title: LeFlore County Resident Sentenced For Failure To Register As A Sex Offender

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brian Jene Sullivan, age 66, of Shady Point, Oklahoma, was sentenced to three years’ probation for one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston Police Department of Douglas County, Oregon. On January 13, 2024, Sullivan pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, Sullivan was convicted of Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree in the State of Oregon in 2007, and was required to register as a sex offender, but failed to register and update his registration between July 2023 and July 21, 2024, while entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan A. Muzljakovich and Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.


title: Durant Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearm

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Henry Tyler Allen, age 35, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm. The charge arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durant Police Department. On January 7, 2025, Allen pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 24, 2024, officers discovered Allen in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol after having been convicted of crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Allen will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Santos Reyes-Garcia, aka Edgar Benjamin Colorado Mora, aka Edgar Colorado-Moran, aka Santos Garcia Reyes, age 37, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division. The Indictment alleged that Reyes-Garcia, an alien, was found in the United States on May 5, 2025, after having been previously removed without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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 Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Reyes-Garcia will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.


title: Two More Sentenced for Roles in Methamphetamine and Fentanyl Conspiracy

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A pair of men who conspired with others to traffic methamphetamine and fentanyl into Southwest Virginia were sentenced last week to decades in federal prison. Eric Lee Coffey, 49, of Lexington, North Carolina was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison. Daniel Hafemeister, 42, of Roanoke, Virginia was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison. Coffey previously pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Hafemeister pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Coffey and Hafemeister conspired with Bradley Chester, Cody Rose, James Gamble, Thomas Houston Jr., and others, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into Southwest Virginia. Coffey was a major distributor for the conspiracy. Coffey and Hafemeister pooled thousands of dollars with other co-conspirators and made at-least eight trips in total to North Carolina to obtain “bricks” containing at least one pound of methamphetamine and anywhere from two ounces to one pound of fentanyl per trip. The drugs were then redistributed to customers in Wise County. In April, co-conspirator Gamble was sentenced to 151 months in prison for his role in the conspiracy. Bradley Chester was sentenced to 84 months and Cody Rose to 49 months for their roles in the conspiracy. Early this year, Houston was sentenced to 72 months. Acting U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Southwest Drug Task Force, Wise County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Ritchie County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Dana Johnson II, 36, of Cairo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Johnson in Parkersburg. Johnson admitted that he possessed a loaded SCCY model DVG-1 9mm pistol and a loaded Walther model P22 .22-caliber pistol that the officer found in Johnson’s waistband during the traffic stop. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on October 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on January 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on October 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Wood County Sheriff's Office. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case is also 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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-27. ###


title: Beating at Ogden Market in March 2021 Leads to Murder Conviction

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Alvin Alexis Cruz Garcia, 27, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty on June 6, 2025, by a Superior Court jury for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at the Ogden Market in Northwest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Cruz Garcia was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder while armed following a 4-day trial. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman scheduled sentencing for August 1, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 8:28 p.m. on March 23, 2021, 38-year-old Ramon Gomez Yanez, parked his car and made his usual stop at the local food market, Ogden Market, located at 1500 Ogden Street NW. When Mr. Gomez came back outside, the defendant was standing on the sidewalk and urinating much too close to the back of Mr. Gomez’s car. The Ogden Market surveillance video, with no audio available, showed some exchange of words and then showed the defendant punch Mr. Gomez down to the ground. While Mr. Gomez was down on the sidewalk, the defendant kicked and punched Mr. Gomez multiple times in the head area, and then just walked away. Mr. Gomez died at the scene from his head and neck injuries. Although there were no witnesses to the homicide and no witnesses to identify the defendant from the Ogden Market video, MPD and Metro Transit Police tracked the defendant through a series of CCTVs along the 14 th Street corridor and through the metro transit system. These efforts ultimately led MPD to a witness that could identify the defendant in a metro rail car video and to other corroborating identification evidence to build the case. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Metro Transit Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Park and Katrenia Shelly.


title: Becenti Man Charged for Fatal Vehicle Incident

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Becenti man is facing federal charges after allegedly causing a fatal crash. According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Joey Martin , 55, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed John Doe by operating a vehicle without due caution. Martin is charged with involuntary manslaughter and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Martin faces up to eight years in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today. The Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany DuChaussee and Michael Pahl are prosecuting the case. View the Indictment (Martin).pdf An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Nine Defendants Arrested for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: FARGO – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that beginning on May 15, 2025, a multi-state law enforcement operation resulted in the arrests of nine defendants following their indictment by a federal grand jury in the District of North Dakota for roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy with ties to the Almighty Latin King Nation criminal street gang. The defendants arrested are: Ricardo Jaquez, 46, Oakes, North Dakota Israel David Flores, a/k/a Izzy, 45, Audubon, Minnesota Michelle Lee Fuller, 38, Audubon, Minnesota Jose Manuel Jaquez, a/k/a Cash, 36, Oakes, North Dakota Jacob Edward Lambert, 37, Oakes, North Dakota Ashley Marie Bleecker, 40, Belcourt, North Dakota Alfredo Hernandez Jaquez, a/k/a Freddy, 47, Wells, Minnesota Wesley Wayne Tolleson, 37, Wells, Minnesota Jason Leonard Gulden, 44, Aberdeen, South Dakota All defendants have made appearances in federal court in North Dakota and face up to life in prison with a 10-year minimum mandatory if convicted. This case is part of Operation Crown Down, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation into methamphetamine trafficking in North Dakota and other states. 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. An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Division of Drug Enforcement; Homeland Security Investigations; the Oakes Police Department; the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation; the Cass County Drug Task Force; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force; the Pine to Prairie Drug Task Force; the CEE-VI Drug Task Force; the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Brown County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew P. Kopp. # # #


title: Bristol, Virginia Man Convicted on Federal Drug Charges

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Bristol, Virginia man of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine following a three-day jury trial in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. Christopher M. Sullivan, 31, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of using a communication facility in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sullivan conspired with Christopher David Johnson – an inmate in a Georgia state prison – and numerous others to traffic and distribute kilograms of methamphetamine from Georgia into Southwest Virginia. Johnson used smuggled cell phones to operate a large-scale methamphetamine-distribution operation from his prison cell in Georgia. He regularly communicated with his co-conspirators using Facebook, WhatsApp, Signal, phone calls, and text messaging to coordinate deliveries, pricing, quantities, recruitment, intimidation, and sales. Evidence showed that Sullivan regularly communicated with Johnson to accomplish the goals of the conspiracy. Sullivan also distributed methamphetamine for Johnson, wired money to Mexico at Johnson’s direction, and paid Johnson for methamphetamine. In December 2024, Johnson was sentenced for his role in the conspiracy to 20 years in federal prison – to run following his state prison time – and ten years of supervised release. Eighteen other defendants received prison sentences ranging from three to fifteen years. At sentencing, Sullivan faces a minimum prison sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years. Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee and Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the DEA Washington Division made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration and multiple law enforcement agencies in Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia investigated the case, including the Bristol (Tennessee) Police Department, the Bristol (Virginia) Police Department, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office, the 2nd Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Georgia State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Pierce and Corey Hall are prosecuting the case.


