title: D.C. Man Arrested and Charged with Second-Degree Murder in Pedestrian’s Death near the White House

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Santana Matthews, 20, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for the death of 26-year-old Aaron Marckell Williams that occurred on January 7, 2026, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Matthews made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Dorsey G. Jones, on January 8, 2026, where Judge Jones found probable cause that Matthews committed the offense of second-degree murder while armed and ordered that Matthews be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 27, 2026. At approximately 3:49 p.m., a Chevrolet Malibu was operating at a high rate of speed southbound in the 1100 block of 16th Street, Northwest, when he entered the intersection with L Street against a red light. The Malibu collided with a Toyota Corolla that was traveling eastbound on L Street with a green light. The collision caused the Malibu to strike Mr. Williams walking eastbound in the crosswalk with the right-of-way, across 16th Street. Three additional vehicles stopped at the red light northbound on 16th Street were also damaged in the collision. Matthews was the operator and sole occupant of the Malibu and he attempted to flee the scene on foot but was apprehended by responding officers. DC Fire and EMS responded to the scene and after all lifesaving efforts failed, Mr. Williams was pronounced dead. The suspect and two additional victims were transported to local hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter. These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: D.C. Man Arrested and Charged with Murder for the Death of MPD Officer Terry Bennett

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jerrold Lonnell Coates, 47, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for the vehicular death of Officer Terry Bennett on January 7, 2026 resulting from a crash on December 23, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Coates made his initial appearance before Superior Court Magistrate Judge Philip A. Medley, on January 10, 2026, where Judge Medley found probable cause that Coates committed the offense of second-degree murder while armed and ordered that Coates be held without bond pending a preliminary hearing which is scheduled for February 2, 2026 before Judge Rainey Brandt. According to court documents, on December 23, 2025 at approximately 10:09 p.m., Officer Bennett was behind a vehicle that had been involved in a different traffic crash with his cruiser lights activated and road flares deployed to protect that driver from traffic on eastbound I-695 just after the merger with 3 rd Street tunnel. Suddenly, a Silver 2007 Volvo XC90 was driven at a high rate of speed through the otherwise slowed traffic, swerved over, and struck Officer Bennett while he was standing outside of his marked cruiser. Officer Bennett was thrown into the air by the impact and suffered blunt force trauma injuries as a result of the collision. He was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where doctors advised he had sustained a traumatic brain injury and a possible spinal injury. On January 7, 2026, after all life-saving efforts were made, Officer Bennett was pronounced dead. Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Carter. These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Philadelphia Men Charged by Superseding Indictment With Robberies Targeting Armored Trucks

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dante Shackleford, 26, and Mujahid Davis, 24, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by superseding indictment in connection with multiple robberies and attempted robberies last year that targeted armored trucks. Both defendants have been charged with four counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery). Davis is also charged with two counts, and Shackleford with one count, of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The superseding indictment alleges that they participated in the following crimes: the July 2, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia ( Davis and others) the July 15, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia ( Shackleford , Davis , and others) the July 22, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa. ( Shackleford and others) the August 12, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa. ( Shackleford , Davis , and others) the October 3, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia ( Shackleford , Davis , and others) If convicted, the defendants face maximum possible sentences of life imprisonment. Davis also faces a fine of $1,500,000 and Shackleford a fine of $1,250,000. 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. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Eckert and Kwambina Coker. The charges and allegations contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


title: Utah Child Predator Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – Austin Riley Jensen, 33, of Hurricane, Utah, was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for producing and receiving child sexual abuse material involving a 15-year-old victim. Jensen was also sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Jensen admitted on August 25, 2025, to the production and receipt of child pornography. According to court documents and admissions made at Jensen’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, law enforcement found communications between Jensen and an individual on federal supervised release in Las Vegas, Nevada, which occurred between October 2022 and December 2022, containing images of child sexual abuse material and conversations about sexual interactions with a 15-year-old victim. Jensen admitted he coerced the minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which he recorded and that he had received images of child sexual abuse material from the federal supervisee in Las Vegas. Pursuant to a federal search warrant executed on Jensen’s residence, FBI agents seized multiple electronic devices belonging to Jensen, that stored multiple images of child sexual abuse material. “The safety of our community, especially child victims, is a priority of this administration and my office,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Anyone who preys on the most vulnerable among us will be investigated by our federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners and aggressively prosecuted.” “While no courtroom can undo the past, the sentence honors the courage and stolen innocence of the child impacted by this heinous crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "The FBI remains unwavering in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us and will never stop pursuing justice for our children." The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency and FBI Las Vegas, Nevada, Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brady Wilson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: TALLAHASSEE MAN CHARGED WITH TRANSPORTATION AND POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Cedrick Campbell, 35, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession/access with intent to view child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges. Campbell appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick on January 5, 2026, for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at 8:15 am before District Court Judge Robert L. Hinkle. If convicted, Campbell, faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: GAINESVILLE MAN INDICTED ON FEDERAL DRUG AND GUN CHARGES

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

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – DaMorie Lamontay Miles, 19, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful transfer or possession of a machine gun, and one count of receipt, possession, transfer, or production of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Miles appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on January 7, 2026 in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for February 11, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida. If convicted on all counts, Miles faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment. The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 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. As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 5, 2026. Joshua Munyan, 41, was sentenced to two 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. Munyan was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in March 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 29, 2025. The charges stem from an incident in which Munyan was pulled over while driving by an officer with the Rapid City Police Department who later discovered Munyan possessed a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver. Munyan is prohibited by law from possessing a firearm because he was previously convicted of a felony drug offense in Pennington County. 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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case. Munyan was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Mission Man Sentenced to 6 ½ Years in Federal Prison  for Shooting at Another Man

