title: Columbia Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years Federal Prison for Federal Firearm Offenses

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Everette Kale Wanamaker, 37, of Columbia, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Evidence presented to the court showed that on multiple occasions between November 2022 and February 2023, Wanamaker sold 15 firearms, including firearms with high-capacity magazines and obliterated serial numbers to undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Wanamaker also sold approximately 30 grams of fentanyl and 55 grams of counterfeit heroin to undercover agents. On Feb. 13, 2023, Wanamaker was arrested with three additional firearms, including one that was stolen and 28 grams of fentanyl. Wanamaker is a felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. Wanamaker has prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute marijuana, domestic violence 2 nd degree, financial identity fraud, possession of heroin and possession of methamphetamine. United States District Mary Geiger-Lewis sentenced Wanamaker to 151 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, West Columbia Police Department, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case. ###


title: Four South Carolina Defendants Sentenced for Civil Rights Crimes Targeting Hispanics

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: WASHINGTON — Three South Carolina men and one woman have been sentenced for violent crimes targeting Hispanics in Columbia, South Carolina. Charles Antonio Clippard, 27, was sentenced to 420 months in prison; Michael Joseph Knox, 29, was sentenced to 303 months in prison; Gabriel Brunson, 21, was sentenced to 100 months in prison; and Sierra Fletcher, 34, was sentenced to 200 months in prison. All four defendants previously pleaded guilty to carjacking, conspiracy, firearms, and criminal civil rights charges in connection with the string of armed robberies. According to court documents, beginning in January 2021 and continuing through February 2021, the four defendants conspired to target Hispanic victims for armed robberies. The group would wait for their victims at gas stations and grocery stores and then follow them to their homes or other locations to rob their victims at gunpoint. All four defendants admitted their involvement in a Jan. 30, 2021, armed robbery and carjacking targeting a Hispanic victim after following him from a gas station to his home. In another series of robberies on Jan. 30, 2021, three members of the group carjacked one victim, and invaded the home of another group of victims. The group stole cash, cellphones, driver’s licenses, and credit cards from multiple victims. “The defendants hunted victims based on their ethnicity and terrorized an entire community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “Their acts of bias-motivated violence have no place in South Carolina. These four defendants will spend a total of 85 years in federal prison as a result of law enforcement coordination at the federal, state, and local level. We are all committed to making sure the Palmetto State remains a safe place for everyone.” Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Brook Andrews and Acting Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Columbia Field Office investigated the case with assistance from the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, Town of Lexington Police Department and Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Garner for the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorneys Katherine McCallister and Andrew Manns of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case. ###


title: Pawtucket Man Admits to Defrauding Federally Funded Benefit Programs Using Stolen Identities, Altering and Cashing Stolen U.S. Treasury Checks

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Pawtucket man with a lengthy record of arrests and convictions for financial fraud admitted to a federal judge on Tuesday that he defrauded the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the U.S. Treasury out of more than $100,000 combined, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Reynaldo Martinez, 32, admitted that he obtained at least 40 SNAP EBT cards through the use of stolen identities and stolen or fraudulent Social Security numbers. Court documents reflect that Martinez appeared in person at multiple Rhode Island Department of Human Services offices and filed applications for SNAP benefits. He did this by presenting fraudulent drivers’ licenses in various names but depicting his own photograph, and using Social Security numbers assigned to others, including that of a deceased individual, living adult citizens, and at least one juvenile. Martinez admitted to fraudulently securing at least $33,192.36 in SNAP benefits. In a second fraud scheme, Martinez admitted to cashing altered United States Treasury checks made payable to himself. Martinez and co-conspirators obtained checks made payable to others, then altered the checks to reflect counterfeit or fraudulent driver’s licenses they presented when cashing or depositing the checks. The total amount of fraudulent U.S. Treasury checks cashed or deposited was approximately $79,532.32. Martinez pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy and one count each of misuse of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Court records illustrate that Martinez was previously arrested and convicted on multiple occasions in multiple states on fraud related and other criminal charges dating back to 2012. For example, in November 2017, Martinez pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island to four counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of access fraud, and one count each of bank fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, attempted access fraud, and interstate transportation of stolen goods. He was sentenced to 48 months of incarceration to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I Roklan. The matters were investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, United States Marshals Service, Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit - Fraud Detection & Prevention Unit, Rhode Island Department of Human Services, Rhode Island State Police, Pawtucket Police Department, Warwick Police Department, West Warwick Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, Foxborough, MA, Police Department, and Walmart Global Investigations. ###


title: Nashville Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm After Allegedly Pointing a Stolen Rifle at Police

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

body_text: NASHVILLE – Isaiah Taivon Newsom a/k/a Isaiah Taivon Porterfield, 25, of Nashville, has been charged by criminal complaint with being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Dangerous felons who possess firearms and put police officers at risk will face swift justice,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “We will not tolerate potential violence against first responders and will seek full accountability for those putting our first responders in danger.” According to court documents, on March 25, 2025, detectives with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department were conducting covert surveillance near an address on Nashboro Boulevard. Detectives were parked in their unmarked police vehicles in several different areas of the apartment complex. One detective observed three people walk out of the breezeway near unit B, with one, later identified as Newsom, carrying what appeared to be a rifle. As they walked through the apartment complex, Newsom walked about fifteen feet away from another detective’s unmarked vehicle, stood near a tree, raised the rifle to his shoulder and pointed it at the detective, who was still in his vehicle. As the detective relayed Newsom’s actions to the other detectives in the area and they discussed a plan of action over the radio, Newsom walked past the front of the detective’s vehicle towards the passenger side and again pointed the rifle at the detective. As other detectives arrived in the area, Newsom moved towards the front of the detective’s vehicle and pointed the rifle directly at the detective. Although he was in an unmarked car, the detective was wearing a tactical vest with patches indicating he was a law enforcement officer, and he was equipped with a body worn camera. The detective activated his blue lights and a short burst of the siren, as he exited the vehicle and announced himself as a police officer. Newsom and the other two people then ran from the area. Detectives pursued Newsom on foot as he ran across a field and entered the wood line. Detectives set up a perimeter and, with the assistance of a K9 unit and the Metro Nashville Police Department aviation unit, took Newsom into custody. Detectives searched Newsom’s flight path and located a Windham Weaponry, WW-15, .223/5.56 caliber rifle which was later found to have been reported stolen from a Williamson County Sheriff’s Office marked patrol vehicle. After being advised of his Miranda rights, Newsom admitted to detectives that he had possessed the rifle. Newsom had previously been convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery and two counts of felony theft in Shelby County, Tennessee. Newsom served more than seven years in the Tennessee Department of Correction for his felony convictions. If convicted, Newsom faces a maximum of 15 years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel M. Stephens is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. # # # # #


title: José Adolfo “Fito” Macías Villamar, Leader of  Los Choneros Transnational Criminal Organization,  Indicted in Brooklyn Federal Court on  International Drug and Gun Charges