title: Major Mexican Narcotrafficker Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Prison

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Mexican national who operated as a high-level cocaine trafficker was sentenced today to 232 months in prison for directing an international drug trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents, Jorge Humberto Perez Cazares, also known as Cadete, 41, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was a leader and organizer of a transnational drug trafficking organization that was responsible for shipping multiple tons of cocaine from Central America into Mexico for further distribution into the United States, specifically Los Angeles. Perez Cazares used violence to protect his narcotics shipments and worked with a close affiliate of the co-leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. “Jorge Humberto Perez Cazares was a major Mexican narcotrafficker responsible for shipping multiple tons of cocaine from Central America into Mexico for distribution in Los Angeles,” said Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Drug traffickers like Perez Cazares use violence to profit off bringing poisonous drugs into the United States with no regard for the welfare of our citizens. Today’s sentence demonstrates that the Department of Justice will not rest in bringing drug trafficking leaders to justice.” “This sentence marks the downfall of a trafficker who fueled violence and addiction on both sides of the border,” said Assistant Director Jose A. Perez of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to target the command structure of these cartels and dismantle their operations.” “Jorge ‘Cadete’ Perez Cazares wasn't just moving multi-ton quantities of cocaine — he was fueling a criminal empire. Perez Cazares funneled substantial amounts of narcotics into the United States and profited off the pain of addiction,” said Acting Administrator Robert Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “The government proved he was no middleman — he was a leader. And now, justice is delivering a sentence worthy of the destruction he caused." In February 2014, U.S. law enforcement targeted Perez Cazares’s Los Angeles-based distribution network, raiding three stash houses and seizing $1.4 million in cash and more than 70 kilograms of cocaine. Around the same time, Perez Cazares personally negotiated a deal with a Guatemalan drug trafficker for over $23 million in cocaine. Days later, he was arrested by Guatemalan authorities while traveling in a truck with 514 kilograms of cocaine. In June 2016, he was arrested again in Mexico pursuant to a U.S. provisional arrest warrant and extradited to the United States on July 30, 2021. In April 2024, shortly before trial, Perez Cazares pleaded guilty to the sole count of conspiracy to import five kilograms or more of cocaine into the United States. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The DEA Miami Office and DEA Guatemala Country Office provided critical assistance. Perez Cazares’s capture and extradition were made possible thanks to key international coordination between the Government of Guatemala, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Trial Attorney Douglas Meisel of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhoods.


title: Maricopa Man Sentenced to 44 Years in Prison for  Second-Degree Murder of a Tohono O’Odham Police Officer

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Carlos Maximilliano Galvan, 44, of Maricopa, Arizona, was sentenced on June 4, 2025, by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 44 years in prison. Galvan previously pleaded guilty to one count of Second-Degree Murder. On August 27, 2020, Tohono O’odham Police Officer Bryan Brown responded to a 911 call from the Desert Diamond Casino in Why, Arizona, about an individual who had crashed his vehicle into a handicapped parking sign outside of the casino. The individual then reportedly assaulted two casino employees by striking the truck they were sitting in with his vehicle. When Officer Brown arrived at the scene, he got out of his police cruiser and was confronted by Galvan, who approached him aggressively while brandishing a broken bottle. As Officer Brown stepped around his vehicle to avoid Galvan, Galvan jumped into the police cruiser and drove toward Officer Brown and a United States Border Patrol Agent who had arrived at the scene to assist. The Border Patrol Agent was able to move out of the way, but Galvan struck Officer Brown with the police cruiser, killing him. While fleeing from the scene of the murder, Galvan drove the police cruiser across the center lane of the highway and intentionally hit the vehicles of two Border Patrol Agents who were on their way to the scene to assist law enforcement. “The FBI will not waiver in our commitment to ensure those who commit acts of violence against members of law enforcement will be held accountable and punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown. “Today is for Officer Bryan Brown, and his loved ones and colleagues. We hope this sentence brings a degree of comfort to Officer Brown's family and colleagues.” “The defendant attacked not just Officer Brown, but our entire system of justice,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Disrespect for law enforcement escalates, as it did here with a deadly consequence, which is why any assault on a law enforcement officer cannot be tolerated. Our great sorrow goes out to Officer Brown’s family, loved ones, and fellow officers. He demonstrated the ultimate dedication to duty, and we honor him.” The FBI Phoenix Division’s Tucson Office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances Kreamer Hope, Alicia Renee Quezada, and Rui Wang, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-20-01566-TUC-JAS RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-091_Galvan # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Ohio Company Sentenced for Violating OSHA Rule Leading to Worker’s Death

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: A Delaware corporation with a manufacturing facility in Ohio was sentenced today to pay a $500,000 fine, the statutory maximum, after pleading guilty to willfully violating an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule. In addition to the fine, Fabcon will serve two years of organizational probation and comply with a Safety Compliance Plan. The criminal charge is related to an incident where an employee was killed when a pneumatic door closed on his head. Fabcon Precast LLC makes precast concrete panels at its facility in Grove City, Ohio. Batch operators were employees responsible for operating and cleaning the facility’s only concrete mixer, which discharged concrete from its bottom through a pneumatic door. The mixer had an exhaust valve that, by design, released the pneumatic energy which powered the discharge door to make it inoperable. The valve’s handle broke off, and was not replaced, prior to June 6, 2020. On that day, batch operator Zachary Ledbetter was injured trying to close the discharge door due to the broken valve. Ledbetter was eventually freed from the door, but he died at a hospital five days later. “Today’s sentencing reflects Fabcon’s willful failure to implement measures to protect its workers,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Sadly, this led to Zachary’s death. This tragedy shows the importance of following safety standards.” “Fabcon Precast LLC willfully failed to adhere to OSHA safety regulations which resulted in the tragic and preventable loss of a worker’s life. This sentencing highlights our steadfast commitment to continue working with OSHA and our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who jeopardize workers’ safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Megan Howell of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Great Lakes Region. Federal law makes it a class B misdemeanor to willfully fail to follow an OSHA safety standard, where the failure causes the death of an employee. The class B misdemeanor is the only federal criminal charge covering such workplace safety violations. The Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Senior Trial Attorney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Cullman, of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and for the Southern District of Ohio respectively, prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Indicted For Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Fredy Herrera-Castro (44, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. If convicted, Herrera-Castro faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. According to the indictment, on May 30, 2025, Herrera-Castro was found to be voluntarily in the United States after having previously been removed from the United States on five prior occasions. Herrera-Castro had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary for the Department of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Additionally, Herrera-Castro was previously convicted of illegal reentry in 2019 and 2020. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: St. Augustine Business Owner Indicted For Attempting To Produce Child Sexual Abuse Materials

