title: Minneapolis Man Sentenced to 8.5 Years for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A federal district court yesterday sentenced Abdisatar Ahmed Hassan, 23, of Minneapolis, MN, to 102 months’ (or 8.5 years’) imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for his attempts to Provide Material Support and Resources to a Designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, namely the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, known as “ISIS,” announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. ISIS has been duly designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State since 2014. According to court documents, Hassan began consuming information from and about ISIS and other State Department designated foreign terrorist organizations in at least 2024. For example, Hassan obtained and reposted ISIS propaganda articles and videos (some of them extremely violent) on his various social media accounts. He downloaded multiple files from a known media wing of ISIS, with names like, “The life of a Mujahideen,” “The month of Jihad,” “The return of the Caliphate,” and “The path of jihad.” He obtained online manuals written in Arabic on how to make highly explosive materials such as C4, urea nitrate, HMTD, and hexamine. He openly posted his desire for jihad and an Islamic caliphate on his various social media accounts. He also obtained manuals on ammunition-making and sniper-training skills, contacted an online school specializing in gunsmithing and drone technology, and conducted online research on topics such as gun ranges, ISIS supporter, Somalia weapons, and various articles related to ISIS-inspired attacks and terroristic acts on an interactive map. According to court documents, Hassan had frequent and extensive social media communications with ISIS media wings and recruiters operating in Somalia. In November 2024, Hassan reached out to one such account that was spreading ISIS propaganda in Somalia and expressly calling for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and the overthrow of the Somali government, and Hassan requested help contacting someone in ISIS-controlled areas in Somalia. He also referred to persons he communicated with as “commander” and “uncle” and referenced the “battlefield” in Somalia. After several weeks of regular communication with accounts operated by ISIS members, Hassan prepared to leave behind his life in the United States in December 2024 and posted “I will become ISIS straight away.” Hassan quit his job, liquidated his savings, and bought a one-way plane ticket for travel from Minneapolis to Somalia, to join and fight on behalf of ISIS. On December 13, 2024, FBI agents surveilled Hassan attempt to fly to Somalia from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP). Lacking proper travel documents, however, he was turned away. After acquiring additional travel documents, Hassan rebooked the same one-way itinerary to Somalia, and on December 29, 2024, he flew from MSP to Chicago, enroute to Somalia. Prior to boarding his international flight in Chicago, Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Tactical Terrorism Response Team interviewed Hassan about his intentions, which prevented his onward travel. Inside Hassan’s only carry-on bag, CBP agents found his birth certificate, naturalization certificate, and high school diploma. During the interview, Hassan initially denied any nefarious intent but later professed his belief in ISIS, his consumption of ISIS propaganda, and his hopes for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate, telling the CBP agents that he did not believe in democracy and that America’s justice was in fact terrorism. Upon returning to Minnesota, Hassan continued researching ISIS attacks and activities and making social media posts espousing ISIS, including his praising the perpetrator of the January 1, 2025, ISIS-inspired terrorist attack in New Orleans, Louisiana, who killed 14 people and injured dozens more, referring to the perpetrator as a “Muhaajid” and “the legend that killed the Americans.” In late February 2025, Hassan created and posted his own ISIS-inspired videos, including of him driving his vehicle at night, while holding a homemade black ISIS flag in his hand, and displaying an open, long-bladed buck-style knife on his lap. The FBI arrested Hassan on February 27, 2025 on a Complaint-Warrant filed with the U.S. District Court. At the time of his arrest, Hassan had the same knife described above on his person and the homemade ISIS flag in his vehicle. On April 29, 2025, a grand jury returned an Indictment charging Hassan with one count of attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2339B, a qualifying “Federal crime of terrorism.” On September 29, 2025, Hassan pleaded guilty to that charge before Judge Donovan W. Frank in U.S. District Court. On April 22, 2026, following a hearing in U.S. District Court, Judge Frank sentenced Hassan to 102 months’ imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release with special conditions. “Abdisatar Hassan took active steps in an attempt to join and support ISIS—a brutal foreign terrorist organization responsible for the violent deaths of thousands of innocent people,” said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “Hassan celebrated the 2025 murder of 14 innocent Americans in New Orleans—a senseless attack on American soil, attempted to travel in order to take up arms on behalf of ISIS, and when unable to get to his destination, promoted ISIS and al-Shabaab propaganda encouraging others to fight against the United States. The sentence handed down today takes a would-be terrorist off the streets and sends a clear message that the FBI and our partners will unremittingly pursue anyone seeking to join or support a foreign terrorist organization.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Customs and Border Protection, and the New York Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case with assistance from National Security Division Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Eric Hanson.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Advocates During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: In recognition of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Thomas E. Wheeler II, honored 18 members of federal, state, and local law enforcement at a private ceremony. The event celebrated professionals who have gone above and beyond advocating for the rights and well‑being of federal crime victims, demonstrating exceptional dedication to supporting survivors, raising awareness, and driving meaningful change in their communities. The U.S. Attorney Office relies on a team of experienced victim‑witness professionals who listen to victims, help them navigate the criminal justice process, and ensure their voices are heard. Financial litigation and asset forfeiture teams act diligently to maximize asset recovery on behalf of victims. Every day, Assistant U.S. Attorneys appear in court to advocate for victims’ rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA) and take action to protect those affected by federal crime. In fiscal year 2025, our victim witness professionals contacted victims more than 14,000 times regarding services and court updates; asset forfeiture personnel collected more than $2.6 million in criminal restitution debts and forfeiture actions granted to victims via remission or restoration; and Financial Litigation Programs collected over $7.4 million in civil actions to enforce debts. This impressive work illustrates how our District listens, acts, and advocates on behalf of victims. U.S. Attorney Wheeler also recognized Victim Witness Coordinators Stephanie Lloyd and Johnna Preidt, expressing gratitude for their leadership in organizing these annual efforts and for their unwavering, daily commitment to advocating for victims of crime in federal court. The categories and honorees are listed as follows: Victim Advocate Award honors the tireless efforts of victim advocates who work on the front lines, offering emotional support, resources, and guidance to those affected by trauma. Whether providing advocacy during legal proceedings, connecting victims with necessary services, or ensuring their voices are heard, the recipient of this award goes above and beyond to ensure that victims' rights are upheld, and their well-being is prioritized. Awarded to: Susie’s Place Child Advocacy Centers Federal Law Enforcement Victim Assistance Award recognizes the recipient’s commitment to ensuring victims' rights are upheld, providing them with compassionate support throughout investigations, and working to ensure they receive necessary resources and assistance. The recipient of this award demonstrates exceptional dedication to both the investigative process and the well-being of victims, working tirelessly to navigate the complex legal landscape while offering empathy and advocacy. It highlights their key role in bridging the gap between law enforcement and victims, helping to secure justice and support in the aftermath of crime. Awarded to: Cassandra Jones, Special Agent, ATF Todd Bevington, Special Agent, ATF Kristen Hartman, Detective, IMPD Ryan Clark, Detective, IMPD (Retired) Assistant United States Attorney Victim Assistance Award honors the outstanding efforts of an AUSA in providing exceptional support and advocacy for victims throughout the federal legal process. This prestigious award recognizes a deep understanding of the emotional and psychological challenges faced by victims, going above and beyond their legal duties to offer guidance, support, and resources. This distinction highlights the integral role AUSAs play in balancing the pursuit of justice with the compassionate treatment of victims. Awarded to: Adam Eakman, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Bradley Blackington, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Michelle Brady, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Support Professional Victim Assistance Award recognizes exceptional contributions to supporting victims of crime throughout the legal process, particularly in cases involving trauma or violence. This award honors the recipient’s dedication to managing the logistical and administrative aspects of cases, while also offering emotional support and compassion to victims during often difficult and overwhelming legal proceedings. Awarded to : Jennifer Ross, Financial Litigation Paralegal Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana Molly Waldrop, Criminal Paralegal Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana Maurine Bwambok, Victim Witness Assistant, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana Victim Assistance Trial Team Award recognizes the exceptional collaboration and dedication of a team working to support victims throughout the trial process. This award honors the collective efforts of law enforcement, legal professionals, victim advocates, and support staff who work together to ensure victims are informed, supported, and treated with dignity during legal proceedings. The recipients of this award have demonstrated outstanding teamwork in navigating the complexities of criminal trials, while prioritizing the needs and well-being of victims. Awarded to: U.S. v. Cameron Love Brendan Sullivan, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Pam Domash, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Shane Penney, Paralegal Specialist Kathy Wells, IT Systems Manager U.S. v. Ellen Corn Michael Moore, Special Agent, U.S. Secret Service Greg Brescher, Detective Sergeant, Jasper Police Department Matt Miller, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Tuesdae Suttles, Paralegal Specialist ###


