title: Two Luzerne County Residents Charged With Drug Trafficking And Firearms Violations

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Craig Lee Hickson, age 34, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, and Rasheeda Kelly, age 46, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, were indicted on March 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and a firearms violations. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on February 21, 2025, in Luzerne County, Hickson and Kelly conspired and attempted to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. The indictment also alleges that Kelly possessed several firearms as a felon prohibited from possessing firearms. 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. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Shreveport Man Found with a Firearm, Ammunition and Narcotics Sentenced to Over 21 Years in Federal Prison

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

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that a Shreveport man has been sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. for possessing a firearm during the furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Quintell Dewayne Gladney , 45, was sentenced to 262 months (21 years, 10 months) in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to information presented in court, on May 26, 2020, officers with the Shreveport Police Department performed a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Gladney. The officer approached the vehicle and began a conversation with Gladney and noticed what appeared to be a firearm in his waist band. Officers learned that Gladney was a convicted felon and asked Gladney to step out of the vehicle, but he refused. The officers then opened the door and removed Gladney from the vehicle for officer safety. A pat down search revealed that he did in fact have a loaded FN Herstal Model Five Seven 5.7x28 pistol in his waist band. In addition, officers found over $3,000 in cash in Gladney’s pockets, and several small bags of cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana which were packaged for distribution in the vehicle. Over 41 rounds of 5.7x28 caliber ammunition were also found inside the vehicle. Gladney pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023, and admitted to illegally possessing the firearm. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody. # # #


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing for Felony Firearm Possession

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Deming man was sentenced to 39 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on April 21, 2024, when Catron County Sheriff's Office deputies conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wilfrido Saenz , 27. During the stop, deputies found a hypodermic needle containing methamphetamine residue on Saenz 's person. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed a loaded handgun in the center console. Saenz , who was on supervised release for a previous federal conviction of transporting illegal aliens, admitted to knowingly possessing the firearm and ammunition despite being a convicted felon. Upon his release from prison, Saenz will be subject to two years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Catron County Sheriff's Office and United States Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson R. Hehr is prosecuting the case.


title: One of Atlanta Police Department’s Most Wanted Fugitives Sentenced for Multiple Counts of Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

body_text: ATLANTA - Jordan Pack has been sentenced for two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of unlawful possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. “Pack continued to possess firearms and commit violent offenses after being previously convicted of a violent felony,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “This case is another example of the effective law enforcement partnerships in our district that enable the successful prosecutions of dangerous repeat offenders like Pack.” “This sentence reflects ATF commitment to ensure that those with a history of crime are held accountable”, said Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons. Convicted felons possessing firearms presents a danger to the community and ATF along with our law enforcement partners will work hard to remove them from our community.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In October 2008, Jordan Pack was convicted of Armed Robbery (involving a firearm) in the Superior Court of Douglasville, Georgia. He was sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment, with 10 years to serve in custody and the remainder to be served on probation. He was released from prison in April 2018. On October 22, 2021, officers responding to a motor vehicle collision in Dacula, Georgia, arrested Pack for giving false identifying information to a police officer. A crossbody satchel that Pack was wearing at the time of his arrest contained live .38 caliber ammunition, and officers later learned that, after the accident, Pack had discarded a .38 caliber Taurus revolver under a nearby vehicle. Upon recovering the revolver, officers discovered that the firearm was loaded with the hammer cocked. Later, on June 17, 2022, Atlanta Police Department (APD) officers responded to the scene of a shooting at a single-family home in Northwest Atlanta. A female resident of the home advised that, following a domestic dispute, Pack had threatened to shoot her. He then retrieved a firearm from his vehicle, fired multiple shots into the air, and fled the scene. Both the victim and her young child were present in the home at that time. Officers recovered five spent .45 caliber shell casings from the driveway of the home. On August 10, 2022, officers with the APD fugitive unit located Pack at an apartment complex in Southwest Atlanta. Pack was working at the location as an armed security guard (under the alias “William Tate”) and in possession of a Tokarev 12-gauge semi-automatic shotgun. During a search of Pack incident to his arrest, officers recovered a .45 caliber Highpoint semi-automatic pistol which was loaded with 17 rounds of ammunition in a high-capacity magazine, a pair of brass knuckles, a pocketknife, a canister of bear mace, and a large machete. In addition, during a search of Pack’s vehicle, officers seized the Tocarev shotgun, two magazines, 14 rounds of 12-gauge shotgun shells, and several .45 caliber cartridge casings. On March 6, 2024, Chief District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. sentenced Jordan Pack, also known as “William Tate,” 35, of Atlanta, Ga., to 66 months of incarceration, followed by three years of supervised release. Pack pleaded guilty to the charges on November 12, 2024. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Atlanta Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua May, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesika French and Norman Barnett, 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. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: U.S. Attorney's Office and U.S. Border Patrol Charge Illegal Alien in High-Speed Checkpoint Evasion and Smuggling Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A man illegally present in the United States has been charged in federal court with high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. According to court documents, on the morning of March 2, 2025, Roberto Rodrigo Velazquez-Lopez allegedly drove a sedan with Texas license plates through a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint on Interstate 25 in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, ignoring agents' commands to stop. Instead, the vehicle continued northbound at high speed, reaching approximately 110 miles per hour before yielding near mile marker 40. Upon arrest, Velazquez-Lopez admitted to being illegally present in the United States and to having two individuals concealed in the trunk of the vehicle. A total of four illegal aliens were found in the vehicle. In a post-Miranda interview, Velazquez-Lopez stated he was instructed to transport illegal aliens from El Paso, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico to pay off a debt. He also admitted to previously transporting illegal aliens on four occasions. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Chief Patrol Agent Walter N. Slosar of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, made the announcement today. U.S. Border Patrol investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Dering is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Utah Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding $3.4M from Victims

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Misiona Patane, 60, of Lehi, Utah, was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment and a term of five years’ supervised release after he defrauded family and other acquaintances out of more than $3.4 million over a five-year span. Patane also forged legal documents, sent emails from sham email accounts, and pretended to be a private lawyer and an agent with the Utah Attorney General’s Office to further his scheme to defraud. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., comes after Patane pleaded guilty in December 2023 to multiple counts of bank fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. According to court documents and statements made at Patane’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, Patane admitted that beginning in April 2015 and continuing through May 2020, he defrauded two sets of victims for his own benefit, including a relative who suffered a traumatic brain injury and had a trust to allow for a lifetime of care. As part of the scheme, Patane opened and fully controlled bank accounts in victims’ names and in the name of a charitable organization he helped run. Patane abused his position of trust by diverting funds and personal tax returns to various bank accounts under his custody and control. Mr. Patane repeatedly stole from the charitable organization, funding extravagant travel, gambling habits, and other expenses. In October 2016 through 2018, Patane stole large sums of money from a trust that was created to manage a vulnerable victim’s finances while he was under the care of a Utah court-monitored conservatorship. To obtain money from the trust, Patane lied about his identity, the cost of services and care, and other expenses for the victim. Additionally, Mr. Patane used the charity to launder money and payments to himself. From 2017 through 2018, Patane fabricated an audit of the charity and pretended to be a lawyer, academy administrator, and others to receive payments for fictitious fines related to care. From 2016 to 2019, approximately $2.5 million was spent, less than $150,000 of which was spent on care or services for the victim. In the span of only three years, the victim was left financially destitute. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tanner Zumwalt and Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.


title: Kentucky Man Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting Minors in the Philippines

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Kentucky man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in the Philippines. According to court documents, from February 2021 through November 2021, while living in the Philippines, Robert Maxwell Werner, 46, of Walton, purchased access from a Filipino individual to dozens of minor victims for in-person, livestreamed, and recorded sexual acts. For several months, Werner paid this individual for custom-created CSAM, in which the individual would sexually abuse these minors and force the minors to engage in sexual acts together for foreign customers like Werner. Werner also paid the individual for five in‑person meetings with minors at hotels and rental properties in the Philippines. During those meetings, Werner sexually abused multiple minors. In exchange, Werner would provide money, food, clothing, and basic necessities for the minors, who lived in desperate circumstances. As part of his plea agreement, Werner admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with at least one minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct between July 2021 and November 2021, while in the Philippines. Werner further admitted to transporting that sexually explicit material into the United States. Additionally, once he returned to the United States, Werner continued to solicit CSAM from the individual for at least another month. Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth for the Eastern District of Kentucky prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Guilty Pleas in December 2023 Burglary of Dozens of Firearms from a Maryland Pawn Shop

body_text: WASHINGTON – Vincent Lee Alston, 23, of Washington D.C. and Niquan Odum, 23, pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in connection with the December 2023 burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department Alston, aka “Vedo,” pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Odumn, aka “Stickz,” pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled a sentencing hearing for Alston on June 27, 2025 and for Odumn on June 13, 2025. Alston was arrested on December 15, 2023, and has been detained since. Odumn was arrested on March 25, 2024, and has been detained since. Co-conspirator Juwon Markel Anderson, aka “Peezy,” 22, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty on March 4 to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Others charged in the conspiracy are Cy’Juan Hemsley, 18, of District Heights, Maryland, and Tyjuan McNeal, 28, of Washington, D.C. According to the court documents, on December 13, 2023, the co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C. to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee, in Glen Burnie, Maryland. At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks and fled with at least 34 of the firearms. The co-conspirators later used social media to advertise the sale of the stolen firearms. Two days after the burglary, on December 15, 2023, Alston was arrested with one of the stolen firearms. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes. 23cr452


title: Two Mobile Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Massive Counterfeit Check Fraud Scheme Targeting the U.S. Mail

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: According to court documents, Brian Christopher Williams III, 25, and Kalaijha Tomeco Ranier Lewis, 29, schemed to defraud various federally insured banks and credit unions between November 2021 and June 2023. To carry out the fraud scheme, Williams recruited Lewis, who worked at the post office on Saint Joseph Street in Mobile, to steal hundreds of high-value business checks and sell them to Williams. In turn, Williams and other coconspirators sold the stolen checks via an illicit online marketplace hosted on a Telegram channel called “Work Related.” Fraudsters who purchased the stolen checks later counterfeited and negotiated many of them, causing substantial financial losses to multiple victims. In total, the value of the stolen checks posted to the “Work Related” channel exceeded $17 million. In June 2023, investigators began surveillance at the Saint Joseph Street post office in Mobile. On several occasions, agents saw Lewis manipulating the windowed envelopes of checks to see the amounts listed inside while she sorted mail. On June 23, 2023, agents confronted Lewis after capturing her on video stuffing a large stack of stolen checks into her pants before the end of her work shift. Lewis confessed that for several months, she stole business checks for Williams, who paid her $2,000 to $3,000 for each stack of stolen checks that she brought him. That same day, agents arrested Williams at a gas station in Mobile, where he had arrived to purchase the stolen checks from Lewis. Agents seized more than $10,000 in cash from Williams’s pocket, which Williams admitted was proceeds of his fraud scheme. Agents also searched Williams’s car, seizing a loaded .40 caliber Glock pistol equipped with an extended magazine, ammunition, marijuana, and stolen checks valued at more than $417,000. Williams confessed to selling stolen checks to a coconspirator in Birmingham who marketed the checks for sale on Telegram. Agents executed warrants to search cell phones and social media accounts belonging to Williams and Lewis, each of which contained extensive communications regarding the scheme. For example, on June 1, 2023, Williams messaged Lewis, “I need a load today!!!!!,” to which Lewis responded, “I done seen 7 [checks] since 6am.” Days later, Williams messaged Lewis about meeting up to purchase high-value stolen checks, emphasizing, “I need like 20k, 15k, 30k and up, majority of this whole damn load low asf, 1000-1600 are lows.” Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Williams and Lewis to serve 100 months and 60 months in federal prison, respectively. Following their release from prison, Williams and Lewis will each serve five-year terms of supervised release, during which time they will receive mental health evaluation and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Chief Judge Beaverstock ordered the defendants to pay $234,246.63 in victim restitution and a total of $300 in special assessments. The court also forfeited $10,773.53 in cash seized from Williams to the United States. Acting U.S. Attorney Keith A. Jones of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama for its significant partnership and coordination in the investigation and prosecution of this case. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case with significant assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Birmingham. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Roller and Scott Gray prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Federal grand jury indicts Chautauqua County man for attempted production of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jose Perez, 40, of Celeron, NY, with attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 80 years, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint, on September 3, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Perez uploaded a file a suspected child pornography. On December 15, 2022, HSI executed a federal search warrant at Perez’s residence, seizing computers, a cellular telephone, and electronic storage devices, including a thumb drive, which contained two video files that appeared to be taken from a videocam located in Perez’s bathroom. One of the files included video of a naked minor victim who does not appear to be aware that the camera is present. In addition, the thumb drive contained 17,839 image files that appeared to be taken from the same bathroom videocam and included naked images of the minor victim. Images and videos of child pornography were also found on Perez’s cell phone. The indictment is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty for his Role in a Conspiracy to Traffic Approximately 50 Pounds of Methamphetamine to New Hampshire CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney John J. McCormack announces. Riley Thibodeau, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Samantha D. Elliot scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2025. After also pleading guilty, co-defendant Ronny Ramos was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott on December 9, 2024 to 120 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, Thibodeau conspired to traffic approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine from Massachusetts to New Hampshire. From March through October 2023, Ramos received five separate orders of methamphetamine from Thibodeau, via an intermediary. The payments from Thibodeau for the methamphetamine were made via the same intermediary. The amounts per order ranged from 10-12 pounds at a price of approximately $20,000 for each order. The methamphetamine was delivered to Thibodeau in New Hampshire. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement agents arrested Ramos in Methuen, Massachusetts, and seized 10 pounds of methamphetamine destined for Thibodeau in New Hampshire. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department, the Salem Police Department, and the Methuen Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case. ###


title: San Jose Immigration Lawyer Extradited From The Kyrgyz Republic To Face Charges Of Large-Scale Visa Fraud

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE – Danhong “Jean” Chen, also known as Maria Sofia Taylor, was extradited from the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States and will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan van Keulen in federal district court in San Jose this afternoon. This is the first extradition from the Kyrgyz Republic to the United States on federal criminal charges. Chen, 60, who previously resided in Atherton, Calif., and her business partner and ex-spouse, Jianyun “Tony” Ye, were indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2019. The 14-count indictment alleges the defendants committed visa fraud and related crimes to obtain immigration benefits for more than 100 foreign investors through the government’s employment-based immigration fifth preference, or “EB-5,” visa program. In 2021, Ye pleaded guilty to visa fraud and obstruction and was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison. He has since served that sentence and been released from custody. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint in October 2018 against Chen and others alleging that Chen improperly solicited investments and committed other violations of law. According to court documents, immediately after the SEC filed its civil enforcement complaint, Chen left the United States and was at large until she was arrested in the Kyrgyz Republic at the request of the United States. Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, and SEC Office of the Inspector General (SEC OIG) Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey made the announcement. According to the indictment, Chen was the sole partner at the Law Offices of Jean D. Chen in San Jose, which held itself out as specializing in immigration law. Chen prepared and submitted to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) fraudulent documents that contained false signatures and falsely described how applicants would qualify for the EB-5 program. Under the EB-5 program, foreign nationals could obtain permanent United States residency, commonly known as “green card” status, by investing in qualifying businesses in the United States. Alien investors who comply with program requirements initially receive a grant of conditional permanent residency status for a two-year period. After two years, the alien investor can petition for permanent residency. To obtain permanent residency status, the applicant’s investment must amount to $500,000 if made in certain geographical areas with low employment rates; if the investment is not in a designated low-employment area, the investment must amount to a minimum of $1,000,000. In addition, under the EB-5 program, individuals seeking investments for businesses may establish “regional centers” to promote investment opportunities to EB-5 applicants within designated geographic areas. The Law Offices of Jean D. Chen, operated by Chen, represented clients who invested a total of approximately $52,000,000 into projects under the EB-5 program. The indictment alleges Chen fraudulently obtained immigration benefits through the EB-5 program on behalf of her clients by, among other actions, falsifying documents to hide the true ownership and nature of a regional center. Specifically, in 2014, Chen purchased the Golden State Regional Center and other entities and, almost immediately after the purchase, transferred ownership to a straw owner without that individual’s knowledge. Chen filed papers with USCIS requesting that the government continue to recognize Golden State Regional Center as a regional center qualified to promote EB-5 investment within the South Bay. The indictment also charges Chen with obstruction of justice related to investigations being conducted by the SEC and the FBI, including by demanding that an individual provide false answers to SEC investigators and directing an individual to delete emails relevant to the SEC’s and FBI’s investigations into the visa fraud. Chen is charged with 10 counts of visa fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a), one count of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1505, one count of obstruction of justice in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3), and one count of aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Chen faces a maximum sentence of 10 years and a fine of $250,000 on each count of visa fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1546(a); five years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the count of obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1505; 20 years and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the count of obstruction of justice under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(b)(3); and a minimum sentence of two years to run consecutively to other felony convictions and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the count of aggravated identity theft under 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lloyd Farnham is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Susan Kreider. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and the SEC OIG. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in the Kyrgyz Republic to secure the arrest and extradition of Chen to the United States, and the U.S. Department of Justice appreciates the cooperation and assistance provided by the Kyrgyz Republic’s General Prosecutor’s Office.


title: Mexican Felon, Previously Convicted of Sexual Contact With a Child, Arrested in El Paso

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal re-entry. According to court documents, Clemente Galvez-Alapisco, 47, of Sinaloa, has been deported twice before, most recently June 28, 2022 after he was convicted for indecency with a child. He was also convicted of illegal re-entry in July 2019 and sentenced to five months and 11 days confinement. If convicted, Galvez-Alapisco faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The U.S. Border Patrol is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Aguayo is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Salvadoran National Indicted For Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Humberto Caceres-Martinez (25, El Salvador) with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Caceres-Martinez faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. According to court documents, Caceres-Martinez is a citizen and national of El Salvador. He was previously removed from the United States on August 20, 2019. On February 17, 2025, Caceres-Martinez was found in the United States again after he allegedly fled the scene of a vehicular accident in Brevard County. Caceres-Martinez did not receive the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security for the United States to apply for readmission to United States. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.


title: Chinese National Arrested For Conspiracy To Commit Wire Fraud

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of an indictment charging Jiaan Cao (33, China) with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. If convicted, Cao faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Cao is currently detained pending the resolution of this case. According to the indictment, beginning in at least October 2024 and continuing through December 12, 2024, Cao conspired with others to commit wire fraud. Cao and other conspirators sought to accomplish the wire fraud by gaining access to a victim’s computer, fraudulently posing as a representative of a victim’s financial institution and informing the victim their account had been subjected to fraudulent or criminal activity. A member of the conspiracy would then direct the victim to withdraw money from their account and purchase gold to provide to a conspirator. A conspirator would then travel to the victim to obtain the gold. During the conspiracy, conspirators exchanged electronic communications with one another that included location details of the victim. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Former New Hampshire Woman Sentenced to 27 months for Defrauding Bedford Women’s Care Associates

body_text: CONCORD – A former New Hampshire woman was sentenced in federal court in connection with her conviction for defrauding her prior employer out of more than $140,000, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Elizabeth Morse, 56, currently of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliot to 27 months in federal prison and 2 years of supervised release. Morse was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $168,311.40. On November 26, 2024, Morse plead guilty to wire fraud. “The defendant’s crime was a significant factor in the closure of the medical practice in early 2023, which had widespread ramifications on many individuals, including not only the medical partners but also their former employees,” said U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “While there is no way to make the victims whole under those circumstances, the court’s sentence today is a measure of justice reflecting the harm her crime caused others.” “Elizabeth Morse betrayed the trust of the medical practice she worked for when she manipulated its payroll to divert tens of thousands of dollars for herself,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “This case demonstrates how the FBI will diligently investigate and bring to justice anyone engaged in such blatant financial fraud.” According to court documents and statements made in court, the defendant was a long-time employee of Bedford Women’s Care Associates (“BWCA”), a Bedford, NH-based medical group practice that specialized in Obstetrics & Gynecology until its closure in early 2023. Starting in 2020, the defendant became BWCA’s office manager and handled the processing of payroll through a third-party servicer. The defendant manipulated the payroll processes at BWCA by logging into the third-party servicer and changing her rate of pay to a higher amount than what she was entitled. The defendant’s scheme lasted approximately three years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Missouri Couple Indicted for Abducting and Sexually Abusing 13-Year-Old They Groomed Online

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, VA. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment yesterday charging Justin Johiah Curtright, 40, and Christin Marie Curtright, 32, a married couple from Springfield, Missouri. This indictment follows the couples’ arrest and preliminary hearing last month on a federal criminal complaint. The complaint alleged that the Curtrights groomed a 13-year-old victim over the internet, traveled from Missouri to pick her up from her home in Virginia, then repeatedly sexually assaulted her in their van and at their apartment until she was rescued by police. The indictment charges: coercion and enticement of a minor, which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum prison sentence; conspiracy and transportation of a minor in interstate commerce to engage in criminal sexual activity, which also carries a mandatory 10-year minimum prison sentence; and three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, which each carry 15-year mandatory minimum prison sentences. If convicted, the Curtrights face a maximum punishment of life in prison. According to court documents, in May 2024 the victim met Justin Curtright on Discord, an online group chat platform, where the two talked for hours. The victim initially used an alias and claimed she was 18 years old. Justin Curtright soon began talking in sexual overtones and eventually sent the victim a sexually explicit video of himself. The next morning, Justin added the victim to a private Discord channel that included both him and his wife, Christin Curtright. From that point, the three talked extensively, both online and by phone. The victim eventually admitted she was only 13 years old. The Curtrights also engaged in sexually explicit acts on camera while video chatting with the victim. Justin would frequently pretend to be the victim’s father. At some point near the end of June, the Curtrights devised a plan to drive to Virginia to abduct the victim and take her to their Springfield apartment. On the morning of July 24, 2024, as planned, the Curtrights met the victim near her home in Virginia. The victim got in the Curtrights’ vehicle, and they drove her back to Missouri. During the trip back to Missouri, the Curtrights each took turns sexually assaulting the victim while the other drove. Once they reached their apartment, they continued their sexual abuse and exploitation of the victim for several more days. On July 27, 2024, officers with the Springfield Police Department went to the Curtrights’ apartment, where they found the victim hiding in the back of a closet in the Curtrights’ bedroom. The victim had a debit card and false ID that Justin Curtright gave her, which represented her as Justin’s 15-year-old daughter. Springfield officers seized the Curtrights’ phones, which held recordings of the Curtrights’ video chats grooming and sexually exploiting the victim, as well as images of the victim being abused during the drive to Missouri. Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Springfield Police Department, and various local law enforcement agencies investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Drew O. Inman is prosecuting the case for the United States. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .


title: Northern Kentucky Man Sentenced for   Extraterritorial Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Walton, Ky., man, Robert Maxwell Werner, 46, was sentenced on Friday to 30 years in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for extraterritorial production of child pornography. According to his plea agreement, Werner is a U.S. citizen who was living in the Philippines from February 2021 through November 2021. During this time, Werner became the customer of a Filipino individual who would sell access to dozens of minor victims for in-person or livestreamed sexual acts. For several months, Werner paid this individual for child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and multiple in‑person meetings with minor males in the Philippines. Specifically, Werner admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with at least one minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct between July 2021 and November 2021, while in the Philippines. Werner further admitted to transporting that sexually explicit material into the United States. Under federal law, Werner must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years. Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Paul McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Operational Unit, with substantial assistance from the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg, with the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Department of Justice, are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . – END –


title: Williamsport Man Sentenced To 108 Months In Prison For Child Exploitation Crime

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Felix Trepanowski, age 24, a resident of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 108 months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann, for receipt of child pornography. According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on May 21, 2024, FBI agents served a federal search warrant at Trepanowski’s residence in Clinton County, Pennsylvania. Pursuant to the warrant, agents seized and later analyzed his cell phone and computer. The forensic analysis uncovered approximately 2,420 images of child pornography on Trepanowski’s devices and showed that he received images of child pornography on multiple occasions between 2022 and 2024. The investigation was conducted by FBI – Philadelphia Division, Williamsport RAC. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . # # #


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

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: Financial Crimes Ashley M. Patton-Spencer , 37, of University Park, Illinois, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment with 2 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the passing and uttering of a counterfeit U.S. obligation. According to court records, the defendant was responsible for aiding and abetting a scheme to pass a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check at a local Cheyenne bank in April 2024. Specifically, the defendant assisted in the crime by recruiting co-defendant Pamela Kubesh (see below) for the purpose of passing the counterfeit check, arranging for Kubesh’s travel to meet up with other co-conspirators, and coordinating with others in an effort to commit the crime. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Patton-Spencer pleaded guilty on Dec. 11, 2024, and U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 3 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00152 Pamela Kubesh , 56, of Lake Tomahawk, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release for passing and uttering a counterfeit U.S. obligation. According to court records, on April 8, 2024, the defendant used a false name and false identification to open a bank account in Cheyenne and deposit a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check. Investigators subsequently identified several individuals who aided and abetted the defendant, to include Ashley Patton-Spencer (see above) and Dwayne Rogers, Jr. (see below). The defendant was arrested and subsequently plead guilty on Dec. 12, 2024. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 4 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00152 Dwayne Rogers, Jr. , 22, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release for aiding and abetting the passing and uttering of a counterfeit U.S. obligation. According to court records, on April 8, 2024, defendant aided and abetted co-conspirator Pamela Kubesh (see above) in the passing and uttering of a counterfeit U.S. Treasury check at a Cheyenne bank by providing a false name and false identification in bank account opening documents and by driving co-conspirators to and from the bank. The defendant was arrested and subsequently plead guilty on Dec. 5, 2024. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on February 25 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00152 Illegal Reentry of a Previously Deported Alien Luis Angel Giron-Zavala, 32, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment to be followed by one year of unsupervised release with the condition that he not illegally return to the United States. Giron-Zavala will be returned to the State of Texas to finish serving a separate sentence, and then he will be deported from the United States. According to court documents, on March 24, 2024, Giron-Zavala was arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol in Sheridan County on a state warrant from Texas. Deputies from the Sheridan County Jail notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Giron-Zavala claimed to be a citizen of Mexico. Agents with ICE determined that he had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in April 2018. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on March 7 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00177 About the U.S. Attorney's Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include the following: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with the additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Program The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: Harrisburg Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tayvain Folkes, age 24, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by the U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to deliver fentanyl and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of one gram of fentanyl from Folkes on December 28, 2021. Based on that purchase, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Folkes’ residence, which yielded approximately 269 grams of fentanyl, a Glock 9mm pistol, and approximately $35,000 in cash. Folkes admitted to possessing the firearm and narcotics after his arrest. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation Harrisburg, the Vice Unit, Dauphin County Drug Task Force, and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Men Accused of Embezzling $1.4 Million from St. Louis County Restaurant

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two men have been accused of embezzling more than $1.4 million from the restaurant that employed them for years. Matthew Braasch and Mark Erney were each indicted on Feb. 20, 2025, with two counts of wire fraud. Erney turned himself in Friday and pleaded not guilty. Braasch did the same on February 25. The indictment says both men were high-level employees of a restaurant in Grantwood Village, in St. Louis County, Missouri, and told company managers that they would only use company credit cards for necessary business expenses. They instead used them for personal purchases, it says. Braasch spent $81,965 at Target, over $31,000 at the Vineyard Vines clothing store, $39,634 at Amazon and over $10,000 on local hotel stays for an acquaintance, the indictment says. He also spent $1,600 on a golf outing, $2,460 to store his RV, $5,425 on St. Louis Cardinals tickets and $2,681 for a vacation at Disney World, the indictment says. Erney spent $155,696 on personal expenses from Amazon, more than $37,000 at other local bars and restaurants, $5,600 for two couches and $3,943 at a supplier of men’s health products. The indictment says that due to the embezzlement, the restaurant lacked money to buy food and pay state taxes, including liquor taxes, and Braasch and Erney took out loans to cover the shortfall. Braasch also posed as a restaurant manager when state investigators tried to collect back taxes to keep the real managers in the dark, the indictment says. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI, with assistance from the Missouri Department of Revenue, Criminal Tax Investigation Bureau, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.


title: Thirty-Seventh Feeding Our Future Defendant Pleads Guilty with Obstruction of Justice Enhancement for Witness Tampering Attempt

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Lakeville man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud for his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, from April 2020 through January 2022, Abdinasir Mahamed Abshir, 33, claimed to be operating a child nutrition site in Mankato, Minnesota, a mid-sized city in Southwestern Minnesota. Abshir ran his food site, Stigma-Free Mankato, under the sponsorship of Feeding our Future. Shortly after creating the Stigma-Free Mankato site, the defendant falsely claimed to be serving meals to 3,000 children a day, seven days a week, from J’s Sambusa, a small restaurant in North Mankato. Abshir also created a shell company called Horseed Management, and claimed it was a meal vendor for the Stigma-Free Mankato food site. Between November 2020 and November 2021, Abshir and his co-conspirators falsely claimed to have served approximately 1.6 million meals to children through Stigma-Free Mankato. To accomplish their scheme, Abshirand his co-conspirators prepared and submitted fake meal counts, invoices, and attendance rosters. Rather than use fraudulently obtained money to serve meals or feed children, Abshir and his co-conspirators fraudulently misappropriated much of it. Abshir transferred millions of dollars from Horseed Management to himself and other co-conspirators, which included transferring fraud proceeds to a shell company the defendant created called Calikamin Enterprise. Abshir used fraudulent proceeds to purchase a 2021 Range Rover, which has been seized and will be forfeited to the United States. According to court documents, Abshir paid more than $100,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Horseed Management to Abdikerm Eidleh, a Feeding Our Future employee, in exchange for sponsoring and facilitating Stigma-Free Mankato’s fraudulent participation in the Federal Child Nutrition Program. In exchange, Feeding Our Future received nearly $420,000 in administrative fees for sponsoring the Stigma-Free Mankato site’s participation in the program. In December 2021, Abshir paid $5,750 to a GoFundMe account for Feeding Our Future created by Aimee Bock. In total, Stigma-Free Mankato received over $5.4 million in payments from Feeding Our Future based on fraudulent claims. In addition, on February 18, 2025, Abshir attempted to obstruct or impede the administration of justice when he communicated with a cooperating witness in the trial of his co-defendants in United States v. Aimee Bock and Salim Said. Specifically, in the hallway outside Courtroom 13W in the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Abshir approached a witness who was about to testify in the trial. After learning that the witness was about to testify that day, Abshir requested that the witness come with him to the bathroom to have a conversation. Abshir pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel. In his plea, he acknowledges that an enhancement will apply to his Sentencing Guidelines because he obstructed justice when he attempted to tamper with a witness. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS – Criminal Investigations, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H. Thompson, Matthew S. Ebert, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Baune is handling the seizure and forfeiture of assets.


title: Notorious Violent Mexican Cartel Leader Sentenced to Life Plus 30 Years in Prison for International Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A U.S.-Mexican dual national and co-founder of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) — an international drug trafficking organization — was sentenced today in the District of Columbia to a term of life in prison plus 30 years to run consecutively for his role in a major drug trafficking conspiracy and ordered to forfeit over $6 billion of drug trafficking proceeds. “This defendant helped build Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion into a brutal terrorist organization that pumps poison onto our streets and commits horrific acts of violence,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, he will now spend his life behind bars.” “Today’s sentencing is a victory for the dedicated men and women in federal law enforcement who have made it their lives’ work to dismantle and degrade the cartels in Mexico,” said Acting Administrator Derek S. Maltz of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Menchito was not only extremely violent, he was also one of the earliest architects of fentanyl trafficking that led to the deadliest chapter of the synthetic opioid crisis, and responsible for flooding the country with methamphetamine. This country is undoubtedly safer now that he will spend the rest of his life in federal prison. Let this be a warning to members of CJNG, its associates, and the other cartels that DEA’s work is far from over. Americans are depending on us to continue to fight evil and dismantle the cartels.” According to court documents, Ruben Oseguera-Gonzalez, known as El Menchito, 34, led the CJNG for nearly seven years in Mexico and oversaw the importation of multi-tonnage quantities of drugs into the United States. In addition to other CJNG operations, Oseguera-Gonzalez is responsible for trafficking more than 50 metric tons of cocaine and supervising drug labs that produced more than 1,000 metric tons of methamphetamine in Mexico. In 2013, Oseguera-Gonzalez was one of the first contributors to the fentanyl epidemic in the United States, pledging to “do it big” and build an empire from counterfeit oxycontin pills laced with fentanyl. According to court documents, along with his father, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as El Mencho and who remains a fugitive, Oseguera-Gonzalez founded the CJNG, which is based in Jalisco, Mexico, and is arguably the most prolific and most violent cartel in Mexico today. For instance, Oseguera-Gonzalez backed CJNG’s criminal drug trafficking empire with an arsenal of weapons and by committing and directing heinous acts of violence. He brutally killed five people who owed him drug money and personally shot a rival cartel member and a subordinate. He carried firearms, including a rifle and grenade launcher that bore his moniker, which he used to threaten Mexican law enforcement upon his arrest. Oseguera-Gonzalez also directed the 2015 attack on a Mexican military helicopter that was pursuing Oseguera-Gonzalez and his father, the top leader of the CJNG. The helicopter was shot down, allowing Oseguera-Gonzalez and his father to evade capture while killing at least nine Mexican service members and permanently disfiguring at least one other. Additionally, according to statements made in court and trial testimony, Oseguera-Gonzalez ordered the murder of more than 100 people, some of which he murdered himself. The DEA Los Angeles Field Division investigated the case with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance with securing the February 2020 extradition of Oseguera-Gonzalez and facilitating important evidence. The Criminal Division’s Office of Enforcement Operations provided significant assistance. The Justice Department thanks Mexican authorities for their assistance with this important prosecution. Trial Attorneys Jonathan Hornok, Lernik Begian, and Douglas Meisel, and former Trial Attorneys Kaitlin Sahni and Kate Naseef of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section prosecuted the case. This effort was 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: March Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Natividad Castillo Avena. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Avena, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2024. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-064 Adan Alberto Bazaldua-Pichardo. Fraud and Misuse of Visas and Permits. Bazaldua-Pichardo, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully and knowingly possessing a fake social security card to gain entry or employment in the United States. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-061 Jose Ricardo Borrayo-Gomez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Borrayo-Gomez, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in July 2023. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-062 Carlos Daniel Calderon-Ponce. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Calderon-Ponce, 49, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in July 2024. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-063 Aldrin Jhovani Solis Castellanos. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Castellanos, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Aug. 2024. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-073 Joseph John Ronald Chavoya. Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun. Chavoya, 40, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly and unlawfully possessing a machine gun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-075 Jose Darvin Chicas-Castro. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Chicas-Castro, 35, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2011. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-065 Adrian Lasean Foster. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Foster, 24, of Muskogee and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with breaking into an occupied home with intent to commit a crime. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-076 Julio Gonzalez-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gonzalez-Ramirez, 42, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2012. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-066 Luis Enrique Guereca-Castrellon. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Guereca-Castrellon, 67, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Mar. 2020. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-067 Jose Alberto Hernandez-Casimiro. Fraud and Misuse of Visas and Permits. Hernandez-Casimiro, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully and knowingly possessing a fake legal permanent resident card to gain entry or employment in the United States. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-068 Jose Abraham Joya. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Joya, 38, a Salvadoran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2019. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-069 Felipe Jesus Mendoza-Lopez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Mendoza-Lopez, 41, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm, knowing he was an alien illegally in the United States. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-070 Alexander Enemias Ortiz-Gonzalez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ortiz-Gonzalez, 22, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2023. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney S. Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-071 Juan Reyes-Ochoa. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Reyes-Ochoa, 33, a Guatemala national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2023. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-072 Joshawa Wayne Wildcat. Assault of a Spouse by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country. Wildcat, 33, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with strangling his spouse. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Weems is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-077


title: San Antonio Man Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 200 months in prison for one count of distribution of child pornography. According to court documents, Gianni Versace Del Prado, 28, was identified as using both Telegram and X (formerly known as Twitter) to distribute child sexual abuse material. He created a chat room on Nov. 28, 2022 dedicated to the distribution of child pornography and discussions about the sexual abuse of children and between Dec. 1 2022 and April 30, 2023, posted approximately 81 files depicting the sexual abuse of children. On April 30, 2023, he sent 93 child pornography files directly to an undercover FBI employee engaged in an investigation to identify individuals who were sexually exploiting children. On June 6, 2023, FBI agents executed a federal search warrant at Del Prado’s residence and seized electronic devices. He was arrested the following day and pleaded guilty to the distribution of child pornography on May 29, 2024. Following the 200 months in federal prison, Del Prado will serve 25 years supervised release. U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam also ordered Del Prado to pay two victims $5,000 each in restitution. “This sentence serves as both punishment for Del Prado’s crimes committed against children and as a deterrent for anyone else considering engaging in the trafficking of child sexual abuse material,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas. “This office will continue to prioritize and prosecute individuals like this defendant, and I thank our partners at the FBI for their integral investigative work on these cases.” “Protecting children is a top priority for the FBI. Every member of our communities—and especially our children—deserve to feel safe from predators like Del Prado,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp for the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work and partnership in seeking justice on behalf of the victims in this case.” The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Lawrence Man Sentenced to More Than One Year in Prison for Making False Statement in Passport Application and Identity Theft

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston to falsely claiming to be a United States citizen in a passport application. Ruben Dario Guerrero, 44, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 21 months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Guerrero is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In November 2024, Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement in a passport application and one count of identity theft. On Aug. 25, 2023, Guerrero submitted an application for a U.S. passport at a post office in Lawrence. Guerrero used the name, date of birth and social security number of a U.S. citizen who died in Puerto Rico in 1997 and signed the application under an attestation in which he declared under penalty of perjury that he was a United States citizen. In fact, however, identity documents from the Dominican Republic show Guerrero to be a Dominican citizen. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Texas Man Formerly Employed by Ohio Company Convicted of Damaging Source Code and Deleting Data

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: CLEVELAND — A federal jury in Cleveland convicted a Texas man today for writing and deploying malicious code on his former employer’s network. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Davis Lu, 55, of Houston, was employed as a software developer for the victim company headquartered in Beachwood, Ohio, from November 2007 to October 2019. Following a 2018 corporate realignment that reduced his responsibilities and system access, Lu began sabotaging his employer’s systems. By Aug. 4, 2019, he introduced malicious code that caused system crashes and prevented user logins. Specifically, he created “infinite loops” (in this case, code designed to exhaust Java threads by repeatedly creating new threads without proper termination and resulting in server crashes or hangs), deleted coworker profile files, and implemented a “kill switch” that would lock out all users if his credentials in the company’s active directory were disabled. The “kill switch” code — which Lu named “IsDLEnabledinAD”, abbreviating “Is Davis Lu enabled in Active Directory” — was automatically activated upon his termination on Sept. 9, 2019, and impacted thousands of company users globally. Lu named other code “Hakai,” a Japanese word meaning “destruction,” and “HunShui,” a Chinese word meaning “sleep” or “lethargy.” Additionally, on the day he was directed to turn in his company laptop, Lu deleted encrypted data. His internet search history revealed he had researched methods to escalate privileges, hide processes, and rapidly delete files, indicating an intent to obstruct efforts of his co-workers to resolve the system disruptions. Lu’s employer suffered hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses as a result of Lu’s actions. “Mr. Lu was calculating in his intent to inflict damage to a company that provides products and services to businesses and organizations that span a variety of industries and fields,” said Acting United States Attorney Carol M. Skutnik of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio. “Together with our colleagues from the Criminal Division and the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will prosecute those who intend to disrupt business operations, especially, if it has the potential to inflict greater harm on national and international levels. We will hold perpetrators accountable and pursue justice against vindictive employees who break federal laws.” “Sadly, Davis Lu used his education, experience, and skill to purposely harm and hinder not only his employer and their ability to safely conduct business, but also stifle thousands of users worldwide,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen. “The FBI and its cadre of exceptionally qualified agents and analysts will continue to identify, find, and investigate individuals who seek to carry out deliberate and destructive actions against businesses or organizations for retaliatory or malicious purposes.” The jury convicted Lu of causing intentional damage to protected computers, for which he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Cleveland Division investigated the case. Senior Counsel Candina S. Heath of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Riedl and Brian S. Deckert for the Northern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.


title: Former Tax Preparer Sentenced for Theft of Tax Refunds

body_text: BOSTON – A New Bedford woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for stealing federal funds by filing false tax returns to obtain fraudulent tax refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). Valentina Martinez, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris to 12 months of supervised release under home confinement, with electronic monitoring for the first six months. Martinez was also ordered to pay $41,823 in restitution to the IRS. In December 2024, Martinez pleaded guilty to five counts of theft of government money. Martinez previously worked for a national tax return preparation service. After preparing returns for clients and providing them copies of their returns, Martinez added fraudulent claims for business deductions to the clients’ returns without their knowledge and electronically filed the false returns in order to obtain fraudulent refunds. Martinez caused the tax refunds to be deposited onto debit cards that she used to make ATM withdrawals, including paying for a Florida vacation and other personal purchases. Martinez’s scheme was discovered and her employment terminated when a taxpayer client complained to the return preparation service about a missing refund. By then, Martinez had already filed at least 12 false returns and caused more than $40,000 in losses to the IRS. The prosecution of Martinez is part of a Stolen Identity Refund Project (“SIRF”) program operated by the IRS to identify tax preparers who use stolen identities to steal money from the United States Treasury by filing false tax returns that claim tax refunds without the named taxpayer’s knowledge. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Victor A. Wild of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: New Jersey man sentenced to prison as part of $50 million Ponzi scheme involving off-the-road tires

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A New Jersey man was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 18 months in prison for his role in a nationwide, off-the-road tire sale fraud scheme that resulted in tens of millions of dollars of losses. Ahmet Neidik, 65, of Fort Lee, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiring to commit wire fraud. Before his guilty plea, Neidik allegedly fled to Turkey and then returned to the United States. Neidik was the co-owner of, and ran the daily operations for, purported transportation, logistics and importing/exporting businesses. Some of the proceeds of the scheme were sent to businesses controlled by Neidik. Neidik would then wire money to the bank accounts of co-conspirators. John K. Eckerd, Jr., 61, of Dallas, was one of the leaders of the multi-state conspiracy. He pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiring to commit wire fraud and tax crimes and admitted responsibility for at least $14 million involved in the scheme. Based on his plea agreement, Eckerd will be sentenced to 36 to 109 months in prison. Conspiring with previously convicted and sentenced defendant Jason E. Adkins, 47, of Jackson, Ohio, Eckerd and others orchestrated a $50 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded more than 50 investors. From 2012 until at least in or around late 2018, Eckerd represented himself to potential investors as an entrepreneur and businessman with expertise in the market for off-the-road tires. Off-the-road tires are over-sized tires that are used on earth moving equipment and/or mining equipment. Eckerd had control of or access to many corporations allegedly used as part of the scheme. Co-conspirators solicited millions of dollars from investor-victims under false pretenses. Investors were told their money would be used to buy off-the-road tires at a steep discount, and that the tires would then be re-sold to a buyer at a much higher rate. Investors were promised a high percent rate of return on investment, generally within 180 days. Defendants rarely bought or sold tires, and when they did, they used the same tires as the basis for multiple deals, promising multiple investors that they each owned the same tires. Defendants corresponded with the potential investors face-to-face, as well as through a combination of phone calls, text messages, and, on occasion, emails. They used private planes to showcase their inventory and appear wealthy and successful. Defendants also provided investors with elaborate, fraudulent paperwork regarding the purported deals. The co-conspirators requested large investments and loans, most to be funded through wire transfers. To give potential investors confidence in the tire deals, Eckerd and Adkins offered the services of a purportedly neutral third party to arrange shipment of the tires and/or hold investment funds in escrow until certain conditions were met in completing the deal. Neidik allowed Eckerd and Adkins to represent to investors that he was the neutral third party, and on some occasions, entered into escrow agreements with the investors. As part of his sentence, Neidik will pay $370,000 in restitution for his part of the scheme. He was also fined $250,000. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys S. Courter Shimeall, Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and David J. Twombly are representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Fayetteville Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted Felon

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Chadiez White (24) was sentenced on Thursday to 130 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. White pled guilty to the offense on November 26, 2024. According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, White was stopped by the Fayetteville Police Department for a traffic infraction. Officers detected an odor of marijuana coming from the car and saw marijuana residue and paraphernalia in the lap of a passenger. White admitted to officers that there was marijuana and a firearm in the car. White’s vehicle was seized and searched, and the officers located a semiautomatic pistol with a large capacity magazine under the driver’s seat, ammunition in the center console, 77 grams of marijuana and a digital scale in backpack located behind the driver’s seat, and six empty marijuana graphic baggies from the passenger side. White claimed ownership of everything found in the vehicle. White’s criminal history includes convictions for common law robbery, breaking and entering, and an unrelated prior conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. 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. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Agencies involved in the investigation include the Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaren E. Kelly and Jermaine Sellers prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-00282-D. ###


title: Man Sentenced After Kicking in Door and Shooting at Ex

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Bryce Tyler Pyle, 36, for First Degree Burglary in Indian Country and Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Judge Russell ordered Pyle to 168 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. In July 2024, Pyle drove to his former girlfriend’s home with their child in the car. At some point, Pyle kicked open the former girlfriend’s door and pointed a handgun at her and another person in the home. The former girlfriend demanded that Pyle leave. When Pyle returned to his car, he intentionally fired his gun toward the house before leaving. The former girlfriend noticed their child crying in the backseat of the car when Pyle drove off. The former girlfriend called Pyle and convinced him to return their child. Pyle then entered the home a second time and began destroying property. While Pyle was in the home, police officers intercepted and detained him. Pyle is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell prosecuted the case.


title: Illegal aliens arrested for or convicted of violating immigration, firearms crimes

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio announced today new immigration charges or convictions in four cases in the District. On Monday, task force agents arrested Sergio Diego-Sevilla, 35, and charged him with being an illegal reentrant into the United States. Diego-Sevilla is a Mexican national with no legal status in the United States. He has been apprehended in Arizona in the past and deported to Mexico. According to court documents, on Jan. 23, investigators with the Licking County Sheriff’s Office received information from Customs and Border Patrol located in Southern Arizona that a Toyota Highlander with an Arizona license plate was allegedly involved in human smuggling. Sheriff’s deputies stopped the vehicle in Licking County and discovered Adalberto Calixto Tolentino , 21, was transporting four individuals in the vehicle, including Diego-Sevilla. Investigators also discovered an envelope with $8,000 cash in the car. When interviewed by law enforcement, one passenger said he had paid $10,000 to be helped crossing the border of Mexico into the United States. He was picked up in the desert in Arizona and eventually transported by Tolentino. These related cases are being prosecuted in Columbus. On Tuesday, in Cincinnati, Edgar Palomares-Ventura, 38, pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the United States. Palomares-Ventura is a citizen of Mexico and had been previously deported from the United States in 2022 from Texas. In February 2025, agents discovered the defendant in West Chester. Palomares-Ventura has previous convictions in the United States, including trafficking marijuana in Hamilton County, and federal convictions in Ohio and Kentucky for visa, permit and passport fraud, as well as aggravated identity theft. On Wednesday, another defendant pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati to illegally reentering the United States. Brayan Castaneda-Juarez, 32, also admitted to illegally possessing a firearm. Illegal aliens are prohibited from possessing firearms. The defendant forfeited a 9mm pistol. Castaneda-Juarez is a Mexican national with no legal status in the United States. He had been previously removed from the country from a Port of Entry in Texas. In December, loss prevention employees at Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati stopped the defendant because he was attempting to shoplift. Fairfield police officers were dispatched to the scene and discovered the 9mm pistol in a bag that Castaneda-Juarez was carrying. He was later arrested by ICE officers. Today, new charges and a plea document were filed in the case against Ismael Rodriguez-Mojica, 47, a national of El Salvador with no legal status in the United States. A bill of information charges Rodriguez-Mojica with illegally reentering the United States. The defendant had been deported from the United States three times before, including once after being booked into the Franklin County Jail. In his current case, ICE officers encountered Rodriguez-Mojica in Columbus in January 2025. He was originally charged by a criminal complaint. Illegally reentering the United States is a federal crime punishable by up to two years in prison. If the offender has a prior felony conviction (or multiple prior misdemeanor convictions of certain types), the penalty is increased to 10 years in prison, and if the offender has been previously convicted of an aggravated felony, the defendant faces up to 20 years in prison. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Robert Lynch, Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Criminal Chief Christy L. Muncy, Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez, and Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler J. Aagard and Matthew C. Singer are representing the United States in these cases. Charging documents merely contain allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. These cases are being prosecuted as part of the Southern District of Ohio Immigration Enforcement Task Force, which dedicates agents, attorneys and other staff to investigating and prosecuting immigration violations. # # #


title: Clinton, Indiana, Woman Pleads Guilty to Murder-for-Hire

component: Department of Justice

body_text: URBANA, Ill. – A Clinton, Indiana, woman, Davetta Cox, 32, pleaded guilty on March 7, 2025, to using facilities of interstate commerce in a murder-for-hire scheme. Sentencing for Cox has been set for July 18, 2025, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois. At the hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long, Cox admitted to seeking to hire someone she believed to be a hitman to kill another individual. During the hearing, the government provided information that Cox had offered the supposed hitman $6,000 to murder another individual. Cox was arrested in January 2024 and remains in the custody of the United States Marshals Service, pending sentencing. Cox faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment; up to a $500,000 fine; and up to a six-year term of supervised release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, Champaign Resident Agency, and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Ritzer is representing the government in the prosecution.