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Jack Dymond Leach (43, St. Augustine) with one count of attempted production of child sexual abuse materials, two counts of receipt of child sexual abuse materials, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse materials. If convicted of the attempted production offense, Leach faces a minimum of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison. For each receipt and possession offense, Leach faces a minimum of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. According to court documents, Leach engaged in conversations on an online chat platform during which he paid money to receive child sex abuse images. An investigation into the account resulted in Leach being identified. Federal search warrants were executed at Leach’s home and business in St. Augustine where law enforcement seized numerous electronic devices. A forensic examination of the devices reveled child sexual abuse material. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Alien from Wuhan, China, Charged with Making False Statements and Smuggling Biological Materials into the U.S. for Her Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Chengxuan HAN, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with smuggling goods into the United States and false statements, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Detroit field office. According to the complaint, Han is a citizen of the PRC who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, PRC. In 2024 and 2025, Han sent four packages to the United States from the PRC containing concealed biological material. These packages were addressed to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan. On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States. CBP officers also found that the content of Han’s electronic device had been deleted three days prior to her arrival in the United States. At the conclusion of the border inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE HSI. During this interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to round worms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection. A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment. United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security. The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.” “The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han is a direct threat to public safety and national security, and it severely compromises the integrity of our nation’s research institutions. I applaud the relentless efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, working in close coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations and ICE Homeland Security Investigations Detroit. The FBI in Michigan will aggressively pursue anyone who seeks to harm our country and will deploy every available resource to defend the United States and protect our communities.” “The guidelines for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research purposes are stringent, but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars,” said CBP Acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak. “We will not tolerate the smuggling of regulated biological materials through our ports of entry, and this interdiction is another recent example of our commitment—along with that of our law enforcement partners—to preventing potentially dangerous goods from harming the American people.” “ICE HSI is proud to work with our partners at the FBI and CBP to keep Americans and Michiganders safe from biological threats,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “This case should serve as a reminder that multiple law enforcement agencies are working around the clock to provide for our shared national security from malicious foreign actors.” The FBI, CBP and ICE HSI are investigating this case.


title: Repeat Offender Who Fired Automatic Weapon into St. Paul Neighborhood Sentenced to 82 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – After pleading guilty to illegally possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, Jermaine Marquize Williams, 35, of Saint Paul, was sentenced to a total of 82 months’ imprisonment—77 months’ imprisonment on the criminal case and an additional 6 months’ imprisonment consecutive for violating the terms of his federal supervised release, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joesph H. Thompson. “While the people of St. Paul were sleeping in their homes, Williams took an automatic firearm and shot it into the neighborhood,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “This conduct was extraordinarily dangerous, utterly brazen, and well-deserving of federal time.” According to court documents, in August of 2024, Williams fired off multiple rounds from a fully automatic firearm in a densely populated Saint Paul neighborhood, outside a bar just before midnight. Video surveillance depicted Williams firing the machine gun out the driver’s side door of his vehicle before fleeing from the scene in his vehicle. Police recovered multiple discharged casings from the shooting. Williams has a prior 2019 federal conviction for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, for which he received 65 months’ imprisonment. Williams had only been on federal supervised release for six months at the time he committed this crime. Williams was sentenced in U.S. District Court on May 28, 2025, before Judge Paul A. Magnuson. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) and the St. Paul Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.


title: Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate at West Virginia Jail

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A former corrections officer from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, was sentenced today for failing to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting an inmate, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Q.B. died as a result of the officers’ assault. Ashley Toney, 25, was sentenced to 78 months in prison. According to her plea agreement, then-Correctional Officer Toney acknowledged that she responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. Toney and other officers restrained and handcuffed Q.B. and then escorted Q.B. to an interview room, where multiple officers struck and injured Q.B. while he was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone, as punishment for attempting to leave his assigned pod. Toney admitted that she had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B. but chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so. Toney pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin on Aug. 8, 2024. “This former corrections officer violated her duty as a law enforcement officer, and the public trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I thank our Civil Rights Division prosecutors and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who saw these cases through appropriate sentencing.” “The defendant’s inaction led to the death of a 37-year-old man, and afterwards she attempted to shield herself and fellow officers from being held accountable for his death,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia. “Through her criminal conduct, the defendant violated the public’s trust in the law enforcement system she swore to uphold. I commend the Civil Rights Division for their outstanding advocacy in this case.” Six corrections officers were charged in this case. In November 2024, three of those defendants — Mark Holdren, Corey Snyder, and Johnathan Walters — each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. In August 2024, Jacob Boothe pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. Sentencing hearings for Holdren, Snyder, Walters, and Boothe are scheduled for July 9. On Jan. 27, 2025, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 210 months. Prior to their respective indictments, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Burks. On May 8, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to 108 months. Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Volk on July 14. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office investigated the case. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.


title: Two South Florida Men Charged with Mail Theft, Thanks to Public

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Two South Florida men are charged with mail theft after surveillance video released to the public resulted in their identification. According to the charging complaint and indictment, on April 26, Wilfredo Rivero, 31, was seen on surveillance forcibly opening a cluster of mailboxes at an apartment complex in Sunrise, Florida. Once the mailboxes were opened, Rivero examined and removed pieces of mail. Two days later, on April 28, Rivero returned to the apartment complex with Fernando Bernabe Rodriguez, 28. Rivero and Rodriguez were seen on surveillance prying open another cluster of mailboxes and removing mail. On May 9, CBS News Miami ran a news story about the mail theft at the apartment complex and aired the April 28 surveillance video to assist the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) in identifying, then unknown, Rivero and Rodriguez. As a result of the news story, the USPIS national hotline received several tips regarding the identity of Rivero and Rodriguez. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne of the Southern District of Florida and acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the USPIS made the announcement. USPIS investigated the case, with substantial assistance from the public. The Sunrise Police Department and Hialeah Police Department provided support as well. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Killoran is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls . 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 25-cr-60134. ###


title: New Britain Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSHUA GLAESER, 37, of New Britain, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 120 months of imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing and sharing child sex abuse material. According to court documents and statements made in court, in the summer of 2022, a Connecticut State Police detective investigating child exploitation offenses identified an IP address at Glaeser’s New Britain residence that was being used in the distribution of child sex abuse material. In 2012, Glaeser was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment, execution suspended after two years, followed by 10 years of probation, which Glaeser was currently serving. On December 9, 2022, HSI special agents executed a court authorized search warrant at Glaeser’s residence and seized his Chromebook, tablet, smartphone, and storage cards. Analysis of the seized items revealed more 3,000 images and videos of child pornography, including images depicting the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. The investigation also revealed that Glaeser used a peer-to-peer file sharing network to distribute child pornography to other users. Glaeser has been detained since December 9, 2022. On September 26, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: District Man Pleads Guilty to February 2025 Armed Carjacking