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota man convicted of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. The sentencing took place on January 6, 2026. Richard Joseph One Feather, age 56, was sentenced to six years and six months in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. One Feather was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident that occurred on July 20, 2024, in the Winner Housing area of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. One Feather confronted the victim, an adult male, with a handgun and fired the gun in his direction, narrowly missing him. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case. This matter is being 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. One Feather was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Justice Department Secures $325,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Iowa Landlord and Property Manager

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Note: View settlement here. The quote has also been updated slightly. The Justice Department announced today that the owner and property manager of residential rental properties in Davenport, Iowa, have agreed to pay $325,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that the property manager sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in January 2025, alleges that for more than two decades, property manager Kurt Williams sexually harassed female tenants at various rental dwellings throughout Davenport. The suit alleges that Williams’ conduct included making unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances to female tenants, exposing his genitals to female tenants, requesting sex or sex acts from female tenants in exchange for tangible housing benefits like reductions in rent, and taking adverse housing actions, such as initiating evictions or refusing to make repairs, against female tenants who objected to or refused his sexual advances. “A home should be a place of security and comfort, not fear,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue to hold property managers and landlords accountable when they prey on vulnerable tenants by sexually harassing them.” “Housing should not be a tool used for exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman for the Southern District of Iowa. “Our office will vigorously uphold the Fair Housing Act to protect tenants’ dignity, safety, and equal access to housing.” “Kurt Williams exploited his authority as a landlord for sexual gain, victimizing our most vulnerable community members,” said Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “Sexual misconduct in housing is not a misunderstanding — it is an abuse of power that turns shelter into leverage, and nobody should ever have to trade their safety for a place to live. HUD OIG will continue to work with the US Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for this type of horrible conduct.” The Justice Department’s lawsuit also names as a defendant Gearhead Properties LC, the owner of the rental dwellings where the sexual harassment occurred. The lawsuit alleges that this defendant is vicariously liable for the sexual harassment committed by their agent, Kurt Williams. HUD OIG participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit. Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the defendants must pay $315,000 to tenants who were harmed by Williams’ harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The settlement agreement permanently bars Williams from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment and permanently bars Williams from managing residential rental properties. If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online . More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative . The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $17 million for victims of such harassment.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison on Multiple Weapons Charges Following High Speed Chase After Fleeing Arrest

body_text: NASHVILLE – Bryan Odell Hunter, 36, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday to ten years in federal prison on charges of possession of ammunition by a felon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machinegun, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek. Hunter previously pled guilty to the charges. “Holding dangerous offenders like Hunter accountable for their actions is a high priority of our office,” said Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney. “We will continue to seek stiff sentences for felons who use guns and put both citizens and our law enforcement community at risk with their dangerous actions.” On October 14, 2023, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers responded to a shots-fired call in the Nissan stadium parking lot, in Nashville. The shooter, later identified as Hunter, fired multiple shots close in proximity to two people in the parking lot. The victims reported that they were waiting for friends when a gray Altima driven by Hunter drove erratically into the parking lot, nearly hit a tree and the curb. When one of the victims asked if the defendant was alright, he stated, “no disrespect, motherfuckers,” and fired two shots into the air. The victims hid behind a car, while Hunter left the lot and drove onto Korean Veterans Bridge. About five to ten minutes later, Hunter drove back into the parking lot and toward the victims. The victims went to a nearby Exxon station and called the police. When MNPD officers arrived, they recovered two .45 caliber shell casings from the parking lot, where the victims said Hunter was when he fired. When Hunter saw the officers, he fled. Officers pursued him through multiple counties at speeds up to 125 miles per hour. Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) deputies joined the pursuit and attempted to deploy spike strips. Hunter swerved around them, nearly striking a deputy. RCSO deputies terminated the pursuit at the Coffee County line, at which point Hunter drove into Coffee County, turned around, and headed back into Rutherford County. The RCSO deputies set up spike strips again, and this time they succeeded in spiking the Altima. Hunter then crashed the car near Exit 89 on I-24 West. When he got out of the car, he refused to comply with the commands given by police for him to get on the ground. As a result, an officer deployed his taser, after which Hunter was placed into custody. When officers searched the stolen Altima, they found a Star model Firestar caliber .45 pistol, an Anderson Manufacturing model AM-15 caliber .223 rifle, three 20-round caliber 5.56x45 magazines, a full 50 round box of Winchester .45 caliber ammunition, a full 50 round box of Federal 9mm caliber ammunition, 10 rounds of .45 caliber hollow point ammunition, one round of 9mm caliber hollow point ammunition, and one rifle sight. Officers also found a pocketknife on the floor of the patrol car when they arrived at the jail in Nashville. Later while being booked, officers found a machinegun conversion switch, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch,” in the defendant’s sock. Before these events, Hunter had been convicted of four felonies in Davidson County, Tennessee, including Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled over .5 Grams of Schedule II Controlled Substance and Reckless Endangerment; Reckless Endangerment; Attempted Especially Aggravated Robbery; and Aggravated Assault and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Hermon Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Hermon man pleaded guilty on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of firearms. According to court records, on November 20, 2024, Bangor Police Department officers responded to a location near Benjamin’s bar in Bangor in response to a report of an assault with a firearm. A witness stated that she saw Todd Whitman , 38, with a firearm and that Whitman had fired the firearm twice. At the scene, officers observed a revolver on the passenger seat of Whitman’s vehicle. Officers obtained a state search warrant for the vehicle and seized the previously observed revolver as well as a pistol. During an interview with law enforcement, Whitman admitted to possessing both firearms. Whitman is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of multiple prior felony convictions. Whitman faces a term of imprisonment of at least 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with the assistance of the Bangor Police Department. Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: Ohio Man Sentenced for Bankruptcy-Related Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Wayne Robert Rummel, 41, of Crown City, Ohio, was sentenced on Monday, January 5, 2026, to three years of federal probation for falsifying recorded information relating to the property or financial affairs of a debtor in bankruptcy. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2023, Rummel filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy in United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. While the bankruptcy case was still pending, Rummel sought to obtain financing to purchase a 2022 Nissan Altima for $24,758.50. Rummel knew he needed the permission of the Bankruptcy Court obtain a post-bankruptcy petition loan. On February 26, 2025, Rummel emailed the lender a fake order from the Bankruptcy Court, which purported to provide approval for him to finance the vehicle purchase through the lender. As part of his guilty plea, Rummel admitted that he knew the Bankruptcy Court order was fake because he created it, and that the Court had not given him permission to obtain the loan. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The United States Trustee’s Charleston field office, which serves West Virginia, made the criminal referral of this case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The United States Trustee Program is a component of the Department of Justice whose mission is to promote the integrity and efficiency of the bankruptcy system for the benefit of all stakeholders — debtors, creditors and the public. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. 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. 3:25-cr-138. ###