title: St. Louis Nonprofit Executive Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for $2.3 Million Dollar Student Meal Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced the woman who fraudulently obtained $2.3 million in funds intended to feed hungry Missouri children to 41 months in prison. Judge Sippel also ordered Cymone McClellan, 33, of St. Louis, to forfeit the vehicles and real estate that she spent meal money to buy and pay back the rest of the money that she obtained. McClellan operated a nonprofit, Sister of Lavender Rose (S.O.L.R.), that submitted false and fraudulent meal reimbursement claims to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services from about January 2019 to June 2022. Terra Davis, now 44, was McClellan’s second-in-command at S.O.L.R. and aided in the scheme. At the start of McClellan’s enrollment with the state program in 2019, she submitted fraudulent management plans falsely claiming that her finance director, who was not truly a signor on S.O.L.R.’s account, would sign all checks and provide financial oversight. “These lies demonstrate that Defendant McClellan made a calculated effort from the beginning of her participation in the state’s meal program to enrich herself at the expense of hungry children in our community,” a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman says. McClellan and Davis submitted false reimbursement claims for a total of 860,876 meals that they purportedly supplied to Missouri children but S.O.L.R. only purchased enough food and milk to serve fewer than a quarter of those meals. McClellan also provided dozens of bogus attendance sheets to DHSS to bolster her false claims. McClellan’s fraud spiked after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the state from conducting regular in-person audits—and after the state allowed non-profits to run drive-thru meal services, the sentencing memo says. S.O.L.R. submitted management plans to DHSS falsely asserting that state meal reimbursement dollars were spent only in connection with the provision of meals to low-income children, and that the nonprofit did not use meal money to make purchases over $5,000. McClellan spent $60,000 for the down payment on a house in Collinsville, Illinois and another $86,172 on a house in Florissant, Missouri. She spent almost $135,000 in student meal money more to buy five vehicles: a 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, a 2012 Chevrolet Express G3500 van, a 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris van, a 2012 Ford E350 box truck and a 2018 Lexus RX SUV. “Cymone McClellan caused lasting damage to the program meant to feed hungry Missouri children, not only by stealing $2.3 million that should have gone to student meals but by diminishing public support and increasing cynicism through her corruption,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “Fraud targeting programs designed to feed children is particularly egregious,” said Inspector General John Walk for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. “This non-profit owner exploited a USDA program meant to feed low-income children during the coronavirus pandemic by submitting $2.3 million in reimbursement claims for providing meals the organization never served. Instead, the defendant lived lavishly off tax-payer dollars by spending the funds on two homes and five vehicles. Stealing from an emergency relief program meant to provide food to needy children for personal gain is depraved. This guilty plea reflects USDA OIG’s commitment to aggressively pursue those who commit fraud against USDA nutrition programs. I commend SAC Matthew Wilkins for his work on this investigation and thank the United States Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their continued collaboration in holding the defendant accountable.” “For the second time in as many months, we are holding accountable individuals who exploited programs meant to feed children for their own personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “Cymone McClellan diverted approximately 75% of the taxpayer funds entrusted to her nonprofit over a three-year period. While children in the St. Louis area went without meals, she used those funds to pay for homes, vehicles, and luxury items. Let this case serve as a clear warning: those who steal from programs designed to serve our most vulnerable will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice.” McClellan pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May of 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Judge Sippel sentenced Davis, who also pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, to five years of probation in June of 2025 and ordered her to repay $2.3 million. This case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Federal Prisoner Sentenced for Assaulting a Bureau of Prison’s Nurse

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – On April 22, 2026, a Washington D.C. man was sentenced in federal court for one count of assault on a Bureau of Prisons’ nurse at the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners. Lawrence C. Boykin, 72, was serving a prior sentence from 1991 for his conviction on multiple counts of sodomy on a minor and indecent acts with a minor when he assaulted a nurse on duty at the Bureau of Prisons in Springfield. On December 21, 2024, while serving his prison sentence, Boykin began verbally abusing staff and then threw a food tray at the victim. The food tray struck the victim causing a broken nose, laceration, and concussion. U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool sentenced Boykin to 46 months imprisonment, run consecutively with the remainder of Boykin’s 1991 prior sex offense conviction, followed by one year of post-release supervision. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons.