body_text: WASHINGTON – Parren Hawkins, 33, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a carjacking that occurred on February 2, 2025. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 2:47 a.m. on February 2, 2025, police officers responded to the 300 block of 15th Street, NE, where they found the victim. The victim reported that Hawkins approached him while he was in his vehicle, pointed a handgun at him, and ordered him out. The victim complied. Hawkins then demanded money, taking the victim’s wallet and cell phone before entering the victim’s vehicle and fleeing northbound on the 400 block of 15th Street, NE. The victim flagged down a passerby and called 911. While police were interviewing the victim, Prince George’s County Police observed the stolen vehicle in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Officers pursued the vehicle until Hawkins ultimately crashed into a curb at the intersection of Bonini Road, SE, and Barnaby Road, SE, in Washington, D.C. Hawkins, the sole occupant, fled on foot but was quickly apprehended by police. Officers recovered a handgun from Hawkins’s pocket, along with the victim’s wallet and phone. Hawkins is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025, before the Honorable Judge Robert Salerno. The Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaniqua Butler is prosecuting the case.


title: Former Orange County Supervisor Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Bribery Scheme Involving More Than $10 Million in COVID Funds

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A former politician who served on the Orange County Board of Supervisors was sentenced today to 60 months in federal prison for accepting more than $550,000 in bribes for directing and voting in favor of more than $10 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to a charity affiliated with one of his daughters. Andrew Hoang Do, 62, of Santa Ana, was sentenced by United States District Judge James V. Selna, who scheduled a restitution hearing for August 11. Do pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds. “Elected officials have a sworn duty to put their constituents’ interests ahead of their own,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Public money intended to assist aging and ailing pandemic victims instead filled the coffers of Do, his family, and insiders. I commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners for their work on this important case and for helping to remove a corrupt politician from his seat of power.” “As a county supervisor, Andrew Do transformed the County of Orange into an ATM available to his insiders, his loved ones, and himself, withdrawing millions of dollars to buy houses, lavish dinners, and expensive wine while the elderly, the sick, and the vulnerable who depended on Andrew Do were left to fend for themselves,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “We, along with our federal partners, are continuing to peel back the layers of conspiracy to hold every thief accountable and return those stolen monies to the communities to which they belonged.” “Mr. Do abused his powerful position as a county supervisor to profit personally at the expense of individuals in need, as well as the residents of Orange County, who deserve honest leadership,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will continue to pursue corrupt public officials whose actions erode trust in government.” From February 2015 until his resignation in October 2024, Do was one of five supervisors on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which is responsible for the county’s $9 billion annual budget. As supervisor for the First District, Do represented the cities of Cypress, Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Westminster. Beginning in 2020, in exchange for more than $550,000 in bribes, Do voted in favor of and directed millions of dollars in COVID-related funds to the Viet America Society (VAS), a charity affiliated with his daughter. Do directed and worked together with other county employees to approve contracts with – and payments to – VAS. Do further admitted he acted corruptly and abused his position of trust as a county supervisor. Shortly after receiving the COVID-related public funds from the county government – funds that were intended to provide meals to the elderly and disabled – VAS from April 2021 to February 2024 paid a business identified in court documents as “Company #1” $100,000 or more per month, which totaled approximately $3,804,000. In September 2021, VAS increased its payments to Company #1 from $100,000 to $108,000 per month. Company #1 then began paying Rhiannon Do – Do’s daughter – $8,000 per month, totaling by February 2024 approximately $224,000. In addition to the $8,000 monthly payments that Company #1 had made to Do’s daughter, in July 2023, Company #1 also transferred a total of $381,500 from the funds it had received from VAS to an escrow company. In July 2023, Do’s daughter used the escrow account funds to purchase a home, in her name, in Tustin for $1,035,000. As part of that transaction, a mortgage for more than $600,000 was obtained by a loan application that contained false information and with fabricated documents. Do’s daughter has admitted in court documents that her conduct was criminal and violated federal and state law. The $381,500 from Company #1 that his daughter used to purchase the Tustin house in 2023 was a disguised bribe to Do. An additional $100,000 in payments sent to his other daughter, including three $25,000 checks from Company #2 – an air conditioning company that had been paid by VAS – also were bribes to Do. Some of the bribe funds that had been funneled to his daughters were spent for his direct benefit. For example, during 2022, a total of $14,849 of funds that had been funneled to Do’s daughters was used to make property tax payments for properties in Orange County owned by Do and his wife. Approximately $15,000 was used to pay for one of Do’s credit card bills. Do knew that VAS was not providing all the meals for which the county had paid VAS. Instead, much of the funds were used for the benefit of insiders, including to buy real estate in the name of both Do’s daughter and Company #1, bribe payments to both of Do’s daughters, payments to other conspirators, payments to other companies affiliated with VAS’s listed officers, and through hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals. Do forfeited assets connected to the bribery scheme, including the Tustin property his daughter purchased in 2023. As part of his daughter’s related diversion agreement, she forfeited the Tustin property. The plea agreement requires Do to pay full restitution, including the bribe money he and his daughters received. In August 2024, the government seized more than $2.4 million from VAS’s and Company #1’s bank accounts. Do resigned from the Orange County Board of Supervisors as part of a related agreement with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA). He also agreed to forfeit any pension credit for the time where he participated in the bribery conspiracy. The FBI; the Orange County District Attorney’s Office Bureau of Investigation; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Office of the Inspector General; IRS Criminal Investigation; and the United States Department of Education Office of the Inspector General investigated this matter. This matter is being jointly prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office and OCDA. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorneys Nandor F.R. Kiss, Rosalind Wang, and Tara Vavere of the United States Attorney’s Office and Senior Deputy District Attorney Avery T. Harrison and Deputy District Attorney Anthony J. Schlehner of the OCDA. Any member of the public who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter in Orange County is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s email tip line at https://tips.fbi.gov and/or to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office at (310) 477-6565.