title: Huntington Woman Sentenced to Prison for COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tanisha Wooding, 46, of Huntington, was sentenced on Monday, January 5, 2026, to 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $101,204.31 in restitution for theft of government money. Wooding fraudulently obtained $91,664 in COVID-19 loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for her personal use. According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about July 26, 2020, through on or about June 10, 2021, Wooding knowingly defrauded and obtained money from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program authorized by the CARES Act. Wooding applied for and received four PPP loans totaling $81,664, falsely claiming on each application that the loan was for a business to cover payroll and other allowable expenses. Wooding listed an insurance agency on two of the applications, a carpet cleaning business on the third and a tax service on the fourth. Wooding also applied for and received a $10,000 EIDL program loan, falsely claiming the money was for an insurance business where she employed 10 people. As part of her guilty plea, Wooding admitted that she did not own or operate any such businesses and had no payroll or other eligible business expenses during that time. The proceeds from each fraudulently obtained loan were deposited in Wooding’s personal bank account in West Virginia. Wooding admitted that she made dozens of cash withdrawals and mobile payment and digital wallet service transfers to spend loan proceeds for personal use. The CARES Act made forgivable PPP relief loans available to adversely impacted eligible businesses and authorized the SBA to provide EIDL program loans to eligible small businesses experiencing substantial financial disruption. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer D. Gordon and former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Tessman prosecuted the case. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 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. 3:25-cr-122. ###


title: Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Earl Michael Myers, also known as “Mike,” 45, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, to distribution of cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 25, 2025, Myers sold a quantity of crack in exchange for $170, a Taurus model Public Defender Judge .410-gauge/.45-caliber LC revolver in exchange for $400, and a Smith & Wesson model SD9VE 9mm pistol in exchange for $600 to a confidential informant. As part of his guilty plea, Myers admitted to conducting the transaction at his Huntington residence and to arranging it on June 22, 2025, when he showed the confidential informant the two firearms and discussed the different amounts of crack he could sell and at what prices. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mid-Atlantic Laboratory confirmed the 3.5 grams of controlled substance Myers sold to the confidential informant contained 1.5 grams of crack. Myers is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for distribution of cocaine base and a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,250,000. Myers is among several individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they conspired to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in the Huntington area from at least in and around March 2025 to in and around August 2025. Co-defendant Erin Leigh Keeney, 41, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2025, to distribution of carfentanil and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026. Two other individuals were indicted separately as a result of the same investigation including Donovan Dewayne Pauley, 20, of Huntington, who pleaded guilty on October 27, 2025, to possession of a short-barreled shotgun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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. 3:25-cr-161. ###


title: Cartel Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Money Laundering

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A member of the Jalisco New Generacion Cartel (“CJNG”) has been sentenced to life in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Juan Francisco Castaneda, also known as “Pariente,” 44, to life in prison. In October 2025, after two days of trial testimony, Castaneda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and distribution of fentanyl. These crimes occurred in the Birmingham and Homewood area. According to the evidence presented at trial and Castenada’s guilty plea, Castaneda ran his drug trafficking and money laundering organization with the use of contraband phones while he was serving multiple life sentences for murder at the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Bullock Correctional facility. Castaneda used a network of couriers and local businesses as “fronts,” from which he arranged fentanyl distribution and collected drug proceeds. Undercover operations revealed that Castaneda was laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars to CJNG sources in Mexico through these couriers and businesses. According to Court documents, Castaneda previously pleaded guilty to a 2008 multi-victim homicide in Shelby County, in which five individuals were murdered over a cartel debt. Evidence at sentencing revealed that Castaneda also threatened to kill co-defendants during the course of the investigation and “feed them to the dogs,” and that he was responsible for the movement of over 19 kilograms of fentanyl throughout the District during the time period of the investigation. As part of sentencing, Castaneda also had a $700,000 money judgment entered against him. The DEA and HSI investigated the case, along with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, United States Marshals Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Hoover Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, Bessemer Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Corrections, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Carson Gilbert are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Alabama HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.


title: Richmond man indicted for distribution of child sexual abuse material

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment this week charging a Richmond man with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to court documents, on May 22, 2025, Randon Alexander Sprinkle, 30, allegedly used a dating app to contact another user who purportedly was the father of a nine-year-old son, but in actuality was an undercover FBI agent. Sprinkle immediately invited the user to communicate via the Telegram app. After alluding to a sexual interest in minors, Sprinkle allegedly sent a video depicting two adults sexually abusing a minor. Sprinkle then allegedly expressed his interest in travelling to Washington, D.C., to meet the other user and sexually abuse his purported nine-year-old son. “The allegations in this case are deeply disturbing and reflect a serious abuse of trust,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “When someone who has held a professional role in public or political life engages in the sexual exploitation of children, it underscores why no position, title, or resume can shield an offender from accountability. This office will pursue full accountability for those who exploit children, regardless of their background, job, or perceived status.” “One of the most important things FBI Richmond does is protecting children around the world from predators seeking to harm them,” said Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office. “I’m grateful our team and partners intervened to remove Mr. Sprinkle from the streets and ensure he was brought to justice.” On Oct. 16, 2025, FBI agents searched Sprinkle’s residence in Richmond and seized two laptop computers and a cellphone. Sprinkle’s cellphone allegedly contained 42 CSAM files and one of the laptops contained two additional files. The files included depictions of the abuse of toddlers and an infant. An arraignment is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12, in Richmond. If convicted, Sprinkle faces a minimum of five years and up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Theisen and Heather H. Mansfield are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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 Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-2. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Martin County Man Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud And Money Laundering