title: Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to COVID Fraud

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in a scheme to fraudulently obtain two Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans totaling $92,233.32, guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Mark Crosby, 43, was the owner of a Missouri limited liability company called Crosby Auto LLC. On May 14, 2020, Crosby submitted a $71,417 PPP loan application on behalf of Crosby Auto. In the loan application, Crosby falsely stated that, in 2019, Crosby Auto had a monthly payroll of $28,567, and gross receipts of $736,928. In reality, Crosby Auto did not have that payroll or annual revenue. Based on the fraudulent representations Crosby made in the PPP loan application, on June 2, 2020, $71,400 was transferred to Crosby Auto’s bank account. Crosby was also the owner of a business called MSC & Sons Trucking LLC. MSC & Sons Trucking LLC applied for a $20,833.32 Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. The application stated the business had gross income of $131,848 in 2019. The application included a 2019 Schedule C which stated the business had gross receipts of $131,848, and contract labor expense of $69,129. The Schedule C was not filed with the IRS and MSC & Sons Trucking LLC did not have gross receipts or payroll in those amounts. On May 5, 2021, MSC & Sons Trucking LLC’s account received the $20,833.32 PPP loan. Under federal statutes, Crosby is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on a set of advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. National Fraud Enforcement Division On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: West Hartford Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Cocaine

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NELSON ALEJANDRO-CAPO, 37, of West Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and New Britain Police Department investigated a drug trafficking organization, headed by Wilfredo Ortiz, that was operating out of Supreme Automotive, a car dealership located on Main Street in New Britain. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and several controlled purchases of narcotics, primarily cocaine, from Ortiz and other members of the conspiracy. Investigators identified Alejandro-Capo as a supplier of cocaine to Ortiz. Alejandro-Capo, using co-conspirator Eli Samuel O’Farrill-Fernandez as a middleman, supplied Ortiz with approximately two kilograms of cocaine on September 24, 2024, and approximately four kilograms of cocaine on October 12, 2024. Ortiz and several other members of this drug trafficking organization were arrested on November 14, 2024. In association with the arrests, investigators conducted court authorized searches of Supreme Automotive and residences and other locations connected to the organization and seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately 30 grams of heroin, a kilogram press, seven firearms, ammunition, approximately $75,000 in cash, and 26 vehicles. Alejandro-Capo was arrested on November 22, 2024. On December 17, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of cocaine. Alejandro-Capo has been detained since February 6, 2026, when his bond was revoked. Ortiz and O-Farrill-Fernandez pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of 135 months and 120 months, respectively. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police, and the New Britain, Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Naugatuck, East Hartford, Brookfield, Milford, Norwich, Orange, North Haven, Meriden, Berlin, and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth, Reed Durham, and David Nelson.


title: Antitrust Division Approves Department of Energy Defense Production Act Consortium’s Updated Voluntary Agreement and Plans of Action

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, after consulting with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), published approvals for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Defense Production Act (DPA) Consortium’s updated Voluntary Agreement and related Plans of Action . “The Defense Production Act is a powerful tool for addressing issues related to our nation’s defense and preparedness programs. We look forward to working with our DOE colleagues to achieve the DPA Consortium’s goals of energy independence and reliable access to fuel America’s energy dominance,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We applaud the domestic nuclear energy companies involved in the DPA Consortium for their efforts to assist the United States in strengthening the nuclear industrial base while staying within the bounds of antitrust law.” “The Consortium’s work comes at a pivotal time for nuclear energy growth in our country,” said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish. “I’m pleased with the dedication of the Committee and am looking forward to rapid progress on near term goals to achieve a robust American-made supply of nuclear fuel.” In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order , Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base , these agreements between U.S. nuclear energy companies take affirmative steps to increase domestic fuel availability, provide increased access to reliable power, and end America’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and critical materials. The agreements will allow America’s domestic industry to work together to ensure that the capacity for the nuclear fuel supply chain – including mining and milling, conversion, enrichment, deconversion, fabrication, recycling and reprocessing – is available to enable the continued reliable operation of the nation’s reactors. DPA Section 708 authorizes industry to enter into agreements necessary to meet national defense requirements. There is a limited antitrust defense available for actions taken to develop or carry out these approved agreements. The Justice Department will be leading efforts with FTC and DOE to continue to monitor the DOE DPA Consortium in its implementation of the approved Voluntary Agreement and Plans of Action. For more information, please visit DOE’s DPA Consortium project page .


title: Sacramento Man Sentenced for Interstate Theft Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jonathan Matthew Curl, 36, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to two years in prison and ordered to pay $282,193 in restitution, for conspiracy to transport stolen property and for interstate transportation of stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Curl worked with co-conspirators Trevor Fountain, 38, of Sacramento; Stephan James Evanovich, 46, of Placerville; and Andrea Carter, 35, formerly of Sacramento, to illegally enter communications towers and steal rectifiers and other communications equipment. Rectifiers are a power source necessary to maintain power at communications towers. Curl obtained access information through his employers, and then shared that information with co-conspirators, enabling them to steal rectifiers without detection. Curl, Fountain, and Carter, were responsible for stealing equipment and transferring it to Evanovich, who then paid them for the stolen equipment. Evanovich sold the stolen property to legitimate third-party vendors in California, Illinois, Colorado, and Texas. The conspirators stole, sold, and shipped more than 485 stolen rectifiers across state lines and stole more than 700 rectifiers from telecommunications towers throughout Northern California. Curl pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2026. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from Weld County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima are prosecuting the case. Carter pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 5, 2025, to 29 months in prison. Fountain pleaded guilty on Sept. 25, 2025, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 21, 2026. Evanovich pleaded guilty on March 5, 2026, and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026. Evanovich faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Fountain faces maximum statutory penalties of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentences, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Harrisburg Man Sentenced To 10 Years’ Imprisonment For Possessing Firearms As A Felon

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Aqudre Quailes, age 28, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson to 10 years’ imprisonment for possessing multiple firearms as a previously convicted felon. The Court also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow the term of imprisonment. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, in December 2020, an arrest warrant was issued for Quailes after he absconded from state parole. In March 2021, Quailes was found in a Harrisburg residence with two loaded handguns, including one with an extended magazine. Law enforcement also found inside the residence loose ammunition and crack cocaine. Quailes had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Harrisburg City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Carlo D. Marchioli prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Nevada Man Sentenced to 92 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking in the District of Utah