title: FORMER BATON ROUGE CITY PARISH CONTRACTOR SENTENCED TO 86 MONTHS FOR DISTRIBUTION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Blake Joseph Steiner, age 37, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 86 months in federal prison following his conviction for distribution of child pornography. The Court further sentenced Steiner to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release. According to admissions made during his plea, Steiner initiated a conversation on a mobile application group chat with an undercover agent (“UCA”). Steiner hoped to gain access to a group that was dedicated to sharing and trading child pornography. To gain access, Steiner first sent the UCA a video of himself and the date to verify his identity. In another effort to gain access to what he thought was an online child pornography group, Steiner sent a video of a girl under 12 years old being raped by an adult male. Steiner further admitted to the UCA that he managed another child pornography group online and that he engaged in hands-on conduct involving a minor. This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Deputy Criminal Chief. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Sues Coffee House for Refusal to Serve Jewish Customers

body_text: Note: View complaint here. The Justice Department announced today that it filed a lawsuit against Fathi Abdulrahim Harara and Native Grounds LLC, the owners of the Jerusalem Coffee House in Oakland, California. The lawsuit alleges that the defendants discriminated against Jewish customers, in violation of Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin in places of public accommodation. “It is illegal, intolerable, and reprehensible for any American business open to the public to refuse to serve Jewish customers,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Through our vigorous enforcement of Title II of the Civil Rights Act and other laws prohibiting race and religious discrimination, the Justice Department is committed to combatting anti-Semitism and discrimination and protecting the civil rights of all Americans.” The lawsuit, filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that defendants discriminated against Jewish customers through policies and practices that denied them the full and equal enjoyment of the Jerusalem Coffee House’s services, accommodations, and privileges. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that on two separate occasions, Harara ordered Jewish customers — identified because they were wearing baseball caps with Stars of David on them — to leave the coffee house. During one incident, an employee told a Jewish customer who was trying to make a purchase, “You’re the guy with the hat. You’re the Jew. You’re the Zionist. We don’t want you in our coffee shop. Get out.” During another incident, Harara accused another Jewish customer who was with his five-year-old son of wearing a “Jewish star,” being a “Zionist,” and supporting “genocide.” Harara repeatedly demanded that the customer and his son leave and falsely accused them of “trespassing” to the Oakland police. Neither customer stated anything about their political views to Harara or any other employees while at the coffee house. The lawsuit also alleges that, on the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel, the Jerusalem Coffee House announced two new drinks: “Iced In Tea Fada,” an apparent reference to “intifada,” and “Sweet Sinwar,” an apparent reference to Yahya Sinwar, the former leader of Hamas who orchestrated the attacks on Israel. The lawsuit further alleges that the coffee house’s exterior side wall displays inverted red triangles, a symbol of violence against Jews that has been spraypainted on Jewish homes and synagogues in anti-Semitic attacks. Under Title II, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division can obtain injunctive relief that changes policies and practices to remedy the discriminatory conduct. Title II does not authorize the division to obtain monetary damages for customers who are victims of discrimination. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at http://www.justice.gov/crt . Individuals may report discrimination in places of public accommodation that violates Title II by calling the Justice Department at 1-833-591-0291, or submitting a report online .


title: Canadian Father and Son Plead Guilty to Illegal Entry

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 6, 2025, Van Hoa Phung, 49, and Reason Phung, 18, both citizens of Canada, pleaded guilty to criminal complaints charging them, respectively, with illegally entering the United States at a time or place other than designated for entering the country by immigration authorities, and illegally entering the United States by making willfully false statements. According to court records, on June 5, 2025, at approximately 2:35 p.m., the United States Border Patrol observed a man walking south and crossing the United States-Canada international border near the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. The Haskell Free Library and its vicinity do not constitute a time or place as designated by immigration officers to lawfully enter the United States. After entering the U.S., the man, who was wearing a red shirt with shorts, entered the passenger side of a Red Tesla motor vehicle. Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle in a parking lot in Derby, Vermont and identified the driver as Reason Phung, and the passenger as Van Hoa Phung, Reason Phung’s father. Van Hoa Phung was wearing a red shirt with shorts consistent with the description of the individual who illegally crossed the border. During the vehicle stop, Border Patrol determined that the Red Tesla previously crossed through a legal port of entry in Derby, Vermont. At the time the vehicle entered, Reason Phung was the only occupant. Reason Phung admitted that he travelled to the border where he dropped off his father, Van Hoa Phung, at the Haskell Free Library in Derby Line, Vermont. Thereafter, Reason Phung entered through the port of entry, and then picked his father up in the U.S. after Van Hoa Phung illegally crossed the border in the vicinity of the library. Reason Phung intended to transport his father to an airport and then return to Canada. When he entered through the Port of Entry earlier, Reason Phung stated his purpose in entering the United States was to visit his grandparents. Because his real purpose was to pick up and transport his father and then return to Canada, that statement was false. Van Hoa Phung and Reason Phung had their initial court appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle on June 6, 2025, where they each pleaded guilty, and both received time-served sentences. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol and United States Customs and Border Protection. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Stendig. Van Hoa Phung is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels. Reason Phung is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Third Grade Teacher Charged With Additional Child Exploitation Offenses

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of a superseding indictment charging Lee Hughes (45, Pinellas Park) with attempted transmission of harmful material to a minor, attempted enticement or coercion of a minor, and receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted on all counts, Hughes faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. According to the indictment and court documents, Hughes communicated with an undercover officer in an attempt to engage in sexual intercourse with the undercover officer’s purported nine-year-old daughter. Throughout their communications, Hughes sent the undercover officer approximately 10 explicit photos and/or videos of himself, with the request they be shown to the purported child. On May 1, 2025, Hughes traveled to an agreed-upon location to engage in sexual intercourse with the purported nine-year-old girl and was arrested. Law enforcement searched Hughes’s cellphone and discovered he had received and possessed child sexual abuse material. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Wilson Gang Member Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Wilson man was sentenced Friday to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony. Joshua Elijah Strickland, 22, pled guilty to the charge on March 11, 2025. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Strickland was arrested last July when the Wilson Police Department searched a house where Strickland and other gang members stored guns and drugs. That search came on the heels of a June 26, 2024, incident in which multiple men were spotted retreating to the gang house after firing 11 rounds into another occupied house just a few blocks away. The June 26 shooting was part of a spike in gang violence last summer, when Wilson saw at least 12 gang-related shootings occur in less than one month. Strickland has several prior felony convictions, including possession of a stolen firearm and maintaining a place for the use, storage, or sale of a controlled substance. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Raleigh-Durham Safe Streets Task Force and the Wilson Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Phil Aubart and Chris Cogburn prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-CR-305. ###