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Chason Reed Peck (37, Palm City) has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Peck faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the wire fraud charge and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each of the money laundering counts. As part of his guilty plea, Peck has agreed to forfeit $300,000, which are funds traceable as proceeds of the offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on February 3, 2017, Peck applied for and received business financing from Deere & Company (“John Deere”). On February 16, 2020, Peck applied for a $300,000 total credit limit on his John Deere credit. Peck hand-wrote the financial application and gave it to a representative of an agricultural store in Ocala to submit on his behalf. The application, however, contained false information that greatly overstated Peck’s assets. For instance, Peck claimed his cash assets were approximately $3 million. He also claimed to have 1,500 of acres of farming land. In reality, Peck’s cash assets were approximately $6,000, and he was only farming about 60 acres. Based on the fraudulent information he submitted, Peck obtained the increased credit line along with lines of ‘liquid credit” (business loans). Peck then used the increased credit line to make three payments towards debts he already had with his employer. Those payments totaled $274,673. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Felon on Supervised Release Sentenced in Possessing and Firing Pistol

body_text: WASHINGTON – Bruce R. Hart, 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 34 months in federal prison for his unlawful possession of a loaded pistol and a 28-round capacity magazine while he was on supervised release for a Maryland robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Hart pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and to endangerment with a firearm in a public place. In addition to the 34-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Hart to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on Oct. 26, 2024, about 9:45 p.m., Hart was with two other men on the 1800 block of Wiltberger St., NW, when he fired one round from a handgun into the air. The incident was captured on surveillance camera. The men then ran north on Wiltberger St. A police officer later spotted Hart on the 1900 block of 7th Street about one block away from the shooting. At 10:43 p.m., the officer attempted to stop Hart. Hart fled, running through traffic across Florida Avenue. Officers apprehended Hart after a brief pursuit on Bohrer Street NW, and recovered a loaded firearm equipped with a large capacity magazine tucked into the waistband of his pants. Hart has a prior felony conviction for robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for which he was sentenced on Nov. 29, 2023, to 10 years imprisonment, with nine years and six months suspended, and a three-year term of supervised probation. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Brendan M. Horan. - 24cr528 Surveillance image showing a muzzle flash as Hart discharged a firearm on the 1800 block of Wiltberger Street NW The firearm, magazine, and ammunition recovered from Hart’s waistband following his arrest. 24cr528


title: General Contractor Sentenced for Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The former owner of JMS Contracting, a general contracting business based in South Boston and Quincy, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for concealing business income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). John Michael Sacco, 54, formerly of Quincy, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release. Sacco was also ordered to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $3,059,887. Sacco managed construction projects under the name JMS Contracting. From 2014 through 2021, Sacco received over $9 million from JMS’s customers. Rather than depositing JMS’s gross receipts into business bank accounts, Sacco cashed most checks from customers, used proceeds to purchase supplies and pay subcontractors in cash and retained remaining cash to pay personal expenses. Sacco failed to issue required tax forms to subcontractors and failed to file required forms with the IRS with respect to amounts that JMS paid to its subcontractors. By not reporting JMS’s actual receipts on tax returns that he filed for certain years and by filing no tax returns in other years, Sacco underreported his personal income tax obligations, causing a loss to the IRS of over $3 million. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Houston straw purchasing ring charged with smuggling firearms to North Korea

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – Seven people have been charged for their alleged roles in a firearms trafficking scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The indictment alleges Chinese national Shenghua Wen, 39, whose U.S. visa expired in 2013, served as the ringleader. He has now made his appearance in Houston federal court. Also charged are Chinese nationals Sifu Zhao, 24, Yiyang Wu, 40, and Mingtong Tan, 27, who all resided in Houston; Jin Yang, 60, Ontario, California; Max Mingze Li, 36, Houston; and Richard Arredondo, 51, a U.S. citizen who resided in Mexicali, Mexico. According to the indictment returned Oct. 8, 2025, Wen and his girlfriend, Yang, purchased a gun store and directed the purchase of specific firearms and their sale to straw purchasers, such as Zhao, Tan, Wu, Mingze Li, and Arredondo. Wu also allegedly recruited one straw purchaser into the ring and transported pistols to a second Houston gun dealer for sale to others. Between 2023 and 2024, the group obtained approximately 170 firearms and several thousand rounds of ammunition that were destined for North Korea, according to the indictment. The charges allege Wen recruited Zhao and Tan to act as straw purchasers. They, along with Mingze Li and Arredondo, allegedly bought firearms on Wen’s behalf. Some of the firearms were later transported to another Houston firearms dealer for resale to members of the ring, according to the charges. Wen and Yang are charged with conspiracy and conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking which carry respective terms of five and 15 years in prison, upon conviction. Wen could also receive an additional five years if convicted on any of the seven counts of aiding and abetting false statements to a federal firearms licensee. Mingze Li, Arrendondo, Wu, Zhao and Tan each face one count of conspiracy and varying counts of aiding and abetting false statements to a federal firearms licensee with possible five-year maximum terms of imprisonment on all counts, upon conviction. All charges also carry as possible punishment a maximum $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ganz is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Chesapeake man sentenced to over six years in prison after attempting to receive three kilos of cocaine

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced yesterday to six years and four months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Nov. 1, 2024, law enforcement intercepted a parcel, shipped from California, containing over three kilograms of cocaine. Investigators performed a controlled delivery of the parcel to the intended address in Portsmouth, and the parcel was retrieved by Kevin Russell Beasley, 51. Beasley was immediately taken into custody. “Illegal narcotics and firearms are a dangerous combination that fuels violence and puts entire communities at risk,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). “Removing drugs and weapons from our streets saves lives and makes communities safer. EDVA will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute narcotics trafficking and firearms crimes.” “Drug dealers who use our commercial delivery systems to funnel poison into our cities will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice,” said Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C. “This case reflects Homeland Security Investigations’ core mission to dismantle criminal organizations, protect public safety, and safeguard our communities. Through proactive enforcement and strong law enforcement partnerships, our agents intercepted a major narcotics shipment, seized illegal drugs and cash, and removed a dangerous felon from the streets. HSI Washington, D.C. remains fully committed to the relentless pursuit of criminal networks and ensuring those who traffic drugs and threaten the safety of Americans face the full extent of the law.” “Virginia State Police is proud to work with our federal and local partners to take dangerous drugs and drug traffickers off of Virginia’s streets,” said Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “The safety of the public is our top priority, and we are grateful for the combined efforts that went into securing this conviction." During a search of Beasley’s residence, investigators discovered approximately 14 kilograms of marijuana; 84.44 grams of cocaine; 786.5 grams of psychedelic mushrooms containing psilocyn/psilocybin; 182 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) vape pen cartridges; 85.52 grams of marijuana wax; 10 boxes of sandwich bags; a bill-money counting machine; approximately $35,000 in cash; two cellphones; and a loaded firearm. In 2016, Beasley used the mail to receive marijuana for distribution. Chesapeake Police arrested Beasley after he loaded a parcel containing marijuana into his car following a controlled delivery of the parcel to a residence in Chesapeake. During a search of Beasley’s Portsmouth residence, investigators recovered two firearms and over 200 additional grams of marijuana. Following his arrest, Beasley warned his co-conspirators by text message. Beasley was convicted of distribution/possession with intent to distribute marijuana and obstruct justice in Chesapeake and possession with intent to distribute marijuana in Portsmouth. As a convicted felon, Beasley cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. The Virginia Beach Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation of this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell 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 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). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-95.


title: Texas Couple Who Operated an Illegal Pyramid Scheme  Are Convicted of Conspiracy, Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in Sherman, Texas convicted a married couple on Thursday for operating a multi-million-dollar pyramid scheme during the COVID‑19 pandemic. “While many Americans struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic, LaShonda and Marlon Moore orchestrated a lucrative pyramid scheme with the sole aim of enriching themselves,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Through lies and deceit, the defendants recruited vulnerable people and defrauded them of millions of dollars. The Criminal Division is committed to prosecuting fraudsters who inflict substantial harm on every day Americans trying to make a living.” “The defendants, through their operation of the Blessings in No Time (BINT) pyramid scheme, defrauded over 10,000 individuals of more than $25 million, using false promises and misleading statements to recruit participants,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs of the Eastern District of Texas. “The defendants' actions were a betrayal of trust, and the Justice Department will continue to work tirelessly to hold those accountable who engage in such schemes. I commend the efforts of our investigative partners and the team who worked to bring about a “win” for the victims who suffered great losses at the hands of these defendants.” “The harm caused by greed-driven, deceptive investments promising returns too good to be true cannot be overstated,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group. “The mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service continues, to aggressively investigate such schemes and hold fraudsters fully accountable.” “The Moores used a polished image and even a reality TV appearance to build trust, but behind the scenes, they orchestrated a multi-million-dollar pyramid scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation’s (IRS-CI) Dallas Field Office. “This scheme deliberately targeted the African American community, exploiting cultural trust and community ties. Today’s conviction sends a clear message: if you abuse trust and exploit communities for personal gain, you will face justice.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, LaShonda Moore, 38, and Marlon Moore, 39, of Frisco, Texas, co-founded and ran BINT, known as “Blessings in No Time,” an illegal chain-referral pyramid scheme that targeted victims during the COVID‑19 pandemic from June 2020 to June 2021. BINT targeted and recruited victims with false and misleading promises through weekly live-stream video broadcasts to thousands of participants across the United States during the COVID-19 shutdown. Victims were falsely promised that participants would earn 800% returns on each $1,400 investment and were guaranteed a refund if the participant was unsatisfied with BINT. The Moores falsely presented BINT as a means for new participants to help other members of their own community by paying “blessings” of at least $1,400 to participants who had already joined. The Moores falsely promised that new participants’ “blessing” payments would be paid back eight fold within a few weeks. BINT was falsely presented as an altruistic invitation-only community to help others during the economic downturn from the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants structured BINT to operate on “playing boards” that had positions for participants on four levels: eight Fires, four Winds, two Earths, and one Water. Once eight new participants were recruited to fill all eight Fire positions on the playing board, each Fire was directed to “bless” or pay at least $1,400 to the participant in the Water position. A Water participant then received eight payments totaling more than $11,000. After a Water participant received his or her payment, other participants at lower levels would move up one level on the playing board and then be required to recruit new participants into the Fire positions to perpetuate the scheme. To profit from the investment scheme, the defendants placed themselves in positions on the playing boards, so that they received the ultimate payments, and they otherwise diverted substantial money to themselves that were paid by the participants. The defendants’ pyramid scheme victimized more than 10,000 people across the country and inflicted more than $25 million in victim losses. LaShonda and Marlon Moore were each convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, five counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. Their sentencings have not been set. Each face a maximum penalty of 20 years on each of the conspiracy and wire fraud counts and 10 years on each money laundering count. USPIS, the United States Secret Service, and IRS-CI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Theodore Kneller and Adam Stempel of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. for the Eastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at victimassistance.fraud@usdoj.gov . To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas .


title: Rankin County Woman Pleads Guilty to Misappropriation by a VA Fiduciary

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Rankin County woman pleaded guilty in federal court to misusing Veteran’s Administration money intended to benefit her son, a disabled Army Veteran. According to court documents and statements made in court, Darla Storey, 57, began serving as a fiduciary on March 18, 2016, and was responsible for managing the financial affairs of her adult son who was permanently disabled and wheelchair-bound due to service-connected disabilities. As part of her fiduciary duties, Darla Storey was required to use funds entrusted to her solely for her son’s benefit, to file regular accountings, and to never commingle the funds. During her five years as a fiduciary, Darla Storey misappropriated the VA funds and instead used them for her own benefit by transferring the money to her personal bank account, purchasing a vehicle the beneficiary never used, paying bills, and taking trips even when the beneficiary was not living with her. She routinely failed to file proper accountings and used more than $100,000 dollars entrusted to her by the VA for her personal benefit. Darla Storey is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement. The Veteran’s Administration - Office of Inspector General is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham is prosecuting the case.


title: Morristown Woman Pleads Guilty In The Deaths Of Multiple Overdose Victims

component: USAO - Tennessee, Eastern

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On January 6, 2026, Ashlyn Jade Henry, 25 currently of Morristown, TN entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C) before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Sentencing has been set before Judge Corker on May 13, 2026, at 11:00a.m., in United States District Court at Greeneville. Henry faces a minimum of 20 years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, a maximum $1,000,000 fine, minimum 3 years and up to life on supervised release, and a $100 assessment. According to filed court documents, in January 2024, Henry purchased a quantity of cocaine base from her supplier in the Knoxville area for the purpose of reselling it to people in Morristown, Tennessee. This cocaine base was laced with fentanyl. Over the course of several days, Henry then sold the laced drugs to numerous victims. At least three victims were found deceased in their homes after using the drugs. Two victims overdosed and survived after being resuscitated. Both victims who survived positively identified Henry as the person that sold them the fentanyl laced cocaine base. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement. The prosecution was the result of a joint investigation in by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office and Morristown Police Department. Meghan L. Gomez, Assistant United States Attorney represented the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: Guatemalan National Charged with Biting ICE Officer During Traffic Stop

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged a Guatemalan national with assaulting a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Antonio Juan-Juan, 30, with forcibly assaulting a federal officer. According to court documents, Juan-Juan bit an ICE officer during a traffic stop in DeKalb County. ICE conducted the investigation, along with the Dekalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty for the charged offense is eight years imprisonment. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Former Corporate Executive Pleads Guilty To Multimillion-Dollar Insider Trading Scheme

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”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today that PAUL JORGENSEN pled guilty to 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. JORGENSEN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla. “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. “Corporate executives should be working for the benefit of the companies and shareholders they serve, not scheming to line their own pockets by trading on inside information. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect our financial markets and prosecute those who misuse non-public information.” “Paul Jorgensen repeatedly leveraged nonpublic information to conduct illegal trades from an unauthorized personal account, garnering millions of dollars in illicit proceeds,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The defendant’s actions greatly exploited his position of trust for his own personal gain, even as he learned he was likely to be terminated from the company. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s commitment to protect companies from internal executives who prioritize personal wealth over their duty to company shareholders.” According to the allegations contained in the Information and statements made in public court proceedings: JORGENSEN engaged in a scheme to reap illegal profits by trading on material non-public 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. * * * JORGENSEN, 53, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty to two counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. JORGENSEN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Failla on May 21, 2026. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. 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: Former Executive from Marlborough Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Obstruction of Justice

body_text: BOSTON – A former accounting and real estate executive in Sudbury pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a multi-year scheme to cheat the Internal Revenue Service by getting paid more than $1.6 million in compensation and fringe benefits under the table, all while lying to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income to avoid paying restitution he owed to victims of an earlier fraud scheme. Stephen L. Hochberg, 77, of Marlborough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to obstruction of justice. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2026. Hochberg was charged in December 2025 . Hochberg and Charles D. Katz agreed in as early as 2014 to cheat the IRS. They agreed that Hochberg, who served as the Director of Corporate Services at Katz’s accounting firm and as Chief Operating Officer at Katz’s real estate firm, would be paid significant compensation off the books so that Hochberg would have tax-free income and so that Katz’s firms – CD Katz LLC and Gebsco Realty Corporation – would owe less employment taxes. Over time, Katz paid Hochberg’s family, provided rent-free housing to Hochberg’s ex-wife, paid college tuition for his children and paid personal expenses that Hochberg and his ex-wife charged on corporate credit cards. All told, Katz paid Hochberg at least $1,668,487 in unreported income and avoided taxes of at least $835,105. In 2008, Hochberg was convicted of eight counts of wire fraud and nine counts of securities fraud, for which he was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,791,500 to his victims. In addition to his and Katz’s tax scheme, Hochberg lied to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income from Katz’s firms and obstructed the collection of restitution Hochberg owed to victims. Katz was charged and agreed to plead guilty in October 2025 . The Court accepted his plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 2, 2026. The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Owyhee Man Sentenced For Witness Tampering