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Nevada man was sentenced to 92 months’ imprisonment for drug crimes after law enforcement seized approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop in southern Utah in 2023. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, comes after Christopher Gerard Ruiz, 42, of Las Vegas, Nevada, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Ruiz was sentenced to three years of supervised release. His codefendant, Rachel Marie Aponas, 34, of Las Vegas, was sentenced on May 14, 2025, to 28 months’ imprisonment with credit for time served, and three years of supervised release. According to court documents and statements made at Ruiz’s sentencing and change of plea hearings, on October 26, 2023, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper made a traffic stop on I-15. Ruiz was the passenger, Aponas was the driver, and three children ages10 and under were in the backseat. Aponas admitted to law enforcement that methamphetamine was in the car. A search was conducted, and law enforcement located in the rear cargo area of the vehicle in a small lunch cooler, packages of blue M-30 pills, which they seized. The pills field-tested positive for fentanyl and weighed 2,700 grams (approximately 30,000 pills). Law enforcement also located and seized a methamphetamine pipe, methamphetamine, multiple cell phones, and a digital scale. An additional analysis by the Utah state crime lab identified the M-30 pills as fentanyl. Both Ruiz and Aponas were arrested, and the children were removed by DCFS. “The safety of children is a top priority of my office and this administration. The fact that Ruiz and Aponas had three children in the vehicle with illicit drugs, specifically 30,000 fentanyl pills and methamphetamine within arm’s reach is unimaginable,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Anyone who jeopardizes the safety of children and our communities with poisonous drugs will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” The case was investigated by the Department of Public Safety, Utah Highway Patrol (DPS-UHP), and the Utah State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). United States Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Gardner Man Charged with Fentanyl Distribution

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Gardner man has been charged with possessing fentanyl intended for distribution. Jason Page, 41, was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Page was arrested on April 15, 2026 and remains in custody following an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester earlier today. According to the charging documents, in the spring of 2024, an investigation began into Page for alleged drug trafficking activities. A search of Page’s apartment in Gardner and his storage locker in Leominster were in January 2026 and allegedly resulted in the discovery of more than $29,000 in suspected drug proceeds, digital scales, psilocybin mushrooms and marijuana in his apartment. More than 60 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 47 grams of fentanyl powder, more than 95 grams of cocaine, more than 240 grams of methamphetamine and more than 60 grams of MDMA were allegedly found in his storage unit. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a no less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office and the Gardner Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: California Men Charged With Trafficking Controlled Substances In Cumberland County

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jonathan Martinez, age 28, and Christopher Martinez, age 25, both from Adelanto, California, were charged in a criminal information with drug-trafficking offenses, in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the Information alleges that on or about October 6, 2025, Jonathan and Christopher Martinez possessed with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, also a Schedule II controlled substance. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalties upon conviction are life imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Information only contain allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Illegal alien indicted for attempting to coerce a minor into prostitution

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an illegal alien from Guatemala for allegedly trying to lure a minor into engaging in criminal sexual conduct. According to court documents, Nicolas Perez-Paxtor, 40, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation and one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. In February 2026, Perez-Paxtor is accused of attempting to persuade or coerce a minor under the age of 18 years old to engage in prostitution. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are investigating the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Ramiro Erik Flores-Hernandez, 44, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on four counts of distribution of cocaine and two counts of attempt to commit possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. Samuel Juarez-Leal, 23, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Luis Luna-Magdaleno, 51, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. Inocencio Rodriguez-Antonio, 30, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. Juventino Hernandez-Zalazar, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. Dennis D. Dees, 39, of WaKeeney was indicted on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm in violation of the National Firearms Act. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Maryland Resident Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jasper Collinson, 26, of Columbia, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to distribution of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. According to court documents, in October 2025, Collinson messaged with another user on a messaging application. Collinson told the other user about Collinson’s interest in child sexual abuse material. During the course of the communications, Collinson distributed nine videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Collinson also told the other user about a private channel on the messaging application where users distributed hundreds of videos depicting child sexual abuse. On Nov. 5, 2025, the FBI arrested Collinson. A search of Collinson’s phone showed several conversations with other online users about child sexual abuse material. In one of the conversations, Collinson discussed prior experiences of having sex in front of a friend’s child and failed efforts to arrange to meet up with a minor for the purpose of having sex. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . 25cr364


title: Viva Grocery Store Owner and Former Sacramento City Councilmember Pleads Guilty for His Role in Multiple Fraudulent Schemes

body_text: loloee_plea_agreement.pdf SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shahriar “Sean” Loloee, 55, of Granite Bay, pleaded guilty today to three fraud schemes he perpetrated as the owner and operator of Viva Supermarket, a Sacramento-area supermarket chain, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to the plea agreement, Loloee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct a Department of Labor investigation, one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, three counts of filing false tax returns, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. Obstruction of Department of Labor Investigation : On three occasions between 2008 and 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor investigated Viva Supermarket stores for labor practices. Loloee and other co-conspirators were aware that many of the supermarket staff did not have authorization to work legally in the United States. Loloee and others took steps to discourage employees from complying with the investigations, including by directing them to lie about aspects of their employment. Additionally, to avoid revealing the extent of the undocumented staff, and in an effort to reduce the amount of back wages Viva Supermarket owed those workers, Loloee provided an employee list to DOL, knowing that many of the hire dates on the list were falsified to a later date. He also gave false statements to DOL about the company’s history of paying employees off the books. Defrauding the IRS : Loloee used irregular payment methods that allowed him to underreport both his federal payroll tax and his own personal income tax. He, together with his co-conspirators, maintained two sets of books—one that was used to submit filings to the IRS and one that was dubbed “Excess Payroll” and used internally to track hidden payments to undocumented workers and others including to himself. Over time, the form of theses hidden payments included cash and an in-house check system called “Green Checks” that were redeemable only at the Viva stores. By using the second set of books, Loloee and his co-conspirators caused a tax loss of approximately $200,000 to the IRS. Loloee also avoided an individual tax liability of approximately $32,103 by not reporting wages he paid himself. Fraudulent SBA Loans and Money Laundering : In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Small Business Administration offered a relief program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. In May 2021 Loloee fraudulently applied for $2.2 million in COVID-19 relief from the Fund and received $1.2 million. After receiving the $1.2 million, Loloee initiated the laundering of funds with 10 checks all bearing the same issue date of June 18, 2021, and then moving the money through multiple accounts he controlled. Loloee completed the laundering with three bank transfers totaling $949,900 to a trust account in the name of one of his family members. Loloee’s purpose in undertaking this movement of money was to hide that the source of the funds was the pandemic relief fraud scheme he had executed. This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath, Matthew Thuesen, and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case. This case was investigated with the assistance of the Tax Recovery in the Underground Economy (TRUE) Task Force includes the California Department of Justice, the California Employment Development Department, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the Franchise Tax Board, the IRS Criminal Investigation and HSI. The TRUE Task Force was created to ensure multi-agency collaboration and to combat wage theft, tax evasion, and other crimes in the underground economy. Loloee is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Loloee faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiracy to defraud the Department of Labor, to commit immigration document fraud, and to obstruct justice; 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiracy to defraud the IRS; three years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 for a filing a false tax return; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for wire fraud; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for money laundering. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. Sacramento residents Karla Montoya, Mirwais Shams, and Ahmad “Shah” Shams are scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 28, 2026. Montoya is charged with conspiracy to defraud the DOL, possession of false immigration documents, and obstruction of agency proceeding. Mirwais Shams and Ahmad Shams are charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and filing false tax returns. Ahmad Shams is additionally charged with perjury. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: Mexican man sentenced for illegal reentry