title: Five Plead Guilty In Kissimmee Cocaine Conspiracy

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Luis Ruben Martinez Calderon (26, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Martinez Calderon is the final defendant to plead guilty in this case. Name Date of Plea Charges Maximum Penalties Luis Ruben Martinez Calderon (26, Kissimmee) June 5, 2025 Drug conspiracy Minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison Quamain Alique Barber (34, Kissimmee) April 30, 2025 Drug conspiracy Possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking Minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison Minimum 5 years, up to life in federal prison to run consecutive Bernardo Antonio Brea (31, Kissimmee) April 22, 2025 Drug conspiracy Possession of firearm by convicted felon 20 years in federal prison 15 years in federal prison Aisha Nicolle Sanchez (25, Kissimmee) May 20, 2025 Drug conspiracy Minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison Evelyn Calderon (57, Kissimmee) May 13, 2025 Drug conspiracy Minimum 5 years, up to 40 years in federal prison According to the plea agreements filed in the case, Martinez Calderon regularly supplied retail dealers such as Barber from his apartment in Kissimmee, where he lived with his girlfriend, Sanchez. In January 2025, Barber sold cocaine to an undercover officer, and immediately drove to Martinez Calderon to be resupplied. 6:25cr47, USA v. Martinez Calderon et al The investigation also revealed that Martinez Calderon supplied Barber with cocaine that Martinez Calderon stored with his mother, Evelyn Calderon, who resupplied him when needed. Sanchez helped to recover a suitcase with at least two kilograms of cocaine from the mother’s home for Martinez Calderon to distribute. In late January 2025, Martinez Calderon worked with Brea to obtain cocaine for Barber to distribute. On February 6, 2025, when a series of arrest warrants were executed, Brea and Barber were found to be in possession of firearms. Brea was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of felonies, including possessing a firearm as a convicted felon to which he pleaded guilty one week before he was found in possession of a firearm by federal agents. Barber’s firearm was recovered along with bags of cocaine prepared for distribution. 6:25cr47, USA v. Martinez Calderon et al This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Kissimmee Police Department, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Founder of Cryptocurrency Payment Company Charged with Evading Sanctions and Export Controls, Defrauding Financial Institutions, and Violating the Bank Secrecy Act

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: A 22-count indictment was unsealed today charging Iurii Gugnin, also known as Iurii Mashukov and George Goognin, 38, a resident of New York and citizen of Russia, with various offenses related to using his cryptocurrency company Evita to funnel more than $500 million of overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges while hiding the source and purpose of the transactions. According to court documents, Gugnin is charged with wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, failing to implement an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, failing to file suspicious activity reports, money laundering, and related conspiracy charges. Gugnin was arrested and arraigned today in New York. “The defendant is charged with turning a cryptocurrency company into a covert pipeline for dirty money, moving over half a billion dollars through the U.S. financial system to aid sanctioned Russian banks and help Russian end-users acquire sensitive U.S. technology,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to bring to justice those who imperil our national security by enabling our foreign adversaries to sidestep sanctions and export controls.” “As alleged, Gugnin came to the United States and set up a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency start-up, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and defraud U.S. financial institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s arrest demonstrates that this Office will vigorously prosecute those who abuse the U.S. financial system in furtherance of criminal activity, particularly when it undermines national security.” “Gugnin’s cryptocurrency company allegedly served as a front to launder hundreds of millions of dollars for sanctioned Russian entities and to obtain export-controlled technology for the Russian government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “Let this serve notice that using cryptocurrency to hide illegal conduct will not prevent the FBI and our partners from holding you accountable.” As alleged in the indictment, Gugnin is the founder, President, Treasurer, and Compliance Officer of U.S-based Evita Investments Inc. (Evita Investments) and Evita Pay Inc. (Evita Pay) (collectively, Evita). Gugnin used both companies to enable foreign customers — many of whom held funds at sanctioned Russian banks — to provide him with cryptocurrency, which he then laundered through cryptocurrency wallets and U.S. bank accounts. Gugnin ultimately converted the funds into U.S. dollars or other fiat currencies and then made payments through bank accounts in Manhattan on behalf of his foreign customers. In the process, the sources of the funds were obscured, disguising the audit trail and hiding the true counterparties to the transactions. Between June 2023 and January 2025, Gugnin used Evita to facilitate the movement of approximately $530 million through the U.S. financial system, most of which he received in the form of a cryptocurrency stablecoin known as Tether, or “USDT.” To effectuate the scheme, Gugnin defrauded various banks and cryptocurrency exchanges through which he converted funds and made wire transfers. Gugnin repeatedly lied to these banks and exchanges, telling them that Evita did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities. In fact, many of Gugnin’s customers were located in Russia, and he facilitated payments in funds held at sanctioned Russian banks, including PJSC Sberbank, PJSC Sovcombank, PJSC VTB Bank, and JSC Tinkoff Bank. Gugnin maintained personal accounts at two sanctioned Russian banks, JSC Alfa-Bank and PJSC Sberbank, with which he transacted while residing in the United States. Gugnin also facilitated payments by foreign customers to procure sensitive electronics, including an export-controlled server designed by a U.S. technology company, and laundered funds from a Moscow-based supplier to purchase parts for Rosatom, Russia’s state-owned nuclear technology company. To conceal his activities, Gugnin regularly obfuscated invoices by digitally “whiting out” the names and addresses of his Russian customers. Gugnin also failed to implement Evita’s own purported anti-money laundering program and failed to file suspicious activity reports, as required under the Bank Secrecy Act. Although Gugnin represented to banks and cryptocurrency exchanges that Evita followed rigorous anti-money laundering and know-your-customer requirements, in practice he flouted those requirements, as well as the requirement to file reports of suspicious activities with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). Gugnin ultimately registered Evita Pay as a money transmitter with FinCEN and the state of Florida but did so by making materially false statements to the state of Florida about Evita Pay’s business. Gugnin used that fraudulently obtained state license to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf. In the course of his scheme, Gugnin conducted web searches that confirmed his awareness that he was breaking the law, including searches for “how to know if there is an investigation against you”; “evita investments inc. criminal records search”; “Iurii Gugnin criminal records”; “money laundering penalties US”; and “penalties for sanctions violations EU luxury goods.” He also visited website pages titled, respectively “am I being investigated?”; “signs you may be under criminal investigation”; and “what are the best ways to find out if you’re being investigated and what can someone do when they think they might be under investigation.” If convicted, Gugnin faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for each count of bank fraud; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each of the wire fraud, IEEPA, money laundering, and related conspiracy counts; a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for failure to implement an effective anti-money laundering program and failure to file suspicious activity reports; and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Skurnik for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Dallas Kaplan of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York’s Asset Recovery Section is handling forfeiture matters. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Five Men Plead Guilty for Their Roles in Global Digital Asset Investment Scam Conspiracy Resulting in Theft of More than $36.9 Million from Victims