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A seven-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging José Adolfo Macías Villamar, also known as “Fito,” with international cocaine distribution conspiracy; international cocaine distribution; using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking; smuggling firearms from the United States; and straw purchasing of firearms conspiracy. Since at least 2020, he has been the leader of Los Choneros, one of Ecuador’s most violent drug trafficking and transnational criminal organizations. The defendant is not in U.S. custody. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Derek Maltz, Acting Administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); L.C. Cheeks, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Newark Field Division, Atlantic City Satellite Office (ATF); and Jonathan Carson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office (OEE), announced the charges. “As alleged, the defendant was a ruthless leader and prolific drug trafficker for a violent transnational criminal organization. By leading the Los Choneros’ network of assassins and drug and weapon traffickers and importing potentially lethal quantities of cocaine into the United States, the defendant has caused great harm to his own country and the United States, which was the destination for the vast majority of Los Choneros’ cocaine shipments,” stated United States Attorney Durham. Mr. Durham praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s Andean Region – Quito, Country Office, Special Operations Division-Bilateral Investigations Unit and Latin America/Caribbean Section, Joint Interagency Task Force South; U.S. Southern Command; the Government of Ecuador; the New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau; and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Atlantic City. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided significant assistance in this matter. “The indictment of José Adolfo Macías Villamar marks a significant strike against the violent networks that flood our communities with dangerous drugs like cocaine — a clear message that no one fueling this deadly trade is beyond the reach of justice. This case highlights the tireless efforts of DEA, alongside our partners in the United States and Ecuador,” stated DEA Administrator Maltz. “We will continue to work across borders to dismantle the supply chain of violent, criminal networks, which underscores the ongoing need for vigilance and collaboration in the fight against drug trafficking and cartel violence.” “This investigation and charges are a testament to the combined efforts of law enforcement and underscores the resolve of ATF and our federal, state, and local partners. Drug trafficking and the heinous crimes associated with violent criminal organizations have an insidious impact on the public and tear apart the fabric of our communities. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal, across the U.S. and around the globe, to combat violence, drug distribution, and the illegal sale and possession of firearms to safeguard the safety and well-being of all,” stated ATF Special Agent in Charge Cheeks. “This indictment alleges the defendant and Los Choneros illegally smuggled firearms from the United States in furtherance of their violent drug trafficking operations,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Carson of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Export Enforcement, New York Field Office. “The Office of Export Enforcement will continue its efforts alongside its law enforcement partners to pursue those who violate export laws, wherever they may be, worldwide.” As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2020 to 2025, Macías Villamar was the principal leader of Los Choneros, one of the most violent and powerful transnational criminal organizations in Ecuador. Los Choneros, in partnership with the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico, controlled key cocaine trafficking routes through Ecuador and operated a large-scale network responsible for the shipment and distribution of multi-ton quantities of cocaine from South America through Central America and Mexico to the United States and elsewhere. The vast majority of drugs trafficked by Los Choneros were imported into the United States. As the principal leader of Los Choneros, Macías Villamar employed members of the organization to carry out serious acts of violence on the organization’s behalf. At Macías Villamar’s direction, Los Choneros committed violent acts towards law enforcement, Ecuadorian politicians, attorneys, prosecutors and civilians. Los Choneros obtained many of their firearms and weapons by illegally trafficking and exporting them from the United States. As alleged, the defendant specifically employed individuals who purchased firearms, firearms components and ammunitions on Los Choneros’ behalf in the United States and then illegally smuggled them to Ecuador. Moreover, in furtherance of their drug trafficking operation, Los Choneros relied on “sicarios,” or hitmen, as well as corruption and bribe payments, to ensure protection and loyalty to Los Choneros. These “sicarios” regularly used military-grade weapons, like machine guns, AK-47 assault rifles and grenades to perpetrate violence, including murder, torture and kidnapping. Macías Villamar and the Los Choneros organization have also been sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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). The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and as part of the work of the Office’s Transnational Criminal Organizations Strike Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Chand Edwards-Balfour and Lorena Michelen are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : JOSÉ ADOLFO MACÍAS VILLAMAR (also known as “Fito”) Age: 45 Ecuador E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 25-CR-114 (FB) 25cr114_indictment_redacted.pdf


title: Pharr resident charged with production of child sexual abuse material after attempting to exit U.S. into Mexico with minor

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas - A 26-year-old Pharr resident has been charged with producing child pornography involving a 16-year-old minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Carlo Ivan Hurtado is expected to appear for a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 11:15 a.m. The criminal complaint, filed March 28, alleges Hurtado arrived at the Hidalgo Port of Entry with a 16-year-old female passenger attempting to exit the United States. She had allegedly left home without her parent’s permission. Upon questioning, the minor reported she and Hurtado had stayed in a hotel room the night before in McAllen, according to the charges. She allegedly claimed she and Hurtado had sexual intercourse and recorded it using the minor female’s Snapchat account. The complaint alleges law enforcement conducted a search of her phone and discovered sexually explicit images and videos of her and Hurtado. If convicted, Hurtado faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible fine of up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Farmington Couple Pleads Guilty in Violent Assault Case

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury, while his wife has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting in connection with a violent assault in 2023. According to court records, on July 28, 2023, during an argument, Renauldo Sandoval , 40, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, slammed Jane Doe into a wall and strangled her, causing her to fall to the ground. Lisa Sandoval , 39, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, then pinned Jane Doe to the ground. At sentencing, Renauldo and Lisa both face up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrinand Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case.