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – An Owyhee man was sentenced Thursday by United States District Judge Anne R. Traum to time served. The government recommended a sentence of 18 months incarceration. Yesterday’s sentence follows R.C. Crutcher’s conviction in November after a four-day jury trial for tampering with a witness. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from March 22, 2025, to March 16, 2025, Crutcher attempted to persuade a victim from testifying against him at a federal proceeding. In addition to time served, Judge Traum sentenced Crutcher to three years of supervised release. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs with assistance from the Owyhee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Penelope Brady and Andrew Keenan prosecuted the case. ###


title: Operator of Sober Homes Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Fraud Schemes Involving Sober Home Client, Sober Homes Mortgages, Mass Save Program and COVID-19 Business Loans

body_text: BOSTON – The operator of numerous sober homes in Massachusetts, who also operated insulation companies receiving funds through the Mass Save Program, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his involvement in four different fraud schemes involving sober homes in the Greater Boston area, the Mass Save Program, mortgage lenders and a federal loan program that assisted businesses during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Daniel Cleggett, 39, of Kingston, formerly of Braintree and Quincy, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cleggett was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,856,329 and forfeit $1,544,185. In December 2024 , Cleggett pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud conspiracy; one count of conspiracy to make false statements to a mortgage lending business (mortgage fraud conspiracy); 25 counts of wire fraud; six counts of unlawful monetary transactions (money laundering); and three counts of making false statements to a mortgage lending business. Cleggett was arrested and charged in March 2023 along with co-conspirator Nicholas Espinosa. Espinosa pleaded guilty to his role in the fraud schemes on Oct. 3, 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 22, 2026. Cleggett was the founder of the sober home business A Vision From God LLC (AVFG). Established in November 2016, AVFG owned and operated sober homes in Boston, Wakefield, Quincy and Weymouth under trade names including Brady’s Place, Lakeshore Retreat and Lambert House. Espinosa managed the day-to-day affairs of Cleggett’s sober home business. Cleggett, Espinosa and a sober home client entered into a conspiracy to defraud a New York-based family trust that was paying for the client’s room and board at Brady’s Place, located in Quincy. Specifically, Cleggett and Espinosa overcharged the family trust for room and board by up to $12,500 per month by submitting false and fraudulent invoices to the family trust. Cleggett and Espinosa would then issue “refund” checks to the client in furtherance of the fraud scheme. From approximately October 2019 to December 2021, Cleggett personally, and through straw purchasers including Espinosa, purchased the three residential properties in Weymouth and Boston to use as sober homes. Cleggett, Espinosa and others submitted false information and fraudulent documentation including falsely representing that the three properties were intended to be purchased as primary residences when in reality, each was intended to be a sober home. In addition to the sober home business, Cleggett operated numerous insulation contracting companies that participated in the Mass Save Program: Green Save Energy Corporation; Environmental Construction Objective Inc. (ECO); Green Giants, LLC; and Insulation Situation, LLC. Mass Save is a Massachusetts public/private partnership sponsored by gas and electric utility companies that fund energy conservation projects and improvements via energy efficiency funds charged to Massachusetts residents’ utility bills. Specifically, Green Save and ECO received millions of dollars for residential insulation work from a lead vendor company under the Mass Save program. From 2018 through mid-2021, Green Save and ECO fraudulently billed the vendor company for required permits that were not actually obtained. Green Save and ECO were ultimately terminated from participating in the lead vendor company’s program in June 2021, and Cleggett was banned from participating in the Mass Save program. In response to this, Cleggett, Espinosa and other co-conspirators formed Insulation Situation and Green Giants to enter as new lead vendors with the same company under straw owners. As a result, Cleggett obtained a total of $945,473 in payments from the company to Green Giants and Insulation Situation, despite him being banned from participating in the Mass Save program. Additionally, on April 1, 2020, Cleggett submitted three Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications to the Small Business Administration for AVFG, the Daniel Cleggett Sole Proprietorship and Green Save. Cleggett obtained a total of $792,106 in EIDL loans and advances. In the applications, Cleggett falsely denied involvement in illegal activity despite his involvement in the sober home wire fraud scheme and the mortgage fraud scheme involving one of his Weymouth sober homes. Cleggett’s Sole Proprietorship EIDL application was false because the Daniel Cleggett Sole Proprietorship did not exist. Despite certifying that EIDL proceeds would only be used for “working capital” for the entity seeking the loan, Cleggett used tens of thousands of dollars from the funds to pay for personal expenses including EZ-Pass bills, gym membership fees, pet expenses, airline tickets, car rentals, vacation trips to Yellowstone, Montana and Aruba and thousands of dollars in hotel resort stays for Cleggett and his girlfriend – which included spa fees as well as a wine and caviar dinner, among other expenses. Cleggett also used Green Save EIDL funds for $37,997 in wedding expenses. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Kingston, Randolph and Quincy Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys and John T. Mulcahy and Dustin Chao of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Previously Convicted Felon from Maine Sentenced for Firearm Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Maine man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition. Kirk Wilson, 46, of Maine, was sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Indira Talwani to five years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2025, Wilson pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Wilson was charged in March 2024. Shortly after 1 a.m. on Dec. 14, 2023, Wilson was found unconscious inside a vehicle that was stopped on the side of a road in Littleton. During a subsequent search of the vehicle and his person, Wilson was found with a Taurus International 22-caliber handgun with eight rounds of ammunition in a magazine inside his pocket. Wilson is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to multiple prior felony convictions which include: a 2008 conviction for assaulting a pregnant person; a 2018 conviction for trafficking fentanyl powder and/or methamphetamine and alprazolam; and a 2023 conviction for unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs and unlawful possession of fentanyl powder. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Littleton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced in Possession of a Machine Gun

body_text: WASHINGTON – Floyd Clark, 22, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 48 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol that had been outfitted with a “switch” so it could fire as a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Clark pleaded guilty on Sept. 24, 2025, before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to an Information charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. In addition to the 48-month prison sentence, Judge Kelly ordered Clark to serve three years of supervised release. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Field Division and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. According to court documents, on March 1, 2025, at 3:23 p.m., MPD officers responded to the 300 block of 50 Street NE, in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood for a report of 14 rounds of automatic gunfire. At the scene, officers recovered 14 shell casings. Police did not find any shooting victims. Surveillance video footage revealed that two shooters had fired from a black Infiniti Q50 sedan bearing a Maryland license plate. Immediately after the firing of the 14 rounds, the Infiniti fled the scene. On March 8, 2025, about 6:10 p.m. police were patrolling near the intersection of 60th Street and Eads Street, NE, when they spotted an Infiniti Q50 matching the description of the vehicle used in the previous week’s shooting. Officers followed the car. Clark, who was driving the Infiniti, stopped the vehicle. Then Clark and an unidentified passenger jumped out of the car and ran away from the police officers. Police arrest Clark after a brief foot chase and then recovered a loaded Glock 22 .40 caliber handgun from the car. The firearm was outfitted with a machine gun conversion device. Investigators linked the Glock to the March 1 discharge of 14 rounds in Lincoln Heights. Clark previously pled guilty in April 2023 of attempted carrying a pistol without a license and of carrying a pistol without a license in October 2023 in D.C. Superior Court. This case was investigated by the MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Svetoslavov. 25cr227


title: Venezuelan national charged with laundering approximately a billion dollars in illicit funds

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Venezuelan national has been charged by criminal complaint in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiracy to launder money. “This case involves the alleged laundering approximately a billion dollars - a scale of criminal conduct that poses a profound threat to financial systems and public safety,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Money laundering at this level enables transnational criminal organizations to operate, expand, and inflict real-world harm. Those who move illicit funds in the billions should expect to be identified, disrupted, and held fully accountable under federal law.” "The FBI has identified approximately a billion dollars' worth of cryptocurrency that was passed through crypto wallets utilized by Figueira and his laundering operation to individuals and businesses throughout the world," said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. “By enlisting subordinates and conducting scores of transfers, Figueira sought to conceal the nature of the funds, potentially facilitating criminal activity in numerous countries." According to court documents, the laundering network of Jorge Figueira, 59, allegedly used various bank accounts, cryptocurrency exchange accounts, private cryptocurrency wallets, and shell companies to launder voluminous amounts of illicit money into and out of the United States. Figueira allegedly used a series of steps, including the conversion of money to cryptocurrency that was directed to a series of digital wallets. Figueira allegedly would send the funds to liquidity providers to exchange the cryptocurrency for dollars, then transfer the dollars to Figueira's bank accounts and ultimately to the intended recipient. These transactions allegedly were performed to conceal the nature of the funds from law enforcement authorities. As alleged in the complaint, more than a billion dollars moved through the identified cryptocurrency wallet and various financial accounts. Within Figueira’s financial accounts, the majority of the inbound funds were received from cryptocurrency trading platforms. The majority of outbound funds were sent to various businesses and individuals located in the United States and overseas, including high risk jurisdictions such as Colombia, China, Panamá, and Mexico. If convicted, Figueira faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Rosenberg is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-mj-730. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: U.S. Attorney Waterman Meets with Attorney General Pamela Bondi at U.S. Attorneys’ Orientation

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa David C. Waterman met with Attorney General Pamela Bondi on January 7, 2026, in Washington, D.C., during the U.S. Attorneys’ Orientation. The orientation brought together newly appointed and returning U.S. Attorneys from across the country to address Department of Justice enforcement priorities, inter-district coordination, and the Department’s ongoing commitment to public safety and the rule of law. During the program, U.S. Attorney Waterman reaffirmed the Southern District of Iowa’s commitment to advancing the Department’s mission and to serving Iowans with integrity, fairness, and professionalism. “It was an honor to meet with Attorney General Bondi and to participate in discussions focused on strengthening public safety and upholding the rule of law nationwide,” said U.S. Attorney Waterman. “The Southern District of Iowa remains fully committed to enforcing federal law fairly, effectively, and in partnership with our law enforcement colleagues and communities.” U.S. Attorney Waterman previously met with Attorney General Bondi during her tenure as Florida’s Attorney General, while he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida from 2016 to 2020. That shared professional experience reflects their longstanding commitment to public service and prosecutorial excellence. Three photos of the Attorney General Pamela Bondi and U.S. Attorney David C. Waterman for the Southern District of Iowa meeting on January 7, 2026.


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Scott Keyes, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2024 and January 2025, Keyes conspired with his wife, Leann Marie Keyes, to sell drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. As part of his guilty plea, Justin Scott Keyes admitted that he and his wife sold a total of 12.34 grams of fentanyl on four occasions during the time period, each time to a confidential informant. He further admitted that he conducted the hand-to-hand sales at the Beckley residence where he lived with his wife, and that his wife communicated with the confidential informant about each sale beforehand. On January 29, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Keyes’ residence and seized a Ruger model EC9s 9mm pistol and a Taurus model G3c 9mm pistol. Justin Scott Keyes admitted that the seized firearms belonged to him and that he had traded drugs for them. Leann Marie Keyes, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2026. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case. 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. 5:25-cr-73. ###


title: Gary Man Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Carlos Alvarez Morin, 36 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to possessing ammunition as an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Morin was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Morin, an illegal alien, discharged twenty rounds of ammunition using an AK-47 rifle from his backyard in a residential area, all while intoxicated. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristian R. Mukoski. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case 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.


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mark Anderson Staples, 53, of Beckley, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Staples admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, Staples participated in the DTO conspiracy between April and May 2024. Staples obtained methamphetamine from other individuals that he distributed to customers and provided to co-conspirators for further distribution. Staples provided at least 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine as part of the DTO conspiracy. Staples is among 12 defendants indicted on charges alleging they conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. The remaining defendants pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate offenses in lieu of the offenses charged in the indictment. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.. Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and Former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. 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. 5:24-cr-90. ###