body_text: Five men have pleaded guilty for their roles in laundering more than $36.9 million from victims of an international digital asset investment scam conspiracy that was carried out from scam centers in Cambodia. According to court documents, Joseph Wong, 33, of Alhambra, California; Yicheng Zhang, 39, of China; Jose Somarriba, 55, of Los Angeles; Shengsheng He, 39, of La Puente, California; and Jingliang Su, 44, of China and Turkey, were part of an international criminal network that induced U.S. victims, believing they were investing in digital assets, to transfer funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators and that laundered victim money through U.S. shell companies, international bank accounts, and digital asset wallets. As part of the conspiracy, co-conspirators residing overseas would contact U.S. victims directly through unsolicited social media interactions, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services and gain the victims’ trust. The co-conspirators then promoted fraudulent digital asset investments to the victims. Scammers would tell victims that their investments were appreciating in value when, in fact, those funds were stolen and not invested at all. Instead, more than $36.9 million in victim funds were transferred from U.S. bank accounts controlled by the co-conspirators to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, opened in the name of Axis Digital Limited. Somarriba, He, and Su directed Deltec Bank to convert victim funds to the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and to transfer the converted funds to a digital asset wallet controlled by individuals in Cambodia. From there, co-conspirators in Cambodia transferred the USDT to the leaders of scam centers throughout the region including in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Somarriba and He founded Axis Digital and opened the Deltec Bank account. Su joined Axis Digital as a director and participated in the digital asset conversions and transfers of victim funds. Wong managed a network of money launderers in Los Angeles who registered shell companies, opened U.S. bank accounts, and wired victim funds to international bank accounts. Zhang opened and operated two U.S. bank accounts used to launder victim proceeds. Zhang and Wong pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Zhang has been in custody since May 2024. He, Somarriba, and Su pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money services business. He, Somarriba, and Su each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Su has been in custody since November 2024. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty so far, including Daren Li , a national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis and former resident of Cambodia and the United Arab Emirates who has been in U.S. custody since April 2024, and Lu Zhang, a Chinese national illegally in the United States who managed a network of U.S.-based money launderers, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on Nov. 12, 2024 and May 13, 2024, respectively. Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, and Special Agent in Charge William Mancino of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement. USSS’s Global Investigative Operations Center is investigating the case. The Homeland Security Investigations’ El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force, Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Dominican National Police, and U.S. Marshals Service provided valuable assistance. Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Tamara Livshiz of the Justice Department's Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maxwell Coll, Nisha Chandran, and Alexander Gorin for the Central District of California are prosecuting these cases. If you or someone you know is a victim of a digital asset investment fraud, report it to IC3.gov .


title: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea

body_text: An illegal alien from China pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for illegally exporting firearms, ammunition and other military items to North Korea by concealing them inside shipping containers that departed from the Port of Long Beach, California, and for committing this crime at the direction of North Korean government officials, who wired him approximately $2 million for his efforts. Shenghua Wen, 42, of Ontario, California, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Wen has been in federal custody since his arrest in December 2024. According to his plea agreement, Wen is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China who entered the United States in 2012 on a student visa and remained in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired in December 2013. Prior to entering the United States, Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at a North Korean embassy in China. These government officials directed Wen to procure goods on behalf of North Korea. In 2022, two North Korean government officials contacted Wen through an online messaging platform and instructed him to buy and smuggle firearms and other goods – including sensitive technology – from the United States to North Korea via China. In 2023, at the direction of North Korean government officials, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms out of the Port of Long Beach to China en route to their ultimate destination in North Korea. Wen took steps to conceal that he was illegally shipping firearms to North Korea by, among other things, filing false export information regarding the contents of the containers. In May 2023, Wen purchased a firearms business in Houston, paid for with money sent through intermediaries by one of Wen’s North Korean contacts. Wen purchased many of the firearms he sent to North Korea in Texas and drove the firearms from Texas to California, where he arranged for them to be shipped. In December 2023, one of Wen’s weapons shipments – which falsely reported to U.S. officials that it contained a refrigerator – left the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong in January 2024. This weapons shipment was later transported from Hong Kong to Nampo, North Korea. In September 2024, Wen – once again acting at the direction of North Korean officials – bought approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition that he intended to ship to North Korea. In furtherance of the conspiracy and at the direction of North Korean officials, Wen also obtained sensitive technology that he intended to send to North Korea. This technology included a chemical threat identification device and a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions. Wen also acquired or offered to acquire a civilian airplane engine and a thermal imaging system that could be mounted on a drone, helicopter, or other aircraft, and could be used for reconnaissance and target identification. During the scheme, North Korean officials wired approximately $2 million to Wen to procure firearms and other goods for their government. Wen admitted that at all relevant times he knew that it was illegal to ship firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea. He also admitted to never having the required licenses to export ammunition, firearms, and the above-described devices to North Korea. He further admitted to acting at the direction of North Korean government officials and that he had not provided notification to the Attorney General of the United States that he was acting in the United States at the direction and control of North Korea as required by law. Wen faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the count of violating the IEEPA and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 18. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli for the Central District of California, Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI Counterintelligence Division, and Kelly P. Mayo, Deputy Inspector General for Investigations and Director of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) made the announcement. The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DCIS, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Gerdes for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced to 112 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Redby man with an extensive criminal record, including two prior federal convictions, was sentenced to 112 months’ imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “The pipeline of deadly drugs to Red Lake and Indian Country must end,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson. “Redby trafficked in poison, profiting from the addiction and misery of some of our most vulnerable. He will rightly spend nearly a decade in federal prison.” “Fentanyl kills silently, claiming the lives of unsuspecting victims struggling with substance abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “By introducing fentanyl and methamphetamine into the Red Lake community, Donnell preyed on the vulnerable to enrich himself. This sentence demonstrates that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who use drugs to exploit and attack communities.” According to court documents, in September 2024, Bobby Lee Donnell bought approximately 454 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from the Minneapolis area. Donnell then drove back toward the Red Lake Nation, where he intended to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl. Fortunately, a Minnesota State Trooper stopped Donnell’s vehicle in Morrison County for a traffic infraction, developed probable cause to search the vehicle, and discovered the methamphetamine, fentanyl, and a digital scale. According to court documents, Donnell is a repeat offender with a long history of convictions in tribal, state, and federal court. At the time of this offense, Donnell was on supervised release for 2022 federal convictions of possessing obscene material with the intent to sell. Donnell was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge Eric C. Tostrud to 112 months imprisonment and 5 years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute. This sentence includes a 12-month concurrent sentence for violating his federal supervised release. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Campbell Warner prosecuted the case.


title: Brooklyn Man Convicted of Committing Murder in the Course of Sex Trafficking at “Penn Track” in East New York, Brooklyn

