title: Recidivist Possessor of Child Sexual Abuse Material Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Georgia, Middle

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Bryon, Georgia, resident who was serving federal supervised release for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) when GBI agents caught him online downloading sexually explicit images of children less than a year after he was released from prison was sentenced for his crime and violating his federal supervision. Clarence L. Brown, II, 46, of Byron, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on March 5, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on Dec. 19, 2024. In addition, Brown’s supervised release was revoked in Case No. 5:22-CR-27-001 in which Brown pleaded guilty and was sentenced for one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Florida. As a result, Brown was sentenced to serve ten months in prison consecutively to the above sentence to be followed by ten years of supervised release concurrently to the above sentence. Brown will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. “Viewing and sharing explicit images of children being sexually abused is a federal crime that our office will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Holding online child predators accountable for their crimes—and in this case, their repeated crimes against children—is a high priority for our federal prosecutors and the local, state and federal law enforcement partners dedicated to protecting children.” "Clarence L. Brown's actions are a tragic reminder of the persistence of individuals who prey on children, despite previous consequences,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “The GBI remains committed to investigating and bringing to justice those who possess and distribute child sexual abuse material. We will continue to work alongside our state, federal and local law enforcement partners to protect children from these heinous crimes and hold offenders accountable.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, on June 8, 2021, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (CECCU) agent conducted an undercover online investigation to identify individuals downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM, also called child pornography). That same day, task force agents identified two video files downloaded by Brown depicting CSAM involving prepubescent girls and adult males. Search warrants were executed at Brown’s residences in Byron, Georgia, on Nov. 4, 2021. Several devices were seized at the residence and underwent forensic examination. In total, agents found at least nine video files depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, many of whom were younger than 12 years old. Of note, one CSAM video file had a total run time of ten minutes, and the other CSAM video file was almost 24 minutes long. Brown was convicted for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Florida on July 24, 2017 (listed as Case No. 5:22-CR-27-001 in the Middle District of Georgia). Brown began his term of supervised release in that case on Nov. 25, 2020. Less than one year later, Brown was found to be in possession of child pornography in the Middle District of Georgia. These cases were 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit (GBI CEACCU) with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Indicts Illegal Alien For Methamphetamine Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment on March 4, 2025, charging an illegal alien with federal drug and gun crimes. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Sam Olson, Field Office Director for Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, U.S. Immigration Customs, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to the indictment, Edi Diaz-Lopez, a/k/a Edy Diaz-Lopez, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On January 3, 2025, Diaz-Lopez possessed a Phoenix, .25 caliber pistol, and a Bryco, model 59, 9-millimeter pistol. Diaz-Lopez was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. Diaz-Lopez made his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge for the Western District of Kentucky on March 6, 2025. He was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted, Diaz-Lopez faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by ATF, HSI, ICE/ERO, and LMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in $14.5 Million PPP Loan Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa.- A resident of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of fraud conspiracy, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Marc Andrew Martin, 46, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between March 2020 and August 2021, Martin and others—including Matthew Parker—conspired to defraud lenders of over $14 million in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) COVID-19 relief loans. Parker, a licensed CPA from Detroit, Michigan, recruited hundreds of small businesses in Pittsburgh and Detroit and falsified PPP loan applications. The Small Business Administration approved 226 of those applications, resulting in loans totaling approximately $14.5 million to businesses, the largest known PPP fraud in the Western District of Pennsylvania. Martin referred approximately $1,900,000 in fraudulent loan packages to Parker. Parker pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracy in May 2024. Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Postal Inspection Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Martin.


title: Johnstown Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Crack Cocaine

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Kevin Johnson, 39, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to Count One of the Superseding Indictment. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around March 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Johnson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack. Johnson was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the crack that he distributed to others. Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 26, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Johnson. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Employee at Multinational DVD Company Charged with Stealing, Selling Pre-Release Commercial DVDs for Blockbuster Films

