-Conspirator. Tokhirov was not seen or heard from after that meeting, and, eight months later, his body was recovered from a residence in Ellenville, New York. Evidence admitted at trial, including cell phone location data, placed Patchiav and the Co-Conspirator in Ellenville, New York on June 26, 2022, the day after Tokhirov’s disappearance. On June 27, 2022, the Co-Conspirator purchased a ticket for a Turkish Airlines flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Republic of Georgia, departing on June 28, 2022. On the date of his departure, law enforcement officers seized from the Co-Conspirator approximately $26,500 in cash and a receipt for the $20,000 check that Tokhirov had obtained at TD Bank on the day of his disappearance. The Co-Conspirator remains at large. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Larkin and Benjamin Weintraub are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Rehnquist and Paralegal Specialist John Schneider. The Defendant : SHLOMO PATCHIAV (also known as “Slava Fatkhiev”) Age: 45 Kew Gardens, Queens E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-99 (DLI)


title: Elma man going to prison for 30 years for production and possession of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Matthew A. Steele, 55, of Elma, NY, who was convicted of production and possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 30 years in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. In addition, Steele was ordered to pay restitution totaling $410,610 to a victim in this case. Between July 2008, and July 2010, Steele produced images of child pornography with a minor female (victim) on several occasions from the time she was approximately nine years old until she was approximately 12 years old. Some of the images were distributed by Steele to other unknown individuals. On March 11, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at his residence, seizing two electronic devices. A forensic review of the devices recovered numerous sexually explicit images of the victim created by Steele. In addition, 45 images of child pornography, not involving the victim, that Steele obtained over the internet were recovered. Some of the images included prepubescent minors and depicted violence against children. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. # # # #


title: Undocumented worker pleads guilty to possessing a forged immigration document

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Mexican national who had previously been deported and was living in the country illegally with a forged permanent resident card admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. The defendant, Isaias Martinez Araiza, 48, pleaded guilty today to one count of possessing a fraudulent immigration document and one count of illegal reentry into the country. Araiza faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for each count. U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 8, 2026, in Great Falls. Araiza remained detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in early April 2026, Araiza was living in Great Falls with a Permanent Resident Alien card containing another person’s alien number that he illegally obtained. Araiza had previously been deported from the United States in May 2017 after authorities discovered he had a felony conviction on his record from June 2003. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. Homeland Security conducted the investigation. 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. XXX #26-104


title: Rosebud Man and Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Voluntary Manslaughter

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man and woman, both from Rosebud, South Dakota, following their convictions for Voluntary Manslaughter. Jamie Clairmont, a/k/a Jamie Clairmont-Rogers, age 42, pleaded guilty on January 26, 2026. On May 19, 2026, she was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Keanu Marshall, age 21, pleaded guilty on January 29, 2026. On May 26, 2026, he was sentenced to five years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Clairmont and Marshall were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. The convictions stem from an incident that occurred on April 9, 2024, in Rosebud, South Dakota, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, the victim, an adult male, was walking when he confronted a group of people. He picked up a piece of wood and swung it at Clairmont. Clairmont took the piece of wood and struck the victim with it. Marshall then repeatedly punched the victim, knocking him to the ground. The victim was hospitalized with traumatic injuries to the head and face, and he passed away on April 19, 2024. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. Clairmont and Marshall were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at the conclusion of their individual sentencing hearings.


title: New Orleans Businessman Guilty Of Covid-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – WELLINGTON BROWN (“BROWN”) , age 53, of New Orleans, pleaded guilty on May 21, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Anna St. John, to providing a false statement to a federal agency, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. Sentencing is set for August 27, 2026. According to court documents, BROWN provided a materially false statement to the Small Business Administration in an application to obtain a government sponsored loan designed to assist small business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic. The investigation revealed BROWN submitted several fraudulent SBA loan and loan forgiveness applications in 2021 and included false and fraudulent tax documents in support of these filings. The investigation confirmed that BROWN is responsible for a total loss of approximately $123,771.79. The maximum penalty for false statements to a federal agency is five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney, Richard R. Pickens, II, of the financial crimes unit, is in charge of the prosecution. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . * * *


title: Fruitland Man Pleads Guilty in in Fatal Drunk Driving Crash

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man pleaded guilty to second degree murder after driving drunk at 107 miles per hour and crashing into an oncoming vehicle, killing the driver. According to court documents, on December 9, 2024, Timothy Begay , 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving drunk when he crossed the center line and hit a car driving the opposite direction, killing the driver. At the time of the crash, Begay was driving 107 MPH. Medical records showed that he has a blood alcohol level of .239. Begay pleaded guilty to second degree murder and faces up 15 years in prison at sentencing. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, 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 Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.