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Mexican man who is in the United States illegally was sentenced to time served, 59 days, and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Juan Abraham Carranco-Carranco, 30, pleaded guilty in March 2026 to one count of illegal reentry. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on February 23, 2026, Border Patrol agents received information regarding a possible illegal alien traveling in a Chevy Traverse, bearing Texas license plates. Agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle in Hinsdale, Montana, but the driver of the vehicle accelerated rapidly after noticing the agents, exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour before agents could activate their emergency lights. Due to the vehicle’s high speeds, agents were unable to maintain a visual of the vehicle and nearby law enforcement agencies were notified the vehicle was traveling eastbound on U.S. Highway 2 toward Glasgow, Montana. Law enforcement stopped the suspect’s vehicle on Highway 2, near Oswego, Montana. There were two occupants inside. The driver was identified by his Honduran passport and issued a warning for speeding. Carranco-Carranco was identified as the passenger and detained. Carranco-Carranco is suspected of reentering the United States on or about November 1, 2021, near Laredo, Texas. Records checks confirmed he has never applied for or obtained permission from the United States Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter the United States. Carranco-Carranco was first removed from the United States in September 2015 by Expedited Removal through the Laredo, Texas, foot bridge. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol, and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Former Velda City Police Chief / City Administrator Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Stealing $307,100 in City Funds

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Thursday sentenced the former police chief and city administrator of Velda City, Missouri to 27 months in prison for stealing $307,100 in city funds. Judge Stevens also ordered Daniel Paulino, 52, to repay $248,929 to the city, as some of the money was recovered. Paulino was appointed to the city administrator position in 2021. He was police chief until the department was dissolved in 2024, earning a salary of approximately $95,000 for the dual role. During an almost four-year period from 2021 to 2024, Paulino stole from the city in multiple ways: Paulino caused three city checks totaling $1,800 to be fraudulently issued to him. Paulino caused about 20 direct deposits totaling $30,667 in city funds, purportedly for additional payroll, to be deposited into his personal bank account without the knowledge or approval of other city officials. On 17 occasions, Paulino used a city credit card to transfer a total of $37,500 in city funds to two businesses owned by Paulino and his spouse. He caused about 55 direct deposits of $54,693 in Velda City funds, purportedly for his spouse’s payroll, to be sent to his personal bank account. Paulino used a city credit card, city checks and ACH transactions to pay for his personal expenses, including a $25,500 check for a 2007 International tow truck that he used in his private towing business. Paulino admitted using the money for travel, automobiles, pool supplies, utilities at his personal residence and food and beverage charges. “The City’s police chief, sworn to serve the citizens and the community, turned out to be a thief, stealing from the very community and people he was charged with protecting,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith said in court. “While receiving a generous salary and benefits in his two city positions,” Paulino took advantage of those positions and defrauded a city where the “estimated 1,250 residents have a median household income which is 30% lower than the State of Missouri," he wrote in a sentencing memo. In a victim impact statement, Velda City Mayor Derrick Gill wrote that Paulino was “the most powerful appointed official in our local government” with “unchecked access to virtually every aspect of City government.” The losses caused by Paulino were “devastating,” Gill wrote, and destroyed citizens’ trust in city officials and city employees’ morale. He created a hostile work environment for police officers while “depleting the funds needed to properly staff and equip the department,” triggering the department’s abrupt dissolution, he wrote. “Daniel Paulino didn’t mastermind a sophisticated scheme; he abused the trust placed in him and exploited a lack of oversight. As the city’s financial gatekeeper, he used taxpayer funds for personal expenses, including vacations, vehicles, and even repairs to his swimming pool,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “He stole from a community where one in five residents lives below the poverty line. The people of Velda City deserve accountability and a system that prevents this kind of corruption from happening again.” Paulino pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in November to two counts of wire fraud. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.


title: A-Town Trinitarios Gang Members Charged With Racketeering, Assault, And Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, and United States Marshal for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, announced today the unsealing of a seven-count Indictment charging two individuals, ALEJANDRO COLON, a/k/a “Ale,” and OSCAR OLIVENCIA, a/k/a “Jon-O,” a/k/a “Young O,” with federal crimes, including racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, attempted assault with a dangerous weapon, and firearms offenses. The defendants are charged for their roles in the “A-Town” set of the Trinitarios street gang and associated acts of violence, including a shooting on February 7, 2023, in the Bronx where COLON and OLIVENCIA, acting together, shot at multiple people, resulting in gunshot wounds to two victims. In a coordinated operation, COLON was arrested last night and OLIVENCIA was arrested this morning. Both defendants will be presented later this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry J. Ricardo. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian. “As alleged, Oscar Olivencia and Alejandro Colon were members of the A-Town Trinitarios who shot at three individuals outside a restaurant in the Bronx, seriously injuring two of them,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Gang violence is a threat to the safety and security of our neighborhoods, and together with our law enforcement partners, the women and men of this Office will continue to work relentlessly to give New Yorkers what they want and deserve: safe neighborhoods free from the terror of gun violence.” “These alleged members of the ‘A-Town’ Trinitarios crew used gun violence to further their illicit operations, shooting two people and putting many more Tremont residents at risk,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “Today’s indictment underscores the NYPD’s focus on taking down gangs, removing guns, and keeping our communities safe. I thank our NYPD detectives for their hard work on this case and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for its partnership in holding these criminals accountable.” “The alleged actions committed by these two brazen defendants endangered our communities and required precision in our law enforcement operations to safely take them off of our streets to face justice,” said U.S. Marshal for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel. “The United States Marshals Service and our law enforcement partners’ unwavering commitment to ensure neighborhoods are safe made that a reality.” As alleged in the Indictment and other documents filed in federal court and based on statements made in public court proceedings: [1] “A-Town” is a criminal organization based in the Tremont neighborhood of the Bronx and affiliated with the Trinitarios. Since at least 2018, its members and associates have engaged in narcotics trafficking, the use of firearms, and numerous acts of violence against rival gang members. A-Town members have also participated in various fraudulent schemes, including stealing checks from mailboxes and altering and cashing them. On or about February 7, 2023, COLON and OLIVENCIA confronted an individual (“Victim-1”) outside a Bronx restaurant over money Victim-1 owed OLIVENCIA from the sale of stolen checks. As the encounter escalated, COLON brandished a firearm, and OLIVENCIA drew his own firearm and fired two shots—one striking a nearby bystander (“Victim-2”) and the other striking Victim-1. As COLON and OLIVENCIA fled, another individual (“Victim-3”) produced a firearm and fired at them. COLON returned fire in Victim-3’s direction. COLON brandishing firearm Firearms recovered OLIVENCIA firing his firearm into the crowd * * * A chart containing the names, charges, and minimum and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the NYPD and thanked the Bronx County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the NYPD Intelligence Division’s Intelligence Analysis Unit for their assistance. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Ly and Dominic A. Gentile are in charge of the prosecution. The charges in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Charge Defendants Minimum and Maximum Penalties Count One Racketeering Conspiracy 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d) ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: 20 years in prison Count Two Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and (a)(6), and 2 ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: 20 years in prison Count Three Firearms Offense 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), and (iii), and 2 ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: Life in prison Minimum: 10 years in prison, which must be consecutive to any other term imposed Count Four Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3) and 2 ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: 20 years in prison Count Five Firearms Offense 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), and (iii), and 2 ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: Life in prison Minimum: 10 years in prison, which must be consecutive to any other term imposed Count Six Attempted Murder, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Attempted Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in Aid of Racketeering 18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), (a)(6), and 2 ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: 20 years in prison Count Seven Firearms Offense 18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c)(1)(A)(i), (ii), and (iii), and 2 ALEJANDRO COLON OSCAR OLIVENCIA Maximum: Life in prison Minimum: 10 years in prison, which must be consecutive to any other term imposed [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Fresno Man Indicted for Cocaine and Firearms Offenses