title: Media Advisory: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces National  Crime Victims’ Rights Week Events

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C – In commemoration of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar is announcing NCVRW observances planned in the Eastern District of North Carolina for the week of April 6-12, 2025. Members of the public and media are invited to attend. On Monday, April 7th , a Pinwheel Event will be held in Wilmington to honor and support crime victims and their families. 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. at The Harrelson Center, Plaza on Princess (410 Princess Street, Wilmington, NC 28401). This event will feature a message of hope and inspiration from caretakers in a child exploitation case and is being held in partnership with A Safe Place. On Tuesday, 8th the National Crime Victims’ Rights Ceremony will be held in Raleigh. 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the North Carolina State Bar Association (217 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, NC 27601) Registration is required for this event. This event is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts and the Interagency Council. For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website . For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov . ###


title: Medical group agrees to pay $2.8M to settle False Claims Act allegations

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Fairfax Radiological Consultants, PLLC formerly known as Fairfax Radiological Consultants, P.C. (FRC), of Fairfax, agreed to pay $2,881,260 to settle False Claims Act allegations that it falsely reported its payroll costs to receive full forgiveness of a $6.7 million Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The PPP offered loans to eligible small businesses for economic relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP borrowers were required to provide their income and supporting documents to qualify for the loan amount and for later loan forgiveness. In 2019, FRC employed over 500 individuals. Using its 2019 employee payroll, FRC was able to apply for a $6.8 million PPP loan in April 2020. At the time of its April 2020 PPP loan application, FRC employed less than 100 people. In April 2021, FRC applied for forgiveness of the loan. The United States alleged that FRC falsely represented its eligible payroll costs for 98 employees in its loan forgiveness application, which enabled FRC to receive full forgiveness of the $6.8 million loan. The United States alleged that, in actuality, FRC was only entitled to loan forgiveness of $4,945,860. The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Kim and auditor Peter Melaragni. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia . The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.


title: Macon Man Sentenced to Prison for Robbing Credit Unions

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Macon resident who brandished a firearm during two bank robberies and an attempted bank robbery in 2022—causing victims to suffer panic attacks and stealing a total of $38,274—was sentenced to prison this week. Felix Cordes, 58, was sentenced to serve 97 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $38,274 by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on April 2. Cordes previously pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery on Jan. 2. There is no parole in the federal system. “Criminal offenders who instill fear in our community by conducting bank robberies will face consequences for their actions," said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Our office is committed to working with law enforcement to bring the most dangerous criminals to justice.” “Cordes terrified innocent employees and customers at three businesses throughout his crime spree,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “We are extremely grateful that no one was physically hurt or killed during these violent robberies and thankful that Cordes is off our streets receiving the sentencing he deserves.” “Felix Cordes was a ruthless and relentless criminal who possibly could have killed innocent bank employees had he not been stopped by the diligent work of investigators,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “We are grateful that justice is served, and he will be held accountable for spreading mayhem in our community.” According to the court documents and statements referenced in court, Cordes robbed MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union in Macon on April 2, 2022. Cordes attempted to disguise himself in overalls, a bandana and sunglasses. He approached the bank tellers on staff and brandished a handgun, ordering the tellers to “take the money out.” He went behind the counter, pulled cash out of two drawers, placed the money in a bag and left the scene. Some tellers experienced panic attacks from intimidation caused by Cordes. Cordes used some of the stolen money to purchase two cell phones at a Boost Mobile store. With the aid of an accomplice, Cordes robbed the Central Georgia Regional Credit Union in Macon on May 2, 2022. Wearing blue latex gloves and brandishing a firearm, he stole cash from the bank. He attempted to commit a third robbery on May 24, 2022, at another MidSouth Community Federal Credit Union location in Macon. This attempt was unsuccessful because bank staff saw Cordes and an accomplice--both wearing masks--approach the bank with a silver handgun drawn. The staff was able to lock down the bank and thwart the robbery attempt; no money was stolen. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at a residence used by Cordes on April 6, 2022, and found a bandana matching the one seen on video during the first MidSouth Bank robbery video, blue latex gloves like those worn by Cordes during the second robbery, boxes corresponding to the cellphones purchased from Boost Mobile with the stolen money and a box of 9-millimeter ammunition. Cordes stole a total of $38,274 from the two credit unions. This case was investigated by FBI and the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Felon Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Gun and Oxycodone Possession

body_text: EVANSVILLE— Marquell T. Lockridge, 26, of Evansville, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to illegal possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance. According to court documents, on November 1, 2024, at approximately 3:51 a.m., officers with the Evansville Police Department were dispatched to a Circle K gas station on a report of a disturbance in the parking lot. When officers arrived on scene, a woman in the parking lot claimed that Marquell Lockridge had pulled out a gun and pointed it at her. Lockridge saw the officers walk toward him to investigate and jumped into his vehicle to flee the scene. However, he was unable to shift the car into drive. Officers commanded Lockridge to step out of the car. He eventually exited the vehicle, but then began running on foot and was quickly tased and arrested. While officers were applying the handcuffs, Lockridge admitted that he had a loaded gun inside the front of his underwear. During a search of his person, officers located a plastic corner bag containing Oxycodone pills and approximately $20,227 in cash. Lockridge has been previously convicted of multiple crimes, including misdemeanor domestic battery in 2019, felony pointing a firearm at another in 2019, and felony theft of a firearm in 2022. These prior felony convictions prohibit him from ever legally possessing a firearm again. “Illegally armed felons are a preventable source of the gun violence that threatens our neighborhoods and takes far too many lives,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “A successful return to the community from prison requires compliance with the law, including never again possessing a gun. I commend the ATF and Evansville Police Department for keeping the community safe by getting this felon off the streets.” The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Contractor agrees to pay $750,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Stephen McLeod d/b/a A&S Contracting, of Hayes, Virginia, agreed to pay $750,000 to settle False Claims Act allegations that he engaged in a pattern of inflating costs and concealing use of subcontractors on work orders conducted for the United States Postal Service (USPS). McLeod, a sole proprietor doing business as A&S Contracting, performed repair and maintenance service projects at U.S. postal facilities throughout Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and the District of Columbia. The government alleged that some thirty work orders contained false information and resulted in overcharges to the USPS. In one example, McLeod agreed to perform electrical work at a USPS post office in Norton, Virginia, even though McLeod did not have the appropriate license to perform electrical work. He nonetheless billed $9,570 for performance of the work order, including labor he did not perform and materials he did not provide. McLeod impermissibly subcontracted the work to another company and falsely certified in an invoice and associated documentation submitted to USPS that A&S performed the work. In another instance, McLeod, acting as A&S Contracting, agreed to patch potholes in a USPS post office parking lot in Wise, Virginia. The proposal submitted by McLeod falsely stated that A&S would perform the work, and did not reveal that he intended to retain a subcontractor for the job. The proposal also included charges for material and equipment not provided by McLeod, nor by McLeod acting as A&S. McLeod subcontracted the work to another company that performed all the pothole patching work at the USPS post office parking lot. The subcontractor charged McLeod $12,500 for its work and, in turn, McLeod, acting as A&S, charged USPS $20,385 for the work order. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the USPS Office of Inspector General. The matter was investigated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gina Kim and USPS Office of Inspector General Special Agent Darrin Dixon. A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia . The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.