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Omari Scott, also known as “Prince” and “Sir Prince,” was convicted by a federal jury today of murder in the course of sex trafficking and the sex trafficking of Jane Doe 2. Prior to trial, on May 16, 2025, the defendant pleaded guilty to two counts of the indictment, charging him with promoting prostitution and sex trafficking of Jane Doe 1. The charges relate to Scott’s trafficking of women at an open-air sex market along a stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn known as the “Penn Track.” As proven at trial, Scott orchestrated and participated in the May 1, 2023 murder of rival pimp, Cleveland Clay, after a dispute over the control of a trafficking victim. The verdict followed a two-week trial before United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto. Scott is the first defendant convicted of murder in the course of sex trafficking after a trial. When sentenced, Scott faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison and up to life in prison. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the verdict. “As proven at trial, the defendant is a murderer, sex trafficker, and abuser of women with no regard whatsoever for human life, who now faces punishment for his vicious crimes,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The Penn Track has been a blight for too long and my Office and our law enforcement partners are working diligently to prosecute violent sex traffickers who promote prostitution by exploiting vulnerable victims and endangering the entire community.” “Not only did Omari Scott force women to perform sexual acts, but he murdered those who threatened to steal his twisted source of revenue,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “Scott’s callous actions reflect an apathetic sentiment of human life, treating his victims as property and using them to profit. May today’s conviction reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to dismantling sex trafficking networks which target vulnerable victims and incite violence in our city streets.” “Omari Scott didn’t just profit from trafficking women along the Penn Track — he enforced that control through violence, including orchestrating the murder of a rival trafficker,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Today’s conviction holds him accountable for his brutal crimes and makes clear that this kind of violent behavior has no place on our streets. I am grateful to the NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the prosecutors in this case for bringing him to justice and for their commitment to protecting the survivors of these horrific crimes.” As proven at trial, in April 2023, Scott learned that Jane Doe 2 was planning to leave his employ to work for Clay, who was also trafficking women on the Penn Track. Scott was captured on a recorded call bemoaning his loss, telling an associate, “I don’t got no hoes right now.” Scott further explained that Jane Doe 2 “chose on me,” a reference to leaving one pimp for another. On April 30, 2023, Scott found Jane Doe 2 on the Penn Track, grabbed her by the hair, dragged her in the street and threw her into his car. The next morning, Scott was captured on surveillance video engaged in a heated argument with Clay along the Penn Track. Scott recruited another sex trafficker, Michael Simmons, to murder Clay, which Simmons carried out by shooting Clay multiple times at point blank range in a White Castle parking lot on the Penn Track. Simmons then returned to Scott, who had been waiting for him in a nearby laundromat parking lot, to report that the job was done. Clay succumbed to his wounds several hours later. Simmons pleaded guilty in January 2025 to murder in the course of sex trafficking and sex trafficking of Jane Doe 2 and is awaiting sentencing. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Erin Reid, Anna Karamigios, and Miranda Gonzalez are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Eleanor Jaffe‑Pachuilo, and additional assistance from Victim Witness Coordinator Huda Abouchaer, Victim Witness Specialist Kristina Marius, and Paralegal Specialist Paul Padilla. The Defendant : OMARI SCOTT (also known as “Prince” and “Sir Prince”) Age: 44 Brooklyn, New York Defendant Who Previously Pleaded Guilty: MICHAEL SIMMONS (also known as “Victory”) Age: 41 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-158 (KAM)


title: South Florida Man Charged with Laundering $200,000 in Proceeds from Business Email Compromise Scheme

body_text: MIAMI – On June 6, Robert Arturo De Los Angeles Mejia, 24, appeared in federal court today to face charges for his part in a wire fraud and money laundering scheme operating out of South Florida. According to the information, Mejia and his co-conspirators defrauded a foreign buyer by deploying a business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Mejia and his co-conspirators intercepted email communications between the foreign buyer and a manufacturer engaged in a business transaction. The intercepted email impersonated the manufacturer’s legitimate email account and deceived the foreign buyer into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts. Mejia laundered roughly $200,000 in fraud proceeds from the BEC scheme. To conceal the source and ownership of the funds, Mejia used a shell company and opened corporate bank accounts in the name of that company. Once the funds were deposited, Mejia quickly withdrew large sums of cash from multiple accounts and branches, often on the same day, to avoid detection and hinder recovery efforts. The business transaction was backed by the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM Bank), which is the official export credit agency of the United States. Its mission is to support American jobs by facilitating the export of goods and services from the United States. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Inspector General Parisa Salehi of the EXIM Bank, Office of Inspector General (OIG) Miami; and José R. Figueroa, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement. The case was investigated by EXIM Bank-OIG Miami and HSI Miami. Assistant U.S. Attorney Altanese Phenelus is prosecuting the case and Marx Calderon is handling asset forfeiture. An information is merely an accusation. 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 25-cr-20198. ###


title: California Resident Sentenced for Threatening to Kill Postal Employees

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Thomas, USVI – Acting U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Simon Peters, 42, of California, was sentenced on Friday, June 6, 2025, by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Robert A. Molloy to 8 months’ imprisonment, followed by 30 months of supervised release, for threatening to kill employees of the United States Postal Service (USPS). Peters pleaded guilty to one count of making threats against public officials on February 18, 2025. “Threatening postal employees and other public officials will not be tolerated,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sleeper. “Postal workers work tirelessly to serve our community and carry out their duties. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who threaten violence against our dedicated public servants.” “The US Postal Inspection Service takes threats of violence to postal employees very seriously.” said Acting Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the USPIS Miami Division. “I’d like to thank the FBI, DEA, HSI, USMS, CBP and VIPD who provided assistance and resources to aid us during this investigation.” According to court records, Peters called the Ottley Post Office on St. Thomas on January 27, 2024, and threatened to kill the carrier that services the Kirwan Terrace Housing Community for not delivering his packages, which contained marijuana. The threats included: “Make sure the fat boy know, we’re watching him and next time we’re going to kill him behind the building”; “We are definitely going to make a frigging example out here”; and “Any more packages from California go missing, you will see what happen to the co-workers dem … one by one.” On January 29, 2024, Peters again called the Ottley Post Office and continued his threats. Peters stated he wanted to speak to the delivery driver for Kirwan Terrace. When asked why he wanted to speak with the driver, Peters stated, “To let the people know what’s going on in the Virgin Islands. We got people driving around looking for him, and you gon hear him get gun shots in his [expletive] ass.” He also stated, “I’ve been doing this for over 10 years now. I’m in California dealing with the Virgin Islands.” As a result of the threats, the USPS management did not send any letter carriers to the Kirwan Terrace Housing Community for two days to ensure their safety. This temporarily disrupted mail delivery to that community. The USPS also brought in agents from other jurisdictions to escort letter carriers to 2 deliver the mail. Additionally, the USPS employed a private security company to provide additional security at the post offices. The USPS tracked the phone calls to California where Peters was located. Peters was arrested and brought to the Virgin Islands for prosecution. The investigation was conducted by the US Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from FBI, DEA, HSI, USMS, CBP and VIPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Natasha L. Baker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands.