title: Illegal alien sentenced to 20 years for producing child sexual abuse material

body_text: Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. LAREDO, Texas – A 45-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for sexual exploitation of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Felipe Hernandez-Mata pleaded guilty March 3. U.S. District Judge John Kazen has sentenced Hernandez-Mata to serve 240 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court also heard additional information from the victim’s relative who described how the family trusted Hernandez-Mata and were shocked by what he did, commenting on how the trauma has deeply affected the child. In handing down the prison term, the court noted Hernandez-Mata effectively destroyed the minor victim’s life by exploiting her when he offered her money in exchange for child sexual abuse material. Hernandez-Mata was further ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution and will serve 10 years of supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hernandez-Mata will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. “The American people have little patience for those that produce child sexual abuse material, particularly for those abusers who are illegally in the country,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas is committed to a secure southern border, which will keep people like Hernandez-Mata out of our country and away from our children.” Hernandez-Mata admitted to asking a minor to take sexual images and videos of herself in exchange for money. He also admitted to sending the minor a photo of his genitalia. The investigation began when a relative reported suspicious communications indicating Hernandez-Mata had directed the minor to send him nude photos. Forensic analysis of the victim’s cell phone revealed Hernandez-Mata received, at his own direction, approximately 25 images and two videos containing child sexual abuse material. There were also images from Hernandez-Mata of various amounts of money. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine A. Cortez prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Brazilian National, in U.S. Illegally, Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Forcibly Assaulting, Resisting, Opposing, Impeding, Intimidating, and Interfering with Federal Officer

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Enmanuel Fernandes-Calixto, aka Emanuel Fernandes and Emanuel Bartholomew, 21, a Brazilian national illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 16 months in prison and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Karen S. Marston, for forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, and interfering with an officer of the United States while the officer was engaged in the performance of his official duties. As detailed in court filings, on April 2, 2025, an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO) arrested Fernandes-Calixto for immigration violations. During transport, the defendant attempted to escape, and, while still handcuffed, pushed the officer, then attempted to strike the officer several times. The defendant ultimately escaped during the struggle and hid in a house in Northeast Philadelphia. He was apprehended later that evening, with the assistance of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). The case was investigated by ICE ERO. Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.


title: President of Masonry Contractor Sentenced to 7½ Years in Prison for Conspiring to Bribe Amtrak Employee, Making a False Claim

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Mark Snedden, 70, of Munster, Indiana, was sentenced today to 90 months in prison, one year of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and joint restitution of $2,062,374 by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, for conspiring to commit federal program bribery and making and presenting a false claim. The defendant was charged by information in March of this year and pleaded guilty to the offenses in April. As detailed in court filings, on or about December 10, 2015, a masonry restoration contractor (the “Contractor”) was awarded a $58,473,000 contract by Amtrak to be the main contractor on a façade repair and restoration project at Amtrak’s 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. Federal funding supplied approximately 90% of the money Amtrak used to pay the Contractor for the repair and restoration of the 30th Street Station façade. Snedden was the sole owner and President of the Contractor, with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Vice Presidents of the Contractor and the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project. Donald Seefeldt, charged elsewhere, was the Senior Executive Vice President of the Contractor, with responsibility to provide executive oversight of the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project. Lee Maniatis, and Khaled Dallo, also charged elsewhere, were Vice Presidents of the Contractor, with responsibility to supervise the Contractor’s performance on the 30th Street Station façade project. Amtrak Employee #1 was employed by Amtrak as the Project Manager on the repair and restoration project. In that capacity, Amtrak Employee #1 was responsible for communicating with the Contractor about the work being done on 30th Street Station. Amtrak Employee #1 was also responsible for reviewing the invoices, change orders, and requests for payment that the Contractor submitted to Amtrak. Amtrak Employee #1 had the power to approve or reject these invoices, change orders, and requests for payment. Although Amtrak Employee #1 did not have the singular authority to approve Amtrak payments to the Contractor, his approval was a critical step in that process. The contract between Amtrak and the Contractor prohibited Snedden and other Contractor officials from “offer[ing] to any Amtrak employee, agent, or representative any cash, gift, entertainment, commission, or kickback for the purpose of securing favorable treatment with regard to award or performance of any contract or agreement.” As detailed in the information and admitted to by the defendant, from in or about May 2016 through in or about November 2019, the defendant conspired with several others, including Amtrak Employee #1, Maniatis, Dallo, and Seefeldt, to knowingly and corruptly give, offer, and agree to give, a thing of value to Amtrak Employee #1, intending to influence and reward Amtrak Employee #1 in connection with any business, transaction and series of transactions. Specifically, Seefeldt, Maniatis, Dallo, and others, with Snedden’s knowledge and agreement, provided Amtrak Employee #1 with gifts and other things of value totaling approximately $323,686, including, among other things, paid vacations, jewelry, cash, dinners, entertainment, a dog, training for that dog, and transportation, to ensure that Amtrak Employee #1 used his power and influence to benefit the Contractor during the performance of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project. In return for these gifts and other things of value, Amtrak Employee #1 allegedly used his position at Amtrak to access internal agency information available only to Amtrak employees about the 30th Street Station Project and shared this internal information with the defendant and other officials with the Contractor. Court filings further allege that Amtrak Employee #1 used his position at Amtrak to approve additional, more expensive changes to the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project, thereby increasing the amount and value of the work to be performed by the Contractor. These additional expenses were reflected in a series of change orders or contract modifications. In total, Amtrak Employee #1 approved over $52 million of additional payments from Amtrak to the Contractor. Amtrak Employee #1 and officials with the Contractor falsely inflated the true costs of some of the work to be performed by the Contractor under these change orders, causing Amtrak to be substantially overbilled by over $2 million for the completion of the 30th Street Station Repair and Restoration Project. This case was investigated by the FBI, Amtrak Office of Inspector General, and Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Grenell. Note: the posting of this press release was delayed, due to the federal government shutdown from October 1, 2025, to November 12, 2025.


title: Sugar Land man convicted in conspiracy involving smuggling firearms to Iraq

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: Editor's Note: This matter occurred on date indicated, but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations. HOUSTON – A 54-year-old Iraqi national has been convicted for conspiracy to violate gun export laws, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding Hassan Al Gharawi guilty on one count of conspiracy to violate export control laws following a three-day trial. From approximately November 2020 to June 2021, Gharawi conspired with others to knowingly stockpile, conceal and transport firearms in vehicle parts bound for Iraq. At trial, the jury heard Gharawi received two deliveries in 2020 and 2021 totaling approximately 77 firearms, which he had stored in his home. On June 10, 2021, authorities observed Gharawi load firearms into his vehicle and transport them to a storage facility. The jury saw photos of more than 500 firearms and listened to recordings of Gharawi discussing the trafficking plan. The defense argued Gharawi acted under duress from the traffickers in Iraq. The jury rejected those claims after seeing the extent of his involvement and found him guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen presided over the trial and set sentencing for Jan. 21, 2026. At that time, Gharawi faces up to 20 years in prison for violating export laws. He also faces a maximum $1 million fine. Previously released on bond, Gharawi was taken into custody following the conviction where he will remain pending sentencing. FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Pearson, Steven Schammel and Heather Winter are prosecuting the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Unlawfully Residing in Catoosa After Previous Deportation for Killing his 38-Day-Old Baby

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national who was found residing in Catoosa and was previously deported after killing his son was sentenced today for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Carlos Ambriz-Estrada, 53, to 24 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. He is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence. In March 2025, the Fugitive Operations Team with Immigration Customs Enforcement began investigating Ambriz-Estrada due to his prior conviction of deliberate homicide in Montana and the possibility of him being present in the United States unlawfully. He was arrested in April 2025 after law enforcement discovered that he was unlawfully living in Catoosa and that he did not have permission to re-enter the United States after being removed. Court records show that in 1994, Montana law enforcement was dispatched to the hospital to investigate apparent child abuse. Ambriz-Estrada and his wife brought their 36-day-old baby to the hospital for treatment. The detective spoke with a doctor who confirmed that the baby had five broken ribs, detached retinas in both eyes, swelling of the head, bruises on the neck and abdomen, consistent with strangulation. The doctor reported that they believed the baby was strangled and without oxygen for some time, likely causing severe brain damage. When being interviewed, Ambriz-Estrada admitted that he was angry with his wife and took it out on the baby. While the baby was crying, he squeezed the child’s throat for 15 to 20 minutes, until the baby lost consciousness. Afterward, he put the baby in a crib. The baby woke up crying one hour later, and Ambriz-Estrada admitted to picking up the baby and shaking him. Ambriz-Estrada told detectives the baby's breathing was irregular and appeared to have a seizure. After two days in intensive care, the baby had no brain activity and was declared brain dead at 38 days old. After pleading guilty to deliberate homicide, Ambriz-Estrada was ordered to 40 years imprisonment and served 12 years. After being released in 2006, Ambriz-Estrada was deported. After being deported, Ambriz-Estrada returned to the United States unlawfully sometime in 2020. Ambriz-Estrada is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ammon Brisolara and Augustus Forster prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Columbus man sentenced to life in prison for leading narcotics, sex trafficking & financial fraud conspiracies

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man was sentenced in federal court here today to life in prison for leading drug, sex trafficking and financial fraud conspiracies and then attempting to obstruct justice and tamper with witnesses. The defendant caused an overdose death, coerced addicts into prostitution, and used threats, violence, and manipulation of drug dependencies to ensure individuals carried out his criminal schemes. Ricco Lamonte Maye, 43, was found guilty on all counts in November 2024 following a three-week jury trial. “Ricco Maye used unrelenting violence as a tool to maintain control of the people he needed to carry out his many criminal schemes and finance his criminal lifestyle. His actions caused lives to be lost and numerous women to endure physical and emotional pain,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “The devastating repercussions of his actions in this case, the many years of violence that are documented in his criminal history, and his continuing disregard for the harm he has caused all warrant the life sentence he received today.” Court documents and trial testimony detail that Maye used individuals to buy and sell drugs, sell women for sex, and fraudulently apply online for COVID-19 relief funds. Proceeds from all the crimes went to the defendant. Beginning in at least 2018, Maye’s drug trafficking organization primarily distributed narcotics to addicts in street-level quantities. He regularly purchased narcotics from supply sources both inside and outside of Ohio and used addicts to help sell the drugs in Columbus. In addition to cash, Maye would accept stolen goods, gift cards, Social Security numbers, and other items as payment for the drugs. Maye initially gave drugs to women for free and later manipulated their addiction by requiring them to earn drug money through prostitution. Maye provided the means for the women to engage in prostitution – frequently obtaining hotel rooms, having the women driven to the hotels, providing cell phones, and directing Internet prostitution ads. Maye collected the prostitution proceeds, enforced specific rules on the women, and punished the women through physical violence. Maye also provided fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death. In November 2018, Maye communicated with the victim in the hours before his death. The victim had been obtaining cocaine from Maye off and on for years and sought to obtain cocaine from Maye again on the night of his death. Maye was out of town but instructed his co-conspirators to complete the drug sale to the victim. The co-conspirator gave the victim a fatal dose of fentanyl from Maye’s stash instead of the cocaine the victim sought. Trial testimony detailed that Maye used violence against victims as part of overseeing his drug trafficking organization, including “stomping victims out,” smacking them, punching them, breaking their bones and knocking out their teeth. In a financial conspiracy, Maye and other defendants filed for and received more than $30,000 in fraudulent Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Maye kept all or a portion of the others’ benefits. Maye was originally charged by indictment in November 2020. Approximately one year later, the grand jury returned a 13-count third superseding indictment that charged Maye and 10 of his-coconspirators. After his initial arrest, while Maye remained in custody, he attempted to obstruct the ongoing investigation into his sex trafficking and other criminal activities and conspired to tamper with witnesses. Maye’s obstruction of justice included his directing the threatened murder of a potential government witness. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; John Smerglia, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant; the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other officials with the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which was formed under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission, announced the guilty verdicts. Senior Litigation Counsel Heather A. Hill and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley represented the United States in this case. # # #


title: Webster County Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms Offense

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed an unregistered short-barreled firearm pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. Jason Jay Hoogland, 38, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of an unregistered firearm, a short-barreled shotgun. At the plea hearing, Hoogland admitted that on January 20, 2025, in Fort Dodge, he possessed a short-barreled 20-gauge shotgun which was not registered to him as required in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. That same day, he also possessed a stolen pistol. Law enforcement located these items, and drug paraphernalia, at defendant’s residence after executing a search warrant based on information that he had used a firearm to assault a person being treated at a local hospital. Later, on April 23, 2025, in Fort Dodge, Hoogland was found to possess another stolen firearm and short-barreled firearms not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hoogland remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Hoogland faces a possible maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, a $10,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). 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 is also part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-03033. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mexican Man Guilty of Illegally Re-Entering the United States

body_text: A man who illegally re-entered the United States after having been convicted of a felony offense pled guilty yesterday in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. Jesus Banuelos-Lepe, 49, who is a citizen of Mexico but had been living in Maurice, Iowa, was convicted of one count of illegal re-entry as a felon. At the plea hearing, Banuelos-Lepe admitted that on July 20, 2025, he was arrested in Sioux County, Iowa, for operating vehicle while intoxicated. Following his arrest, he was booked into the Sioux County Jail but provided an alias to law enforcement. Further investigation proved his true identity as Banuelos-Lepe, a citizen of Mexico who had been removed from the United States on five occasions, and did not have permission to legally be in the United States. Banuelos-Lepe had previously been convicted of felony transportation of an illegal alien, in April of 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Banuelos-Lepe remains in custody of the United States Marshal Service and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Banuelos-Lepe faces a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-04045. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Oxon Hill Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Ammunition

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Lester Massey, Jr., 42, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, to 30 months in federal prison for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. In July 2025, after a two-day trial, a federal jury convicted Massey of the federal crimes. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland announced the conviction with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD). According to the evidence presented at trial, on August 11, 2023, ATF agents, with the assistance of PGPD officers, executed a court-ordered search-and-seizure warrant at Massey’s residence. During the search, law enforcement located and recovered 243 live rounds of ammunition throughout the apartment. Law enforcement also found assorted gun parts — including an AR style receiver — and a slide, spring, barrel, additional magazines, and gun tools. The ammunition traveled in interstate commerce prior to law enforcement finding Massey in possession of it in August 2023. Massey was previously convicted of two state crimes punishable by more than two years imprisonment and was aware that his criminal history prohibited him from possessing firearms and ammunition. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and PGPD for their work in the investigation. U.S. Attorney Hayes thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Appleby-Rumon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Wright and Nicholas Potter who prosecuted the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An illegal alien has been sentenced for producing child pornography involving a minor victim, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Axon sentenced Juan Martin Sanchez-Suarez, 24, a citizen of Mexico, to 360 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. This conviction will require Sanchez-Suarez to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). As part of his sentence, Sanchez-Suarez was ordered to pay a $3,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In November, Sanchez-Suarez pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. According to the plea agreement, Sanchez-Suarez filmed himself engaging in a sex act with a 12-year-old female child. Sanchez-Suarez created the video without the child’s knowledge. He later sent the video to the child. Sanchez-Suarez was aware of the child’s age and told her that as long as neither of them told anyone, they would not get in trouble. The Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Lipscomb Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case. If you believe someone is the victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact the Know2Protect tip line at 1-833-591-KNOW. All information received via the tipline will be reviewed by appropriate personnel and referred to HSI field offices for potential investigation. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org. ICE takes very seriously its obligation to enforce our nation’s immigration and customs laws, and employs practices that are intended to accomplish this in a fair, efficient, and professional manner. If you have information, you may call our public tip line at 1-866-DHS-2ICE (866-347-2423). For further information related to ICE, please visit our website at www.ice.gov . The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 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 and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Jefferson County Man Sentenced to More than 10 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has been sentenced on drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Axon sentenced Wayne Carnell Brown, 74, of Birmingham, to 130 months in prison. In February, Brown pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the plea agreement, on July 1, 2024, the Birmingham Police Department Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant on Brown’s residence. Detectives recovered multiple firearms, bulk cash, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and digital scales during the search. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case, along with the Birmingham Police Department and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Garnett prosecuted the case.


title: Texas Man Found Guilty of Sexually Assaulting a Passenger During a Flight Sentenced to Prison

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Robert Sutherland MacLean, 59, of Frisco, Texas, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment after he was convicted by a jury in July of abusive sexual contact in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. In addition to MacLean’s term of imprisonment, Senior U.S. District Court Judge Dale Kimball imposed a term of three years’ supervised release, a fine of $10,000, and ordered MacLean to pay $7,261.60 in restitution. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on March 1, 2022, during an approximately 3-hour flight from Chicago to Salt Lake City, MacLean repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim seated next to him in the first-class cabin of a United Airlines Flight. MacLean also made calculated and sexually laced statements to the victim throughout the duration of the flight. According to court documents, MacLean has a history of misconduct on an airplane and was cited by the Federal Aviation Administration civilly for interference with a flight crew where his reported conduct was similar to conduct at issue in this case in which he was convicted. The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Kennedy and Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. ### *This press release was posted December 1, 2025, after the end of the federal government shutdown.


title: PENSACOLA MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO BANK FRAUD

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Shawn Steele, 52, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to three counts of bank fraud. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am proud of the excellent investigative work by our federal law enforcement partners that uncovered and stopped this fraudster’s scheme. This successful prosecution should serve as a warning to others who think they can fraudulently enrich themselves by ripping off banks. Doing so will only book you a one-way ticket to prison.” Between January 3, 2023, and June 30, 2023, the defendant obtained loans from PenAir Credit Union and Central Credit Union of Florida for a Jeep Wrangler, a Ferrari 488 Pista, and a Cape Horn boat. The defendant made knowingly false statements about in his income in the loan applications for the purpose of influencing the financial institutions. The defendant faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervision upon release. Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2025, at 11:00 am, before District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: PENSACOLA FELON CHARGED FOR ILLEGALLY POSSESSING A FIREARM AND AMMUNITION

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

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ernest L. Thomas II, 35, of Pensacola, was indicted by a federal grand jury this week charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today. Thomas appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho on September 23, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for November 10, 2025, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Thomas faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Former Area Soccer Coach Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. James Kooima, age 47, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, a special assessment to the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 in the amount of $5,000, a special assessment to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance in the amount of $7,500, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from federal prison, Kooima must register as a sex offender. Kooima was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2024. He pleaded guilty on May 12, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident in the winter of 2023, when Kooima used Snapchat to befriend a 14-year-old girl from Maine. He manipulated her into believing they were in a romantic relationship, then coerced her into creating and sending him sexually explicit videos and images of herself, including images in which she was using an object to penetrate her vagina. “Online sexual predators are among the most serious threats to children and adolescents in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “Unfortunately, it is becoming almost commonplace to see adolescents targeted through applications like Snapchat and pressured into sending compromising photos and videos of themselves. We must remain vigilant in monitoring online activity and educating our children about the risks associated with social media.” This case was investigated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and DCI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Kooima was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: California Resident Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Long Beach, California, has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Derrick Polk, 62, on September 24, 2025, also ordering Polk to forfeit $399,000 in U.S. currency, a firearm, and various Rolex watches and jewelry valued at over $150,000. According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Polk conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Further, in and around April 2021, Polk possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine. Polk was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Polk. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to More Than 4 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. Jericho James Ladeaux, 32, was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Ladeaux was further ordered to forfeit the firearm and ammunition. Ladeaux was indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 17, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident on January 9, 2025, when law enforcement found Ladeaux driving what they believed to be a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and arrested Ladeaux, at which time they discovered he was carrying a loaded pistol. Ladeaux is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition due to previous felony convictions. This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Ladeaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison  for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. James Daniel Lathrop, 31, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Lathrop was indicted by a federal grand jury for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 7, 2025. The conviction stemmed from an incident on December 24, 2024, in Sioux Falls, SD, when law enforcement officers found Lathrop in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lathrop is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous felony conviction and because he is an unlawful user of controlled substances. This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Lathrop was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Women from Slayton, Minnesota, and Aberdeen, South Dakota,  Convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a woman from Slayton, Minnesota, and a woman from Aberdeen, South Dakota, both convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. Alexis Mertens, 28, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2025. Brandy Christman, 39, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. The sentencing took place on September 29, 2025. Mertens and Christman were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. Mertens pleaded guilty on June 24, 2025. Christman pleaded guilty on June 11, 2025. Christman and Mertens were involved in selling methamphetamine to others within South Dakota between 2023 and December 2024. Christman was arrested after law enforcement found her in possession of 172 grams of methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the DEA. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Mertens and Christman were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Civil Rights Division Files the First Department of Justice Affirmative Lawsuit in Support of Gun Owners

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Civil Rights Division today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department due to their pattern or practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits. This lawsuit is the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. On March 27, 2025, the Division initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation due to numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After analysis of data and documents spanning over 8,000 CCW permit applications, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants. “The Second Amendment protects the fundamental constitutional right of law-abiding citizens to bear arms,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Los Angeles County may not like that right, but the Constitution does not allow them to infringe upon it. This Department of Justice will continue to fight for the Second Amendment.” “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.” “Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.” Shortly after Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from over 8,000 applications, and that the Sheriff’s Department set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit is filed within the Federal Central District of California. This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office. If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email Community.2ndAmendmentCA@usdoj.gov . The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.


title: Federal Correctional Officer Arrested For Sexual Abuse Of A Federal Inmate And Receipt Of A Bribe By A Public Official

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Cornelius Alexander Thompson (38, Ocala) with one count of sexual abuse of a ward in federal custody and one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official. If convicted on all counts, Thompson faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Thompson that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $24,550, representing the proceeds of the bribery offense. According to the indictment, Thompson was a public official and employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman). Between January 2020 and August 9, 2023, Thompson engaged in a sexual act with a federal inmate under Thompson’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority at the prison. Furthermore, between January 2020 and April 29, 2024, Thompson received money in return for being influenced to smuggle contraband into FCC Coleman. 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 is being investigated by the United States Department of Justice – Office of the Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.


title: Nigerian National Extradited from Poland to Face Elder Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Tochuwku Albert Nnebocha, 43, of Nigeria was extradited from the Republic of Poland and faces federal charges of engaging in a transnational criminal organization that operated an inheritance fraud scheme that cheated many American seniors out of their savings. Nnebocha made his initial appearance in federal court yesterday in Miami. Nnebocha was arrested in April 2025 by authorities in Poland, based on an indictment filed in the Southern District of Florida, and has remained incarcerated since then. According to court documents, Nnebocha is charged with operating a transnational inheritance fraud scheme. Over the course of more than five years, he, along with others, allegedly sent personalized letters to elderly consumers in the U.S., falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left for the recipient by a family member who purportedly had died years before in Spain. Victims were told that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for delivery fees, taxes, and payments to avoid questioning from government authorities. Victims sent money to the defendants through a complex web of U.S.-based former victims, whom the defendants convinced to receive money and forward to the defendants or persons associated with them. According to the indictment, victims who sent money never received their purported inheritance funds. The defendant is charged with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, as well as mail fraud and wire fraud. Nnebocha made his initial court appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Enjolique Lett. If convicted, Nnebocha faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Two additional defendants have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in this case. U.S. District Judge Roy K. Altman previously sentenced both Okezie Bonaventure Ogbata, who was extradited from Portugal, and Ehis Lawrence Akhimie, who was extradited from the United Kingdom, to 97 months of incarceration for their roles in the scheme. USPIS and HSI are investigating the case. This case is one example of efforts by the Justice Department to protect American seniors from domestic and foreign based scams. These efforts include cases against those who engage in, and knowingly facilitate, romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Josh Rothman of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the Federal Bureau of Investigations Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, and Polish Authorities, all provided critical assistance. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the Department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch . Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20140. ###


title: Inmate Convicted of Possessing Shanks While in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON – Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.” The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date. The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement. The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis. ### CRM 25-1014 If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.


title: Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Convicted Gun Trafficker

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the United States filed a denaturalization action in the Middle District of Florida against Vladimir Volgaev, a native of Ukraine, who, according to the Department of Justice’s Complaint, concealed and misrepresented his involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle over a thousand firearms components out of the United States and ship them to foreign markets. Starting in 2011, and continuing for two years after his naturalization, Volgaev engaged in the clandestine purchase, packaging and smuggling of firearm components to individuals in Ukraine and Italy. Also, beginning in 2013, Volgaev underreported his assets and income on applications for federal housing benefits, resulting in his improper receipt of those benefits. A federal court convicted him for these crimes in 2020. Volgaev misrepresented and concealed his crimes throughout his application for naturalization in 2014-15. He naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Jan. 11, 2016. “This case sends a clear message,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The United States provided Volgaev with safety, housing, and citizenship, and he returned those gains with malice, including by defrauding one of the federal agencies that provided him benefits. We will not reward this kind of behavior by allowing such an individual to retain U.S. citizenship that should not have been granted in the first place.” This is the eleventh denaturalization action that the Department has filed since Jan. 20. This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Felix Romero. The litigation is being handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and reviewed by John Inkeles of the Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section, Affirmative Litigation Unit. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Trinitarios Leader Sentenced To Life In Prison For Teen Murders And Other Brutal Crimes

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that CARLOS RAMIREZ, a/k/a “Guerra,” was sentenced today to life in prison for his participation in a racketeering conspiracy and two murders committed as a member of the Sunset Trinitarios, a violent street gang. RAMIREZ was found guilty following a two-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman, who imposed today’s sentence. “As a member of the Sunset Trinitarios, Carlos Ramirez was an unapologetic killer and responsible for brutal violence that endangered the lives of far more people than the two teenagers whom he murdered in 2013 and 2014,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “After he was arrested and charged for these crimes, he was undeterred and attempted to stab to death the former leader of his own gang in a gruesome and vicious attack while incarcerated. He will never walk the streets of New York again, and this Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to bankrupt the cartels, dismantle the gangs, and remove from our streets all those who pursue death and violence as a way of life.” According to the Indictment, public court filings, and the evidence presented at trial: From 2010 to 2024, members of the Sunset Trinitarios, a violent drug trafficking organization and street gang founded in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, New York, committed a terrifying number of violent crimes, including multiple murders and attempted murders and numerous gunpoint robberies all across the metropolitan area. RAMIREZ was one of the members of the Sunset Trinitarios during this period, and he rose to multiple positions of leadership within the gang, both out on the street and when he was incarcerated in the custody of state and federal detention facilities in New York City. As a “devil soldier messenger” of the Sunset Trinitarios, which came to celebrate the murder of innocent victims and their purported delivery to the devil, RAMIREZ obtained two identical tattoos memorializing the two murders he committed on behalf of the gang. On October 23, 2013, RAMIREZ participated in the murder of Michael Beltre, who was seventeen years old. Beltre was shot multiple times on the street in the Bronx after RAMIREZ struck him and held him for another gang member to shoot. On November 2, 2014, RAMIREZ murdered Jordanny Correa, who was nineteen years old. RAMIREZ shot Correa multiple times at point-blank range inside an apartment in the Bronx. On February 28, 2023, RAMIREZ attempted to murder a former leader of the Sunset Trinitarios inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. RAMIREZ committed this attack because he believed that this former leader had previously supplied information to law enforcement. With the help of others, RAMIREZ slashed and stabbed the victim with a knife, causing severe injuries to the victim’s face and the rest of his body in multiple locations. 10 others of RAMIREZ’s co-conspirators and fellow members of the Sunset Trinitarios previously pled guilty and have received sentences that have ranged from multiple years through life in prison. * * * Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the New York City Department of Correction. This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas John Wright, Brandon D. Harper, and Timothy Ly are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Federal Detainee Sentenced for Possessing and Distributing  Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention Center

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center detainee who admitted to participating in a conspiracy with several other individuals, including a now former correctional officer, to possess and distribute contraband inside the facility was sentenced today to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Matthew Pizarro, 36, previously admitted to a federal judge that he conspired with another detainee and others outside the facility to arrange for the delivery and distribution of contraband that was delivered by now former Correctional Officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones of Smithfield. Wyatt Detention Center video surveillance records show that on February 14, 2021, Correctional Officer Almeida-Falcone visited Pizarro’s cell for less than a minute after which Pizzaro then visited the cell of another detainee, Emmanuel Nolasco, 38, where he remained for less than a minute. A strip search of Nolasco revealed a package containing suboxone strips while a search of Pizarro’s cell revealed a plastic bottle containing 4.5 grams of marijuana that was located inside Pizarro’s pillowcase. The suboxone strips were sent to a lab and confirmed to be 201 strips, 5 of which were partial strips, containing buprenorphine, which is an ingredient in Suboxone, a Schedule III controlled substance. Pizarro pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of Suboxone, and possession of contraband by an inmate. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 60 months in federal prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kaii Almeida-Falcones was sentenced on November 14, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of supervised release - the first six months to be served on home confinement. He pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to the charge of providing contraband to an inmate. Emmanuel Nolasco was sentenced on November 3, 2024, to forty-eight months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2023, to charges of possession with intent to distribute Suboxone, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession with intent to distribute Suboxone. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Ly T. Chin. The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center. ###


title: Georgia Tech Research Corporation Agrees to Pay $875,000 to Resolve Civil Cyber-Fraud Litigation

body_text: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) has agreed to pay the United States $875,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and federal common law by failing to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with certain Air Force and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contracts. GTRC contracts with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), for research performed at its affiliate, the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). “When contractors fail to follow the required cybersecurity standards in their DoD contracts, they leave sensitive government information vulnerable to malicious actors and cyber threats,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Together with DoD and other agency partners, the Department of Justice will continue to pursue and litigate violations of cybersecurity requirements to hold contractors accountable when they violate their cybersecurity commitments.” “Defense contractors’ adherence to their cybersecurity obligations is essential to safeguarding sensitive government information from malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “Contractors who fail to implement required cybersecurity controls, provide false information to the government, and otherwise fail to fulfill their cybersecurity obligations will be held accountable.”’ “Failure to follow required cybersecurity requirements puts all of us at risk,” said Stacy Bostjanick, Chief Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity, Deputy Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity, Office of the Chief Information Officer. “Those who knowingly provide deficient cybersecurity products or services, misrepresent their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or violate obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches must be held accountable. Enforcement efforts like this should serve as a reminder to industry to prioritize DoD cybersecurity compliance.” “Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat to our national security and jeopardize sensitive DoD programs that put our servicemembers at risk,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors, and those who ignore the rules will be held accountable.” “AFOSI is committed to pursuing allegations related to the security of our information systems and neutralizing threats malicious actors pose when contractors fail to meet their contractual obligations,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud Detachment 5. The settlement resolves a lawsuit against GTRC and Georgia Tech where the United States alleged that until December 2021, those entities failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers and networks at Georgia Tech’s Astrolavos Lab while the lab conducted sensitive cyber-defense research for DoD. The United States also alleged that until at least February 2020, there was no system security plan in place for the Astrolavos Lab to set out the cybersecurity controls that GTRC’s contracts required. Finally, the United States alleged that in December 2020 GTRC and Georgia Tech submitted a false summary level cybersecurity assessment score to DoD which supposedly applied campus-wide. That summary level score of 98 was allegedly false because (1) there was no campus-wide IT system at Georgia Tech and (2) the score was premised on a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment and did not apply to any actual covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that would process, store or transmit covered defense information. The United States alleged the submission of a cybersecurity assessment score was a condition of contract award for GTRC’s DoD contracts. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized. The CMMC program further bolsters the assessment requirements applicable to DoD contractors and subcontractors. The settlement announced today stems from a complaint filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity Team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private persons to bring a lawsuit on behalf of the government and to share in any recovery. The Act also permits the Government to intervene and take over the lawsuit, as it did in this case as to certain allegations. The United States intervened in the qui tam suit and filed its complaint in August 2024. The settlement in this case provides for Craig and Koza to receive $201,250 as their share of the recovery. The investigation, litigation, and resolution in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, DCIS, AFOSI, the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office Procurement Fraud Division, and DARPA. The matter was handled by Trial Attorney Joanna Persio of the Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie D. Hendry and Adam D. Nugent for the Northern District of Georgia. The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corporation et al. , No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.). The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Peruvian National Sentenced to More than Six Years in Prison in Transnational Scheme to Defraud Spanish-Speaking US Consumers

body_text: MIAMI – A Peruvian national was sentenced yesterday to 80 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $3,000,000 in restitution for his participation in transnational fraud schemes that victimized vulnerable consumers in the U.S. According to court documents, David Cornejo Fernandez, 36, of Lima, Peru, facilitated fraudulent schemes that stole millions of dollars from thousands of Spanish-speaking victims across the U.S. Cornejo provided Internet-based telephone lines, caller-ID spoofing services, and recording capabilities to a network of fraudulent call centers in Peru. Relying on Cornejo’s services, those call centers defrauded and extorted thousands of Spanish-speaking victims by falsely threatening them with court proceedings, fines, and other consequences if they did not pay for English-language products. Cornejo was extradited from Peru in November 2024 to face charges related to the scheme and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud in July. In pleading guilty, Cornejo admitted that he provided fraudulent call centers in Peru with the technology to impersonate federal agents, police officers, attorneys, court personnel, and other government officials to extort payments from victims. Cornejo provided telephone lines to his call center co-conspirators, which they used to place unsolicited, fraudulent and extortionate telephone calls to vulnerable U.S. victims. Cornejo also provided caller-ID spoofing software that allowed his co-conspirators to convincingly impersonate government officials and threaten victims with severe legal and financial consequences if they did not pay. Cornejo placed pre-recorded messages on his co-conspirators’ telephone lines that fraudulently convinced victims they had reached actual U.S. courts, police departments, and federal agencies. When victims reported that specific telephone numbers were fraudulent, Cornejo provided new telephone lines and numbers to his co-conspirators so they could continue the fraudulent scheme. Cornejo and his co-conspirators ultimately caused more than $3 million in losses to more than 8,800 victims across the U.S. With today’s sentencing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, 13 defendants have now been convicted and sentenced in connection with transnational fraud schemes that defrauded and threatened Spanish-speaking U.S. consumers, claiming they would suffer legal consequences if they did not pay for English-language learning products they never requested. Collectively, these defendants were responsible for defrauding more than 30,000 U.S. consumers. The 13 defendants include eight Peruvian call center owner-operators; four distribution center owner-operators who processed payments and distributed products in the U.S.; and now Cornejo, who facilitated the fraud schemes from Peru. Cornejo and many of these defendants shared strategies on how to impersonate the U.S. government and defraud Spanish-speaking residents of the U.S. Cornejo is the ninth defendant to be extradited from Peru and sentenced in federal court for fraud related to Peruvian call centers involved in English language learning scams. In 2021 and 2022, U.S. District Judge Robert N. Scola Jr., sentenced Henrry Milla, Carlos Espinoza, Jerson Renteria, Fernan Huerta, Omar Cuzcano, Evelyng Milla, and Josmell Espinoza to sentences ranging from 88 months to 110 months in prison. In 2024, U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams sentenced Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano to 98 months in prison. USPIS and the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Transnational Criminal Litigation Coordinator Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Carolyn Rice of the Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda for the Southern District of Florida is handling asset forfeiture. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Peruvian National Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Peruvian National Police provided critical assistance. The Justice Department continues to investigate and bring charges in other similar matters involving threats against Spanish-speaking residents of the U.S. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available. More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at its Elder Justice Initiative webpage. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 23-cr-20055. ###


title: Chinese national charged in international drug trafficking conspiracy

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Chinese national illegally residing in the U.S. was charged by criminal complaint yesterday with participating in an international drug trafficking conspiracy that used a virtual mailbox service (VMS), including one in Wasilla, Alaska, to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine from Mexico into the U.S. and then to other countries, specifically New Zealand. According to court documents, Zukai He, 42, entered the U.S. illegally in 2017 and was subject to an order of removal from September 2024. Court documents further allege that, while illegally living in the U.S., Zukai He allegedly stole personally identifiable information from a California resident to open an account at the Wasilla VMS. In January 2024, law enforcement officials obtained two parcels sent to the fraudulent VMS account that were ultimately destined for New Zealand and obtained federal search warrants to search the packages. Law enforcement officials found close to three kilograms of methamphetamine in the parcels. One parcel had drugs concealed inside a heat transfer stamping machine and the other had drugs concealed inside a 3D printer. U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska In May 2024, law enforcement officials further learned that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) seized four parcels mailed from post offices in Phoenix, Arizona, that were destined for New Zealand. Each parcel contained over one kilogram of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials identified a fifth similar parcel mailed from Arizona destined for New Zealand. CBP intercepted the parcel and discovered over one kilogram of methamphetamine. Law enforcement officials identified Zukai He as the individual allegedly mailing the parcels containing drugs. In total, law enforcement seized over 10 kilograms of methamphetamine that Zukai He allegedly tried to traffic through the mail. On Sept. 8, 2025, law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant on Zukai He’s residence in California. Federal authorities arrested Zukai He and seized 14 cell phones, two laptops, 25 point-of-sale systems, over six kilograms of a substance consistent with methamphetamine, over $13,000 in cash and various financial documents. The financial documents included information for nine suspected shell or front businesses registered in California, Colorado, Maryland and New York. The businesses were in either Zukai He’s name or under names of victims whose identities were allegedly stolen. Zukai He is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Zukai He is in federal custody and will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska, Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Seattle Division Office and Special Agent in Charge David Reames of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division made the announcement. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile and the DEA Seattle Field Division and Anchorage District Office are investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephan Collins and Alana Weber are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and drug trafficking. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 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. ###


component: Criminal Division

body_text: Today, a federal jury in Memphis convicted Mervin Anderson, 40, of Memphis, Tennessee, of one count of possession of contraband in prison, including two homemade knives, or shanks. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Anderson was observed on video surveillance inside of the Detention Center in possession of two sharpened, handmade metal knives, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The defendant confronted another inmate while swinging the shanks at him. A corrections officer immediately responded to the cell block area and found the defendant still in possession of the shanks. When the shanks were taken from the defendant, he exclaimed, “God is on my side, I was about to kill that boy.” The defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing will be set at a later date. The defendant is currently awaiting trial in a pending case where he is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The pending case is currently set for trial on Nov. 3, 2025. Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement. The U.S. Marshals Service and the Shelby County Division of Corrections are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Amanda J. Kotula and Cesar Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and their associates in Memphis.


title: Recidivist Drug and Firearm Felon Sentenced to More Than 11.5 Years in Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Cocaine Near Sharon Elementary School and Day Care Center

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Sharon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 140 months in federal prison for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking within 1,000 feet of an elementary school and next-door to a day care center, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Larry Marrow, 37, also ordering Marrow to serve six years of supervised release following his prison term. According to information presented to the Court, Marrow engaged in fentanyl and cocaine trafficking for several months in 2023, close to an elementary school and next-door to a day care center in Sharon. Marrow had four separate drug trafficking convictions and four separate gun convictions that occurred in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Ohio prior to the instant drug trafficking crime. Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Mercer County Drug Task Force, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Marrow.


title: Kansas City Woman Sentenced to 11 Years for  Covid-19 Fraud and Identity Theft

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $500,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and more than $3,000,000 in stolen Treasury checks. Briauna Adams, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to wire fraud, money laundering, and theft of government funds relating to a counterfeit check scheme and stolen United States Treasury checks. The defendant also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering relating to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the SBA under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). According to court documents, Adams rented a townhome in Raymore, Mo., using the name and personal identification information of another person. On July 27, 2024, Adams opened an individual investment account from the Raymore residence. On Aug. 15, 2024, Adams deposited a Treasury check worth $1,445,443.69 in her name to the investment account. Fraud investigators with the investment account company determined the $1,445,443.69 Treasury check was fraudulent and reversed the deposit before suffering a financial loss. On Nov. 14, 2024, a search warrant was executed on Adam’s rental townhome in Raymore. Approximately 253 stolen Treasury checks were found in the residence. The total value of the checks was approximately $700,000. Finally, Adams conspired with others to prepare and file fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. Adams filed false PPP loan applications for numerous persons resulting in a loss of approximately $540,302, which she was ordered to pay back in a restitution judgment. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.


title: Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division Files First Lawsuit in Support of Gun Owners Seeking Concealed Weapons Permits

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – In the first affirmative lawsuit in support of gun owners, the Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) alleging a pattern and practice of infringing the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking concealed carry weapons (CCW) permits. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division on March 27, 2025, initiated the first-of-its-kind Second Amendment investigation because of numerous complaints of unreasonable delays in CCW permitting decisions by LASD. After analysis of data and documents spanning more than 8,000 CCW permits, the Division today filed suit seeking relief on behalf of law-abiding applicants. “Citizens living in high-crime areas cannot afford to wait to protect themselves with firearms while Los Angeles County dithers,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The right to bear arms is among the founding principles of our nation. It can and must be upheld.” “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit seeks to stop Los Angeles County’s egregious pattern and practice of delaying law-abiding citizens from exercising their right to bear arms.” Shortly after Assistant Attorney Harmeet K. Dhillon was sworn in to lead the Civil Rights Division, numerous complaints received by the Division revealed inexplicable delays well beyond California statutory requirements and in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Almost two months after receiving notice of the Division’s investigation, LASD provided data and documents that revealed only two approvals from more than 8,000 applications, and that LASD set out interviews to approve licenses as far as two years after receiving the completed application. The lawsuit was filed in United States District Court for the Central District of California. This investigation was conducted by attorneys at the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Central District of California’s U.S. Attorney Office. If you or someone you know has applied for a concealed carry permit in Los Angeles or any jurisdiction within the United States and have not received a reply or decision within four months after applying, please email Community.2ndAmendmentCA@usdoj.gov . The mailbox is actively monitored by attorneys assigned to protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.


title: Justice Department Sues Missouri Housing Authority for Sexual Harassment of Public Housing Applicant by Former Executive Director

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Eddie Joe Hankins and the Housing Authority of the City of Bloomfield, Missouri, for sexually harassing a female housing applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act. Hankins was the executive director of the Missouri Housing Authority from 2019 through 2022. “There is no place in America for public officials who abuse their trust to coerce sexual acts from the people they are duty-bound to help, be it in public housing or other areas. We will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, alleges that in 2021, a woman living with her three children applied for public housing. After her application was denied, the complaint alleges that she went to meet with Executive Director Hankins, who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. The suit also alleges that Hankins made sexual comments about the applicant’s appearance, conditioned housing for her family upon submission to his conduct, and that he refused to assist her with obtaining housing once she resisted his sexual advances. The lawsuit also alleges that the Housing Authority is vicariously liable for Hankins’ unlawful conduct. The applicant filed a complaint against the Housing Authority and Hankins with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). After an investigation, HUD determined that the Housing Authority and Hankins discriminated against the applicant in violation of the Fair Housing Act and issued a charge of discrimination. After the applicant chose to have the matter decided in federal court, HUD referred the matter to the Department of Justice. The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to compensate the applicant harmed by the alleged harassment and a court order barring future discrimination. If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online . More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt . This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative . The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 50 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered nearly $16.2 million for victims of such harassment.