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned an indictment today against Maurice Hackett, 49, of Fresno, charging him with possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a felon, according to U.S. Attorney Eric Grant. According to court documents, on March 25, 2026, law enforcement officers executed a search of Hackett’s residence after detectives observed multiple social media posts, by a person later identified as Hackett, that contained pictures of additional firearms and narcotics, as well as boasts about robbing others for drugs. In his residence, officers located a loaded handgun with a high-capacity magazine and more than a pound and a half of cocaine, as well as a scale and pay/owe sheets that are used to track who owes money. Hackett is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions in Fresno County and in the U.S. District Court in Fresno for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Veneman-Hughes is prosecuting the case. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, Hackett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison as well as a $5 million fine. If convicted of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, he faces a mandatory minimum and consecutive sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: First Liberty president charged with multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Edwin Brant Frost IV, former president of the now-defunct, Newnan, Georgia-based First Liberty Building & Loan LLC (“First Liberty”), was arraigned today on a federal charge of wire fraud for orchestrating a massive, multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme. “Frost abused the trust of his clients, family, and friends by allegedly soliciting investors with promises of sizable returns, while knowing the money raised would instead be used for his personal expenses and to pay early investors to maintain the illusion of profits,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “With assistance from our law enforcement partners, we will pursue, prosecute, and punish greedy schemers who defraud victims out of their hard-earned savings and retirement accounts.” “Frost allegedly operated a classic Ponzi scheme—using new investor funds to pay earlier investors while concealing significant financial losses,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Schemes like this exploit trust and can devastate victims’ savings and retirement security. The FBI remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in financial fraud and to protecting the investing public.” “The defendant in this case was charged today for allegedly orchestrating a multi-million-dollar Ponzi scheme that defrauded hundreds of investors,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta Region. “The FDIC OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of fraud and other financial crimes, as we seek to protect consumers and preserve the integrity of our Nation’s banking sector.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: From at least 2021 until in or about July 2025, Frost solicited individuals to invest in what was marketed as short-term small business loans (“Bridge Loans”) that would be provided to businesses in need of immediate funding. Frost told investors that their money would be used solely to fund these Bridge Loans. He also promised investors that they would receive rates of return between 8 and 18 percent and that their monthly interest payments would be funded by the repayment of the Bridge Loans. Frost represented that First Liberty would, in turn, be compensated either from loan fees borrowers would pay to obtain the Bridge Loans or through the difference between the interest borrowers paid to First Liberty and the interest First Liberty paid to the investors. Contrary to these representations, the money First Liberty received from investors was not used solely to fund Bridge Loans. Instead, Frost used new investors’ money to pay returns to previous investors and to fund more than $5 million of personal and sometimes extravagant expenditures, including: Over $230,000 to rent a vacation home in Maine Over $140,000 to purchase jewelry $20,800 for a Patek Philippe watch Over $2 million on credit card bills and Over $570,000 on political contributions Frost failed to disclose to investors that several loan borrowers had defaulted on the repayment of their loans, and that, despite having defaulted, Frost had continued to provide Bridge Loan financing to at least one of the defaulted companies. During the scheme, Frost raised at least $140 million from at least 300 investors. Edwin Brant Frost IV, 68, of Newnan, Georgia, was arraigned today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand. He was released on bail pending further proceedings. Members of the public are reminded that the information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges until he is proven guilty or admits guilt in a court of law. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-Office of Inspector General with substantial assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State. Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Adams is prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga


title: Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Jorge Junior Alvarez Rodriguez, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for July 29, 2026. Alvarez was charged in May 2025 . On May 3, 2025, upon arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Alvarez was flagged for secondary screening. During a review of Alvarez’s cell phone, files depicting CSAM were found. Multiple files depicting children as young as four to seven years old were discovered. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant may be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Julissa Walsh of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Illegal Alien from England Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Entering the United States Without Inspection

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A citizen of the United Kingdom pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States without inspection. U.S. Magistrate Judge John C. Nivison sentenced Ali Mohammed Ali Abdullah , 18, to time served. Abdullah will be turned over to immigration authorities for removal proceedings. According to court records, Abdullah and three other men walked through the heavily wooded border between Quebec and Franklin County during the pre-dawn hours of April 3, 2026. Their point of entry was within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie, Maine port of entry that was manned by agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (“OFO”). Upon exiting the woods, Abdullah and his companions began walking down the Golden Road heading east. Passersby in the area reported to an OFO agent seeing the four men walking east on the Golden Road. The OFO agent reported the sighting to the U.S. Border Patrol (“USBP”) station in Jackman. A USBP agent and an OFO agent responded to the area of the sighting, located the four men and took them into custody without incident. When questioned about their citizenship, Abdullah and his three companions stated they were citizens of the United Kingdom. The four were subsequently transported back to the Jackman Border Patrol station. Further investigation revealed that Abdullah had entered the country unlawfully to secure work in the U.S. USBP, OFO, Homeland Security Investigations, and the FBI investigated the case. Operation Take Back America : This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: United States Attorney’s Office Announces  Recipients of Victims Services Awards