title: Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Eugene Moore, 37, of Charleston, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 22, 2022, Moore sold approximately 28 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and caffeine to a confidential informant in Charleston. Moore admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling approximately 17 grams of a mixture containing fentanyl and xylazine, a powerful veterinary sedative also known “Tranq,” to a confidential informant in Charleston on April 15, 2022. At the time of these offenses, Moore was on parole following his conviction for second-degree murder in Kanawha County Circuit Court on May 5, 2008. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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. 2:22-cr-109. ###


title: Federal jury convicts Ashland man of aggravated sexual abuse and distribution of methamphetamine

body_text: BILLINGS – A federal jury yesterday convicted an Ashland man of sexually abusing four women and distributing methamphetamine to two of them over a three-year period, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. After a two-day trial that began on March 31, the jury found the defendant, Stephen “Mutt” John Parker, 60, guilty of four counts of aggravated sexual abuse and two counts of distribution of methamphetamine. Parker faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life on each charge of sexual abuse, in addition to a fine of $250,000 and a term of supervised release of five years to life. For each meth charge, Parker faces zero to 20 years in prison, a fine of $1 million, and at least 3 years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The Court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 31, 2025. Parker was detained pending further proceedings. “Parker preyed on women on the Northern Cheyenne reservation by plying some of them with drugs and alcohol, seeking to capitalize on their addiction to perpetrate violent sexual assaults. We are pleased with the jury’s verdict, which will help ensure the safety of women on the Northern Cheyenne community. I would like to thank the attorneys and staff in our office for their hard work on this case as well as the FBI agents who conducted the investigation.” U.S. Attorney Alme said. The government alleged at trial and in court documents that from 2018 to 2021, Parker sexually abused six women after providing them with alcohol and illegal drugs. During one instance in 2018, he gave a victim food and a place to stay. Parker also provided her with alcohol and methamphetamine. During a party at his house, Parker threatened the victim with a stick before sexually abusing her. On another occasion, Parker distributed meth to a different victim. After hitting her with an ax handle, Parker sexually assaulted her. In other instances, Parker physically assaulted the victims, including punching one victim in the face multiple times, prior to sexually abusing them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Northern Cheyenne Criminal Investigation Services. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn . XXX


title: Lancaster County Trio Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Charles McKinley Griffin, 55, Tika Michelle Griffin, 48, and Kirk Nathan Evans, 54, all of Lancaster, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Charles and Tika Griffin owned and operated a business called Transformation Services. Transformation Services purported to provide behavioral health services to Medicaid beneficiaries. Transformation Services worked together to recruit beneficiaries from disadvantaged backgrounds, sign the beneficiaries up as clients, and to then submit bills and records to the State of South Carolina for behavioral health services that were never rendered. The conspirators also provided services by unlicensed counselors in violation of the law. Through this scheme Transformation Services defrauded the state Medicaid program of at least $246, 335.12. The Transformation Services scheme came after Charles Griffin was barred from serving as a provider in the Medicaid program following an investigation into a similar potential scheme through a different entity. Following that action by the state, Transformation Services was established with Tika Griffin, Charles Griffin’s spouse, as the president of Transformation Services, and with Charles Griffin given no formal role in the organizing documents. Each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. They also face a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis accepted the guilty pleas and will sentence each defendant after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud (VAMPF) unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott Daniels and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Thoreau Man Sentenced to Probation for Accidental Shooting During Drunken Altercation

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau man was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for the accidental shooting of his friend during a drunken altercation in 2022. According to court documents, on August 20, 2022, Gerrick Mariano , 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and John Doe were drinking and shooting Mariano ’s recently purchased AR-15 at Doe’s home, located on the Navajo Nation. Mariano pointed his new rifle at one of Doe’s pets, which upset Doe, who demanded Mariano leave his home. This angered Mariano , who then pointed his rifle at Doe’s chest, intending to frighten Doe. Doe quickly pushed the barrel away, which resulted in Mariano inadvertently pulling the trigger once. The bullet struck John Doe in his upper-right shoulder. Post-crime photo of the weapon on Doe’s bed. Doe required an airlift to a hospital. Mariano initially said the shooting was accidental and alleged Doe had been attempting suicide. Interviewed later, Mariano admitted responsibility and apologized to Doe. Doe continues to experience pain and restricted movement because of the gunshot injury. Mariano will be subject to five years of supervised probation. During this period, he cannot consume alcohol or drugs, he must maintain gainful employment or enroll in school, and he must not break any additional laws—federal, state, or tribal. Should he do so, Mariano will face the revocation of probation, which could result in a prison sentence. As a convicted felon, Mariano cannot possess any sort of gun. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation, New Mexico State Police, and New Mexico Park Rangers. Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Jones is prosecuting the case.


title: National Sales Director for New York-Based Mobile Diagnostic Company Pleads Guilty to Kickback Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New York-based national sales director pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans. David Fuhrmann, 60, of Port Jefferson, N.Y. pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. From at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Fuhrmann conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Some doctors were paid in cash and others by check. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators created rental and administrative service agreements. On paper, these agreements made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test. According to the charging documents, the scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. The charge of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Howard Locker and Mackenzie Queenin of the Health Care Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Hammond Woman Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: HAMMOND- Debra L. Moore, 54 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and distributing methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Tina L. Nommay. Moore was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, Moore and her son, co-defendant Erik Patrick Grant, conspired to distribute methamphetamine between November 2022 and July 2023. While Grant was detained at the Porter County Jail, Moore assumed control of her son’s methamphetamine dealing operation, selling the drug on multiple occasions. Moore was arrested at a motel in Schererville, Indiana, where law enforcement recovered methamphetamine, a digital scale, and baggies. On December 3, 2024, co-defendant Grant was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Toth.


title: Justice Department to Surge Resources to Indian Country to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oregon; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on Tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is committed to seeking justice on behalf of victims of violent crime,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “Working side-by-side with Tribal leaders, as well as federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, my office is prepared to devote the resources that are necessary to ensure the safety and security of everyone that calls Eastern Washington home.” Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United Stated—including the Eastern District of Washington—to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people. “For far too long, American Indian and Alaska Native people have faced unacceptably high levels of violence,” said MMIP AUSA Bree R. Black Horse. “Targeted efforts like Operation Not Forgotten and the MMIP Regional Outreach Program will help ensure that violent crimes in Indian country will be timely investigated and resolved, which will improve public safety throughout Tribal communities.”


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Being Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JULIUS AUGILLARD (“AUGILLARD”) , age 39, of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 27, 2025, to seventy (70) months imprisonment, followed by three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, as to each count, after previously pleading guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). According to court documents, on February 20, 2023, AUGILLARD possessed a firearm on the 500 block of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras festivities. After leading Louisiana State Troopers on a short pursuit from which AUGILLARD attempted to flee on foot, officers found a Smith and Wesson Model SD40VE, .40 caliber pistol on his person. Later, on December 31, 2023, AUGILLARD possessed an International Model PT609 PRO, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol near the 200 block of Tremé Street, as he was trespassing at an apartment complex. AUGILLARD was apprehended by officers from the Housing Authority of New Orleans. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. 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: New Kensington Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of New Kensington, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 72 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Keith Hurst, 48. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around August 2022 to in and around March 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Hurst conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Hurst was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of cocaine that he distributed to others. Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hurst. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Straw purchaser sentenced for supplying firearms smuggled across the border

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old McAllen resident has been ordered to prison for her role in firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jazmin Gutierrez and her co-defendant, Isai Alpides-Navarrete, each pleaded guilty July 25, 2024. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Gutierrez to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the number of firearms the pair purchased and their frequent trips around the state to collect them before transferring them to another individual who would smuggle them across the border. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos commented that this wasn’t an isolated incident, but multiple trips and that the firearms were going to individuals who commit serious crimes. Judge Ramos previously sentenced Alpides-Navarrete, a citizen of Mexico illegally residing in the United States, to a total of 121 months for straw purchasing firearms and being an alien in possession of ammunition. As part of an investigation involving the unlawful purchase, transfer and exportation of firearms, authorities arrested Gutierrez March 21, 2024. At that time, they found her in possession of five handguns, a 7.62x39mm assault rifle, high-capacity magazines and ammunition. Law enforcement also conducted a search warrant at a residence in McAllen and took Alpides-Navarrete into custody. Inside the residence, they seized approximately 275 rounds of ammunition and high capacity magazines as well as 21 empty pistol boxes. At the time of her arrest, Gutierrez admitted to finding firearms online from private sellers and purchasing over 50 of them which other individuals later smuggled into Mexico. Gutierrez was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. This case is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the OCDETF operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . Assistant U.S. Attorney Lance Watt is prosecuting the case.


title: President Donald J. Trump Intends to Nominate Individuals to Key Posts at the Department of Justice

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today the Department of Justice is proud to announce President Trump’s intent to nominate Stanley Woodward to serve as Associate Attorney General, and Elliot Gaiser to serve as Assistant Attorney General for The Office of Legal Counsel. Stanley Woodward (The Office of the Associate Attorney General) Most recently, Stanley served as Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor to the President. Stanley is a high-profile litigator and co-founder of Brand Woodward Law, LP, where he represented numerous prestigious clients in complex, high-stakes litigation, including multiple federal jury trials. Previously, he worked at a multinational law firm where his experience included the representation of multiple international corporations in defense of alleged violations of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act as well as serving as coordinating counsel to companies involved in nationwide federal litigation. In 2018, he was awarded the D.C. Bar’s Laura N. Rinaldi Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year award for his efforts leading the firm’s Housing Law practice, providing legal counsel to tenants across the District of Columbia facing eviction. Stanley has served as an adjunct professor with the Catholic University Columbus School of Law and has also taught trial advocacy in Namibia with Lawyers Without Borders. He clerked for judges on the D.C. Court of Appeals and the D.C. Superior Court and earned his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science from American University, as well as his Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. Elliot Gaiser (The Office of Legal Counsel) Elliot presently serves as the Solicitor General of Ohio. Prior to his appointment as Solicitor General by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Elliot was an associate at Jones Day in Columbus, Ohio. He previously worked as an associate at Boyden Gray in Washington, D.C. Elliot clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. of the Supreme Court of the United States; Judge Neomi Rao of the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; and Judge Edith H. Jones of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Hillsdale College.


title: Taunton Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution, Access Device Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Charges

body_text: BOSTON – A Taunton has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to participating in drug distribution and a drug conspiracy involving wholesale quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to using an unknowing individual’s identity and an unauthorized access device to fraudulently rent locations he used for the purposes of drug trafficking. Terrence Pyrtle, a/k/a “Big T,” a/k/a “T,” a/k/a “big_t558,” 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams and more of fentanyl and 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft; one count of access device fraud; and one count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 17, 2025. Pyrtle was charged in April 2023, along with co-conspirator Ashley Roostaie. Pyrtle and Roostaie utilized the personal identification information (including name, date of birth and Social Security number) of an unknowing individual to fraudulently enter into lease agreements for two apartments in Braintree and Somerville, which Pyrtle then used to participate in a drug conspiracy involving distribution quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and methamphetamine. The drug conspiracy in which Pyrtle participated also extended to other locations across the state. Pyrtle and Roostaie also created an email account and obtained a counterfeit driver’s license using the individual’s identification information. Pyrtle and Roostaie also used the individual’s identification information to obtain a Green Dot debit card account, which they used to make payments associated with the apartments. By placing the apartment leases under another individual’s personal identification information, Roostaie and Pyrtle were able to conceal their connection to and use of the apartments which were used by Pyrtle in furtherance of his drug distribution and drug conspiracy. In February 2025 , Roostaie pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced in May 2025. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charges of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine, 400 grams and more of fentanyl, 100 grams and more of fentanyl analogue, and methamphetamine each provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of conspiracy to commit access device fraud and aggravated identity theft provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of access device fraud provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year prison term consecutive to any term of imprisonment received on a predicate, substantive count, up to a one-year term of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Brockton, East Bridgewater and Bridgewater Police Departments and Plymouth County, Suffolk County and Bristol County Sheriff’s Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell David and Cutshall of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Cape Cod Man Arrested for Threatening Violence Against a Prominent Federal Official and Their Relatives

body_text: BOSTON – A South Dennis, Mass., man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening to murder a prominent federal official, their relative and the relative’s spouse. Michael P. Mahoney, 62, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of transmitting interstate threats to injure another person. Mahoney was arrested this morning and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2 p.m. today. According to the charging documents , on March 28, 2025, the relative of a prominent federal official was having dinner with two other individuals at a location outside of Massachusetts. At approximately 10:15 p.m. the relative allegedly received a phone call with “No Caller ID.” Upon answering the phone, the caller, later alleged to be Mahoney, confirmed the relative’s full name. Mahoney then allegedly started to scream and stated that he was going to murder the relative, their spouse and the federal official – allegedly referring to the spouse and federal official by their first names – and said, “Die you f*****g c**t mother f****r.” The relative hung up while Mahoney, was allegedly yelling. The call lasted approximately 12 seconds. It is alleged that Mahoney then called back immediately, but the relative did not answer. Call records obtained from the relative’s phone service provider allegedly indicated that the originating number for the threatening call, as well as the subsequent unanswered call, belonged to Mahoney. When approached by law enforcement at his South Dennis residence on March 29, 2025, Mahoney allegedly refused to answer the door or his phone. The charge of transmitting interstate threats to injure another person provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Dennis Police Chief John Brady made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini, Chief of the National Security Unit, is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Scheme to Bribe Feeding Our Future Juror

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Abdulkarim Farah, a Minneapolis man, has pleaded guilty to his role in providing a cash bribe to a juror in the Feeding Our Future trial, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. On April 22, 2024, seven defendants went to trial before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel for their roles in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Two of the defendants on trial were brothers of Abdulkarim Shafii Farah, 25. During the trial, Abdulkarim Farah conspired with his brothers and others to provide a cash bribe to one of the jurors—Juror 52—in exchange for returning a not guilty verdict in the trial. According to court documents, after his co-defendants identified and decided to target Juror 52, Abdulkarim Farah conducted surveillance of Juror 52 and Juror 52’s house. Abdulkarim Farah sent a map of where Juror 52 parked while serving on the jury. Co-defendant Ladan Ali was recruited to deliver the bribe money to Juror 52, and Abdulkarim Farah was instructed to drive Ali to Juror 52’s house and record a video of Ali delivering the bribe. After meeting Ali in the vicinity of Juror 52’s house, Abdulkarim Farah drove to a Target store to purchase a screwdriver. Abdulkarim Farah used the screwdriver to remove the license plate from Ali’s rental car in order to avoid detection by law enforcement. On June 2, 2024, at approximately 8:50 p.m., Abdulkarim Farah drove Ali to Juror 52’s house and recorded her delivering a gift bag containing the bribe money. As Ali handed the money to a relative of Juror 52, she explained that there would be more money if Juror 52 voted to acquit the defendants. After the bribe money was delivered, Abdulkarim Farah sent the video he had taken to his brother, Abdiaziz Farah. After the bribe had been disclosed in court, on June 3, 2024, Abdulkarim Farah uninstalled and deleted the Signal encrypted messaging app from his iPhone in order to destroy the messages he and his co-defendants exchange concerning the bribery attempt. Abdulkarim Farah pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge David S. Doty to one count of bribery of a juror. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. “The attempted bribery of Juror 52 is a shameful chapter in Minnesota history,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Juror bribery strikes at the heart of the criminal justice system. It is unacceptable—in Minnesota and in the United States—and can never be repeated. In contrast to the reprehensible behavior of the defendants, I am grateful for Juror 52, who is the true hero of this story. Juror 52—who could not be corrupted and immediately alerted law enforcement—represents the best of Minnesota.” “Attempting to corrupt the judicial process through bribery strikes at the very foundation of our justice system,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate efforts to undermine the rule of law and the fair administration of justice.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from IRS – Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew Ebert, Harry Jacobs, and Daniel Bobier are prosecuting the case.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Role in “Boot” Distribution Operation

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Charles Edward Scott, 31, of Damascus, Maryland, was sentenced to 156 months in prison for his leadership of a drug conspiracy that sold the drug “boot” in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, Scott, also known as “Whop Whop,” led a group of people selling Eutylone, also known as “boot,” in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Scott was storing large quantities of the drug and firearms in an apartment in Maryland, and with other known defendants, traveled to West Virginia to distribute. Scott has prior drug, firearms, and theft convictions. Scott will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Montgomery County, Maryland Police Department; the Virginia State Police, Montgomery County; and Maryland State Attorney’s Office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided. Find the related cases here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/16-indicted-conspiracy-charges-boot-distribution-operation


title: Dominican National Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Jose De La Rosa Rosario, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 15 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence imposed. In December 2024, De La Rosa Rosario pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In October 2024, De La Rosa Rosario was indicted by a federal grand jury. De La Rosa Rosario is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States in 2006 through Puerto Rico using false identification. He was convicted of federal conspiracy and cocaine distribution charges in 2011. Following completion of his federal sentence, in July 2018, De La Rosa Rosario was removed from the United States and deported to the Dominican Republic pursuant to a court order. Thereafter, at an unknown time and place, he illegally reentered the United States without permission. In September 2024, De La Rosa Rosario was arrested on new state drug charges and later detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A copy of his fingerprint from his removal document was compared to his fingerprint when he entered federal custody in September 2024, the prints were identical to each other. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Two Years and Six Months in Federal Prison for Fourth Conviction for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on March 31, 2025. Blaine Kills Back, age 48, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Kills Back was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025. Kills Back is required to register as a sex offender based on two convictions for sexual assault offenses. His first conviction as an adult was for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in February 2000. He was thereafter convicted of Sexual Contact without Consent in the Seventh Judicial Circuit Court, Pennington County, South Dakota, in February 2005, after he groped a woman without her consent at the federal halfway house facility while on supervised release for his prior sex offense conviction. Kills Back was convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender on three prior occasions, in 2015, 2018, and 2023. In July 2024, Kills Back was released from prison and began supervised release in Rapid City. Kills Back reported to the Rapid City Police Department’s Sex Offender Registry Office to register an address, but it was within a prohibited community safety zone in Box Elder, South Dakota. Kills Back never attempted to register a valid address thereafter, despite knowing he was required to do so. His whereabouts were unknown for more than a month. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox handled the prosecution. Kills Back was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Westchester Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To Over 40 Years In Prison For Receiving, Distributing And Possessing Child Pornography And Transferring Obscene Material To A Minor

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JONATHAN DELAURA, a/k/a “Jon Dulak,” was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas to 485 months in prison for receiving, distributing and possessing child pornography, sending obscene material to a fifteen-year-old boy, and sending that obscene material while being a person required by law to register as a sex offender. DELAURA previously pled guilty on July 1, 2024. Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “DeLaura possessed large quantities of child pornography and took advantage of a fifteen-year-old child, all while he was required by law to register as a sex offender. This case underscores the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them. As yesterday’s sentencing demonstrates, we will use every tool available to prosecute and punish those who sexually exploit children.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings: On or about October 7, 2009, DELAURA was convicted, upon a guilty plea, of Sexual Misconduct: Engage in Oral/Anal Sexual Conduct Without Consent, in Bronx County Court. He was sentenced on December 16, 2009 to a term of 60 days’ in prison and six years’ probation, and he was required to register with the New York State Sex Offender Registry. In December 2010, following DELAURA’s violation of probation, he was resentenced to a term of one year in prison. He was released from prison in April 2011. From at least on or about May 5, 2011, through on or about May 10, 2011, DELAURA received and distributed files containing images and videos of child pornography, in Westchester County, using a file-sharing program. In or about November 2011, DELAURA contacted a 15-year-old boy (the “Victim”) in an Internet chat room claiming to be a 17-year-old girl and using the screen name “sillyrabbit.” After an exchange of messages, DELAURA sent sexually explicit photographs to the Victim. Thereafter, DELAURA met the Victim on two occasions and engaged in sexual activity with him. On February 2, 2012, when DELAURA tried to meet the Victim for a third time to engage in sexual activity, he was arrested by officers of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department (“PCSD”). After DELAURA was arrested, a search warrant was executed at his residence and PCSD officers recovered an iPod, which contained approximately 162 videos containing images of child pornography and approximately 5 still photos of images containing child pornography. The iPod also contained the sexually explicit photographs DELAURA sent to the Victim. On February 3, 2012, DELAURA was convicted of two counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the 3 rd degree in Putnam County Court and sentenced to a term of 32 months to 8 years in prison. DELAURA completed that sentence on January 2, 2020, and has been incarcerated on the federal charges since then. * * * In addition to the prison term, DELAURA, 50, was sentenced to ten years of supervised release. Mr. Podolsky praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department, the Yorktown Police Department, the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office, the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, and the Edison Police Department in New Jersey in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced for Reentry Violation

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Mario Caseiro-Antonio, 37, a Mexican national, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for reentry of a removed alien. According to court documents and statements made in court, Caseiro-Antonio was stopped by law enforcement and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. After his arrest, officers determined he was in the country illegally and had been removed from the United States twice before. Caseiro-Antonio will serve one year of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Salem prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Customs and Immigration Enforcement and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office investigated. This investigation 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). U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.


title: Chesapeake man sentenced to over six years in prison after  opening fire near a high school

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced yesterday to six years and eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to court documents, on May 28, 2024, Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins was conducting community relations near Norcom High School when he heard multiple gunshots and observed Cedrick William Davis, 39, discharging a firearm into the air. Chief Jenkins ran toward Davis and gave verbal commands. Davis then entered a vehicle and drove it toward Chief Jenkins before turning away and fleeing from the scene. Investigators located Davis’ vehicle in a parking lot a few blocks away from the shooting incident. Law enforcement arrested Davis after observing him enter and then exit his apartment. Investigators located a backpack containing approximately a pound of marijuana, over 36 grams of cocaine, $1,090, and two firearms, including the handgun Davis fired earlier in the day. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Chief Jenkins; and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan M. Montoya prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. 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. 2:24-cr-105.


title: Importer and Distributer of Wholesale Quantities of Fentanyl Pleads Guilty