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 19–25, 2026, United States Attorney Leif Olson announced the recipients of awards for outstanding work in service to victims of crime. Receiving the Victim Services Award is Sarah Harms, victim-witness coordinator of the Statewide Prosecution Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Receiving the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award are Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; and Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. The Award for Victim Services honors individuals or groups working in a victim-service role. The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is the highest federal honor for victim services presented to law-enforcement officers in Iowa. “These recipients are heroes,” said Olson. “Victims and their families don’t ask to be made part of our criminal-justice system, but the system can’t succeed without their help. Ensuring that they are safe, respected, and understood throughout investigation and trial is crucial to making sure that justice is done. Deputy Wuebker, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, and Ms. Harms are role models, going above and beyond even the high standards of the local, state, and federal law-enforcement and victim-services teams serving Iowans every day.” Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Wuebker receives the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award for his work investigating a cold case involving a missing 15-year-old victim, Jade Colvin. Detective Wuebker coordinated a multi-agency investigation that spent countless hours putting together a case that resulted in a second-degree murder conviction. Detective Wuebker’s investigation began after the U.S. Marshal’s Service determined that Jade had last been seen in Winneshiek County in 2017. She was in Winneshiek County for only five days and was never seen again. Detective Wuebker worked with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to conduct interviews all over the country after identifying a suspect who was living in Georgia, James David Bachmurski, Sr, and finding evidence linking him to Jade. Bachmurski had moved from Winneshiek County and left behind a cell phone that was recovered during the investigation. Information from that cell phone put Jade at Bachmurski’s home and provided photos and text messages that showed her last few days were spent with Bachmurski. Deputy Wuebker did not just organize and analyze a tremendous amount of information to make the case against Bachmurski. He also connected with Jade’s family members, who were spread across the country, doing so even before charges were filed and keeping them updated on the status of the case. His communication with the family facilitated not only their cooperation, but also their commitment to pursuing justice for Jade. Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; Sarah Harms, Statewide Prosecutions Section, Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Deputy Bennett and Special Agent Witt receive the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award and Harms receives the Award for Victim Services for their work leading to the successful arrest of two predatory criminals alleged to have sexually abused a vulnerable young girl over a period of time. Deputy Bennett began investigating when the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a vulnerable 18-year-old girl was being sexually abused. When she asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to assist, Special Agent Witt joined the investigation. Over several months, they built a case while building a close rapport with the victim. As a result of their work, the mother and mother’s boyfriend were arrested and charged with Human Trafficking, Kidnapping in the First Degree, Sex Abuse in the Second Degree, and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Harms was assigned as the victim-witness coordinator on the criminal case and immediately began supporting the victim and providing her with necessary resources. When the victim signed herself out of the out-of-state residential facility where she had been placed, the team became concerned that she was again being victimized. They contacted local law enforcement while Harms travelled to the victim’s location. Thanks to their strong relationship with the victim, they were able to assist the local law-enforcement officers with calming and reassuring her while they arrested the man with whom she was found, and Harms remained on the phone with the victim for the duration of her trip to the site. Harms then accompanied the victim to a local hospital to support her during a sexual-abuse exam, and Special Agent Witt travelled to pick up the victim from the hospital to transport her personally to Des Moines (and stay with her overnight) so the victim would not have to suffer yet another lengthy, traumatic interaction with a stranger. Harms, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, continue to make sure the victim is getting the services and resources she needs while the criminal cases against those accused of abusing her are pending. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Department of Justice and United States Attorney Honor Crime Victims and Survivors During 2026 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week

body_text: The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa will commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) from April 19–25, 2026. This year’s NCVRW theme is Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities. The weeklong initiative promotes victims’ rights and honors crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. “This week gives us a chance to thank the people and organizations whose tireless work comforts victims of crime in Iowa, giving them support, life-saving services, and, most importantly, hope,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. NCVRW 2026 is commemorated in Iowa with many events across the state, including: · Sioux City Community Awareness Event: A large gathering at the Sioux City Convention Center featuring 30+ agencies to support survivors and share resources. · 17th Annual “Go the Distance for Crime Victims” 5K: Held at Thomas Park in Marion to support victims’ costs. · Iowa Department of Corrections Annual Crime Victims’ Rights Week Commemoration: A presentation honoring deceased crime victims, their loved ones, and those that supported them through the criminal justice system. Olson also announced winners of awards given to those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to crime victims in Iowa. The Award for Victim Services honors individuals or groups working in a victim-service role. The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is the highest federal honor for victim services presented to law-enforcement officers in Iowa. Receiving the Victim Services Award is Sarah Harms, victim-witness coordinator of the Statewide Prosecution Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Receiving the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award are Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; and Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. NCVRW began in 1981 to honor victims and survivors of crime, raise awareness of victims’ rights and services, and recognize the dedication of those who work with crime victims. For additional information about this year’s NCVRW activities and more ideas on supporting crime victims, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.gov . Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Two Illegal Aliens Indicted for Trafficking 3 Kilograms of Fentanyl Powder Through Fresno County

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment today against Santos Eliodo Irias Lobo, 36, of El Salvador, and Dariel Antonio Florentino Moncada, 21, of Honduras, charging them with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, on April 11, 2026, the defendants were traveling through Fresno County on I-5 to Oakland when law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop for speeding and other traffic violations. Lobo was the driver and presented the vehicle’s registration and an El Salvador ID card showing the name of another individual. Lobo consented to a search of the vehicle, which resulted in the discovery of three 1-kilogram packages of fentanyl powder destined for Oakland. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Sanchez is prosecuting the case. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a fine up to $10 million. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Fresno County Man Charged with Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Guillermo Catzalco, 47, of Firebaugh, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, Catzalco was found to be in possession of a Glock-style privately manufactured handgun, an AR-style privately manufactured rifle, a disassembled North American Arms Inc. .22-caliber revolver, extended-capacity firearm magazines, tools consistent with firearm manufacturing, and ammunition of various calibers. Catzalco is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions in Stanislaus County including, assault with a deadly weapon, vehicle theft, burglary, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Firebaugh Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Karp is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Catzalco faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Former Massachusetts Woman Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining More than $100,000 in COVID-19 Rental Assistance Funds in California

body_text: BOSTON – A Minnesota woman, formerly of Holliston, Mass., has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with her fraudulent receipt of emergency rental assistance funds intended to provide housing assistance for individuals unable to pay rent due to a financial hardship related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yvonette Joseph, 45, of Minneapolis, Minn., was indicted on two counts of theft of government money and two counts of unlawful monetary transactions. The defendant was previously charged by criminal complaint in August 2025 and released on conditions. According to the charging documents, in or about November 2021, Joseph received more than $100,000 in Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) funds from the California Department of Housing & Community Development, the administrator of the ERA program for the state of California, after purported tenants submitted applications identifying Joseph as the landlord of a property in Los Angeles. Upon receipt of the funds, Joseph allegedly moved the funds from one bank account she controlled to another account she controlled, before wiring some of the funds to a bank account in Nigeria and wiring other funds to a cryptocurrency exchange – a digital marketplace where users can buy, sell and trade cryptocurrency. In 2021, Congress established the Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) program to provide financial assistance to eligible low-income households to cover the costs of rent, rental arrears, utilities and other house-related expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The charges of theft of government money and unlawful monetary transactions each provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, forfeiture and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Loren J. Sciurba, Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/webform/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Selling Firearms and Fentanyl

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Carver, Mass. was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for selling four firearms as well as fentanyl in 2024. Talles Provette De Faria, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Angel Kelley to 32 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2025 , the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license, one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was charged by criminal complaint in September 2024. On two dates between April and September 2024, Provette De Faria met with a cooperating witness in Eastern Massachusetts and sold a total of four firearms. In addition, Provette De Faria communicated with the cooperating witness on other dates about other firearms and also sold the cooperating witness fentanyl. Specifically, on April 24, 2024, Provette De Faria sold two 9mm pistols and ammunition in exchange for cash at a Home Depot parking lot in Plymouth. Later, on May 15, 2024, Provette De Faria sold fentanyl to a cooperating witness at a parking lot in Barnstable. On subsequent dates, Provette De Faria continued to send pictures and videos to the cooperating witness showing firearms – both pistols and rifles – and offering them for sale. This continued across several dates and into June. On several occasions, Provette De Faria indicated that he had an out-of-state source of supply for firearms. On Sept. 19, 2024, before he was arrested by authorities, Provette De Faria sold a pistol, a rifle, as well as a 30-round magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition to the cooperating witness in Plymouth. The pistol had previously been reported as stolen: United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Plymouth, Barnstable and New Bedford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Reynolds and Michael J. Crowley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Three sentenced for roles in deadly transnational human smuggling operation following HSTF and JTFA investigation

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – More sentences have been imposed in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the death of a Guatemalan man and several other dangerous events, including a rollover crash, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Dagoberto Mizzael Flores, 25, Laredo, and Mexican nationals David Alejandro Gomez-Flores, 30, and Martha Angelica Limon Parra, 30, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport an illegal alien causing serious bodily injury and resulting in death. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo has now imposed a 240-month-term of imprisonment for Gomez-Flores, while Parra and Flores received sentences of 135 months and 60 months, respectively. Not U.S. citizens, Gomez-Flores and Parra are expected to face removal proceedings, while Flores must also serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence describing numerous instances in which aliens transported by the organization had to be “rescued” or were otherwise injured during their journeys. The court also heard evidence regarding Gomez-Flores’ involvement with Los Fantasmas, a Laredo-based gang working with Cartel del Noreste to smuggle aliens once they reached the United States. In imposing sentence, Judge Marmolejo emphasized the extensive and lucrative nature of the operation—which involved the movement of thousands of aliens—and each defendant’s reckless disregard for human life. Mexican national Cynthia Gabriela Muniz-Carreon, 31, and Guatemalan national Edy Lima-Flores, 38, also pleaded guilty and were previously sentenced to 135 and 240 months, respectively. Lima Flores was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine. All five were part of a transnational human smuggling organization responsible for moving illegal aliens across the southern border of Texas. In one week alone, the organization generated approximately $79,000 in smuggling proceeds. Authorities identified Muniz-Carreon and Parra as Mexico-based coordinators for the organization. Evidence showed that both participated in a WhatsApp group chat titled “La Oficina,” which the organization used to coordinate human smuggling activity. The group maintained detailed ledgers and color-coded spreadsheets. Although many of the aliens were from Guatemala, the smuggling group instructed them to falsely claim Mexican nationality. This tactic exploited U.S. immigration procedure by ensuring the aliens would be removed to Mexico instead of their home country which made it faster and easier for the organization to smuggle them back into the United States. Lima-Flores was the organization’s Laredo-based transportation coordinator who hired Flores, while Gomez-Flores served as stash house coordinator responsible for receiving aliens from Mexico and illegally harboring them in Laredo. Gomez-Flores had been involved with the organization since at least 2022 and received more than $330,000 for helping conceal and transport aliens illegally. On July 2, 2024, Flores was driving a Ford F-150 transporting aliens. He fled when authorities attempted a traffic stop. The aliens scattered into the brush, including a Guatemalan national who became separated from the group. The investigation revealed he had repeatedly contacted Lima-Flores and Muniz-Carreon asking for help and sharing his location. Muniz-Carreon told him to stay well hidden and be patient. Authorities later found him deceased. His cause of death was determined to be from heat exhaustion, with temperatures reaching 100 degrees that day. The investigation also revealed additional smuggling incidents dating back to 2022, including one in which an alien became so weak and delirious that he could no longer walk through the brush. Authorities also linked the same organization to a smuggling event April 19, 2024, that resulted in a rollover crash near Laredo. A Guatemalan alien involved in the crash suffered serious back injuries and required hospitalization. Gomez-Flores, Parra and Flores have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, Laredo Police Department Gang Unit, Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Encinal Police Department, Customs and Border Protection and CBP Air and Marine Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Day prosecuted the case. This operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF South Texas comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Invesitgations; FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution. The investigation and charges are also a result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership with Department of Homeland Security which has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, Districts of Arizona and New Mexico and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed and forfeitures of substantial assets.


title: Man sentenced after selling fully automatic machine gun to undercover agent

body_text: KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Colorado man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for selling a fully automatic weapon to a Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) agent who was working undercover. According to court documents, Kyle Simmonds, 35, of Fort Morgan, Colorado, pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. In August 2025, the KBI began investigating Simmonds on suspicion of distributing narcotics and firearms. During a text message exchange with an undercover agent, Simmonds discussed selling an illegal machine gun and sent photos of a firearm. Simmonds and co-defendant Damien Zamora then traveled from Colorado to Decatur County, Kansas, to meet with the undercover agent. The agent saw a Heckler & Koch, model MP7 A2, 4.6x30 caliber machine gun in their vehicle which the agent recognized from the photos Simmonds sent. Zamora confirmed the firearm was fully automatic and that he builds these guns. Simmonds told the agent it was illegal to own this weapon. The agent gave Simmonds money for the firearm and for narcotics. Zamora pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machine gun and is awaiting sentencing. “Make no mistake. I am a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “However, because I understand the damage these weapons can inflict, I know that guns, particularly automatic weapons, and selling drugs do not mix well. We will hold anyone selling illegal firearms accountable. These criminals have no regard for the possible loss of life when cavalierly selling fully automatic weapons to whoever is willing to pay their prices.” The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler prosecuted the case. ###