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ronnie Rogers, 69, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy that imported and redistributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine in the District of Columbia. The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, FBI Special Agent Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Rogers pleaded guilty to a three-count Information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and 100 grams or more of heroin; conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and cocaine base; and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 21, 2025. Rogers is eligible for a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison to a maximum of life. According to the plea agreement, between July 2021 and November 2023, Rogers coordinated with his co-conspirators to traffic fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base in the District of Columbia and elsewhere. This included over 12 kilograms of fentanyl (including carfentanil, which is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times more potent than fentanyl), over 1967 grams of fentanyl analog (p-Fluorofentanyl, which is also more lethal than fentanyl), over 236 grams of heroin, over 500 grams of cocaine, and less than 28 grams of cocaine base. On November 29, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Rogers’ various residences. At his apartment on the 1200 block of Massachusetts Avenue, NW, law enforcement recovered an array of narcotics that included a large baggie containing 494.8 grams of mixture of heroin, fentanyl, and carfentanil; another baggie with 704.8 grams of carfentanil, an envelope containing 115.91 grams of fentanyl; another baggie containing 201 grams of fentanyl; and baggies containing 1,785 grams acetaminophen and 18 grams of fentanyl. In addition, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson SD-40 firearm, a Glock 43 pistol, a Rugar LCP pistol, $23,000 in cash, and an assortment of drug packaging materials and scales. At Roger’s residence on the 6500 block of Gateway Boulevard, in District Heights, Maryland, law enforcement recovered more narcotics and weapons including two baggies containing 151 grams of fentanyl; plastic bags containing 2.4 grams of xylazine and 1.8 grams of heroin; baggies containing bundles of smaller bags containing 7.7 grams of fentanyl, heroin, xylazine, 1.4 grams of carfentanil, and 2.8 grams of acetaminophen, 20 small baggies containing 5.1 grams of fentanyl, heroin and xylazine; and bags containing 97.3 grams of heroin and fentanyl, 45.4 grams of cocaine base, and 14.2 grams of fentanyl with xylazine. Officers also recovered a Smith &Wesson .357 revolver, a Springfield XD 9mm firearm, a Canik TP9 pistol, assorted ammunition and magazines and $1,524 in cash. At another residence utilized by Rogers located on the 2100 block of Pineview Court, Waldorf, Maryland, law enforcement recovered a FedEx parcel containing 1,013 grams of fentanyl. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This case is being investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, the Alexandria Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Washington Field Division, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, U.S. Bureau of Prisons, Montgomery County Police Department, Prince George’s County Police Interdiction Unit, Charles County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington County Police, Montgomery County Department of Police, Virginia State Police, Loudoun County Sherriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland (Greenbelt), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Eliopoulos and Matthew Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Section. 23cr394


title: Marlborough Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Marlboro man pleaded guilty on March 25, 2025 in federal court in Boston to possessing and distributing child pornography. Larry Stephen, 46, pleaded guilty to one count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2025. In August 2023, Stephen indicted by a federal grand jury. He was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on July 18, 2023. According to the charging documents, authorities identified Stephen as an individual using a social media platform to receive and post child pornography. On June 7, 2023, a search warrant was executed at Stephen’s Marlboro residence where Stephen’s cell phone was seized. A preliminary examination of the cell phone revealed the presence of child pornography. Stephen repeatedly posted images and videos of child pornography videos on a social media platform. Each of the two charges, possession of child pornography, and distribution of child pornography, provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Marlboro Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s David G. Tobin and Eric Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274.


title: Federal Court Orders SunSetter to Pay $9.25 Million for Alleged Failure to Timely Report Defective Awning Covers to Regulators

body_text: BOSTON – A federal court in Massachusetts entered a consent decree today requiring SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter) to pay $9.25 million in civil penalties and implement and maintain a robust compliance program to prevent future illegal conduct. In a complaint filed April 6, 2023 , the government alleged that SunSetter failed to timely report to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) a defect affecting approximately 270,000 protective covers used with SunSetter retractable awnings. According to the complaint, removal of the defective awning cover could cause the retractable awning to unexpectedly spring open with enough force to knock over anyone in the awning’s path, putting consumers using ladders to access the awning at risk of death or serious injury. The complaint alleged that multiple consumers were injured, and one killed, as a result of this defect. The complaint alleged that SunSetter violated the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) by failing to report the defect until 2017, despite being aware of consumer complaints as early as 2012 and completing its own simulation testing in 2015 that confirmed the safety hazard. SunSetter recalled the covers in August 2019. “This settlement makes clear that companies must prioritize consumer safety and comply with their legal obligations to report hazardous defects in a timely manner,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “SunSetter’s failure to do so had tragic consequences. We will continue to hold companies accountable when they put the public at risk by disregarding federal safety laws.” “The failure to immediately report dangerous products puts consumers at unnecessary risk,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department will continue to work with the CPSC to hold accountable companies that fail to follow the law.” “This consent decree is an important reminder of the affirmative obligation to report product hazards in a timely manner,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. “I appreciate the work of CPSC staff and our partners at DOJ in resolving this matter and keeping American consumers safe.” U.S. Attorney Foley, Acting AAG Roth and CPSC Acting Chairman Feldman made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anuj Khetarpal of the Office’s Civil Division handled the matter along with Trial Attorneys Brett Ruff and Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Renee McCune of CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel. For more information about the enforcement efforts of the Consumer Protection Branch visit the Branch’s website at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . The claims resolved by the consent decree announced today are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control and Federal Controlled Substances Acts Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – QUINDELLE ADDISON (“ADDISON”) , age 48, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 26, 2025, by United States District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle, for violations of the Federal Gun Control Act and the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. According to court records, on August 29, 2023, ADDISON, and four others, conspired to distribute, methamphetamine to an undercover Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) agent and another individual, at a Westbank, New Orleans apartment. The plan came to fruition when ADDISON sold the undercover ATF agent approximately seven grams of pure methamphetamine. After this methamphetamine sale was completed, a co-defendant arranged for the undercover ATF agent and the other individual to return to the apartment the following day to purchase more drugs. When the undercover ATF agent and the other individual arrived at the apartment the next day, they were robbed at gunpoint. Other agents monitoring the deal soon responded. The robbers heard the law enforcement response, stopped the robbery, and everyone in the apartment tried to flee. The undercover ATF agent and the other individual went onto the third-floor apartment balcony and began climbing down to escape. During their climb, the agent fell and sustained severe injuries. As a result of this criminal conduct, ADDISON and five co-defendants were indicted on eleven-counts related to the drug trafficking and armed robbery, and subsequently pled guilty. ADDISON pled guilty to the methamphetamine conspiracy, the distribution of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and maintaining a drug involved premises. He was the last defendant to be sentenced. Judge Lemelle sentenced ADDISON to 118 months imprisonment, a 4-year term of supervised release and a mandatory special assessment fee of $500. 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 track 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. The investigation giving rise to the case was conducted primarily by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department and Crimestoppers GNO. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and PSN Coordinator, and Nolan Paige, Chief of the Narcotics Unit.