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A worker at a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing and distribution company used by major movie studios was arrested today in Memphis, Tennessee, for allegedly stealing DVDs and Blu-rays of blockbuster movies from the company and selling them before their official scheduled release dates. A digital copy of at least one of the stolen Blu-rays was illegally distributed tens of millions of times over the internet, causing the copyright owner tens of millions of dollars in losses. According to court documents, Steven R. Hale, 37, of Memphis, worked for a multinational company that, among other things, manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays of movies. From approximately February 2021 to March 2022, Hale allegedly stole numerous “pre-release” DVDs and Blu-rays, that is, discs being prepared for commercial distribution in the United States and not available for sale to the public. These included DVDs and Blu-rays for such popular films as “F9: The Fast Saga,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Godzilla v. Kong,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Dune,” and “Black Widow.” Hale allegedly sold the DVDs and Blu-rays through e-commerce sites. At least one pre-release Blu-ray that Hale allegedly stole and sold, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” was “ripped” — that is, extracted from the Blu-ray by bypassing the encryption that prevents unauthorized copying — and copied. That digital copy was then illegally made available over the internet more than a month before the Blu-ray’s official scheduled release date. Copies of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” were downloaded tens of millions of times, with an estimated loss to the copyright owner of tens of millions of dollars. The indictment, unsealed today, charges Hale with two counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each criminal copyright infringement count and 10 years in prison on the interstate transportation of stolen goods count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti and Trial Attorney Debra Ireland of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Public Servants Plead Guilty to Covid-19 Relief Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Angelo Stephen, a Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Correctional Officer, and George Arestuche, a Miami-Dade County Aviation Department employee, have pled guilty to federal charges in separate federal cases for defrauding Covid-19 pandemic relief programs. Stephen pled guilty this week before Chief U.S. District Judge Cecila M. Altonaga to wire fraud in connection with his fraudulent applications for two Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). He also admitted to wire fraud for his participation in two bank account takeover schemes. Arestuche pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in connection with his receipt of one EIDL and one EIDL advance. Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck accepted Arestuche’s guilty plea this week. Angelo Stephen During his change of plea hearing, Stephen admitted that in an EIDL application he submitted to the Small Business Association (SBA), he falsely claimed to be an independent contractor and sole owner of a 10-employee business that did event planning and entertainment services. He also admitted that in this EIDL application, he falsely certified that for the applicable 12-month period, his business had gross revenues of approximately $62,018 and a cost of goods sold of $0. Stephen obtained from the SBA $20,000 in EIDL funds, to which he was not entitled. Stephen also admitted at the change of plea hearing that he submitted false information in two PPP loan applications. In both applications (one submitted in April 2021, the second a month later), Stephen falsely claimed that he owned a business that grossed $106,554 in income in 2020, submitting a fake IRS Form 1040 Schedule C to support his fraudulent requests. Stephen received separate $20,833 PPP loans from two different SBA-approved lenders for the non-existent business. Finally, at the change of plea, Stephen also admitted his role in two bank account takeover schemes. On March 30, 2023, after his first scheme, Stephen received a $20,000 wire transfer from the account of an unsuspecting victim in Virginia, and thereafter quickly withdrew all illegally obtained money through a series of cash withdrawals and through Zelle transfers to others. In the second takeover scheme, Stephen and his accomplices obtained new checks from the credit union account of a different unsuspecting victim. Stephen then used one of those checks to obtain $8,500 in cash that he was not entitled to. Stephen is scheduled for sentencing on May 22, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief U.S. District Judge Altonaga in Miami, Florida, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison. George Arestuche According to the facts admitted at his change of plea, George Arestuche and a co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the SBA by submitting a false and fraudulent application to allow Arestuche to fraudulently obtain an EIDL loan in exchange for Arestuche paying the co-conspirator a large fee. To carry out this conspiracy, on July 9, 2020, Arestuche’s submitted to the SBA a false and fraudulent EIDL application on Arestuche’s behalf claiming that Arestuche was an independent contractor and the 100% owner of an “Automotive Repair” business operating under the legal and DBA name “george.” That EIDL application falsely certified that for the 12-month period prior to January 31, 2020, “george” had gross revenues of $600,000, a cost of goods sold of $184,000, and 10 employees. In reality, Arestuche was not an independent contractor and did not own any type of business. This EIDL application was supported by a fraudulent 2019 IRS Form 1040 and Schedule C in Arestuche’s name that falsely claimed that he had a “mechanic” business that had gross receipts of $725,000 and earned a net profit of $706,151. As a result of this false and fraudulent EIDL application, Arestuche obtained from the SBA $149,900 in EIDL proceeds and a $10,000 EIDL advance, and he subsequently paid his co-conspirator $17,275 for helping him fraudulently obtain this money from the SBA. Arestuche is scheduled for sentencing on May 12, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before Senior U.S. District Judge Paul C. Huck in Miami, where he faces a possible maximum sentence of up to 5 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Andrew Hartwell of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General’s Fraud Detection Office (DOJ-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG), Eastern Region, Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Inspector General Felix Jimenez of the Miami-Dade County Office of Inspector General (MDC-OIG) announced the guilty pleas. DOJ-OIG and SBA-OIG investigated the Stephen case. SBA-OIG and the FBI’s Miami Area Corruption Task Force, which includes task force officers from the MDC-OIG, investigated the Arestuche case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward N. Stamm is prosecuting both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annika Miranda is handling forfeiture matters on the Stephen case while Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling forfeiture matters on the Arestuche case. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. 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, among other methods, 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 . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here . 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 at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case numbers 25-cr-20014 and 25-cr-20001. ###


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Former Paralegal for Wire Fraud, Tax Evasion, and Aggravated Identity Theft

body_text: Louisville, KY – A federal grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, returned an indictment on March 4, 2025, charging a former paralegal with 8 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of tax evasion, and 1 count of aggravated identity theft. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, and Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement. According to the indictment, Crystal Whitaker, 44, currently of Somerset, was charged with 8 counts of wire fraud, 3 counts of tax evasion, and 1 count of aggravated identity theft, all of which occurred between March 30, 2020, and March 3, 2025. Whitaker was working as a paralegal for attorney J.R.S. at law firm SLG. when J.R.S. passed away. Whitaker then added herself to SLG’s bank accounts by concealing J.R.S.’s death. Once added to SLG’s bank accounts, Whitaker withdrew money from the accounts to make unauthorized personal purchases. Additionally, Whitaker filed a false tax return for calendar year 2020, failing to report all of the income she earned and that she embezzled. Whitaker failed to file any tax returns for calendar years 2021 and 2022. On March 6, 2025, Whitaker made an initial court appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. If convicted, Whitaker faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years and a maximum sentence of 177 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the USPIS and the IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Ansari is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Former MPD Officer Pleads Guilty to COVID Emergency Loan Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Kalynn Fields, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with filing false and misleading information in order to reap $35,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Fields, a former patrol officer with the Metropolitan Police Department, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, which carries a potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The Honorable Trevor P. McFadden presided over the guilty plea and scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2025. According to court documents, Fields used two companies, founded in May and June 2022, to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan and a Paycheck Protection Program Loan. At the time, Fields was employed by the MPD. Although Fields was required to report any outside business venture to MPD pursuant to MPD policies, Fields failed to do so. Neither company had a legitimate purpose, and each was created only to obtain EIDL and PPP loans. There were numerous false and fraudulent misrepresentations in the loan applications. As a result of the false information provided Fields received loans worth $35,000, which were later forgiven. This case was investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca G. Ross. 25cr43


title: Plantersville Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years In Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Greenville, MS – A Plantersville man was sentenced yesterday to over 10 years in prison for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Alonzo Gilleyen, 48, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Gilleyen was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Debra Brown on Wednesday to 151 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for drug trafficking. Gilleyen was sentenced as a career offender because of his two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking. “The citizens of this district have every right to expect that repeat offenders, particularly those trafficking in dangerous narcotics, will be held to account for their conduct as was the case for this defendant,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I am extremely proud of the efforts of AUSAs Chad Doleac and Kim Hampton alongside our partners at DEA, MBN, and the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit to remove this drug dealer from our community.” “As a career offender, this individual has shown a pattern of behavior that threatens the safety and well-being of our community,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “We will continue to pursue justice against those who perpetuate the cycle of drug abuse and crime, ensuring tour neighborhoods remain safe for all. Our efforts will not waver as we work to dismantle the networks that contribute to this ongoing issue.” The Drug Enforcement Administration, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad M. Doleac and Kimberly Hampton prosecuted the case.


title: Former Lawyer Sentenced for Paying for Sex Acts with Cambodian Children

body_text: A Florida man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for paying a child in a foreign country to engage in a commercial sex act with him. According to court documents, Rugh James Cline, 44, a former Florida-licensed attorney of Tampa, travelled to Cambodia and paid four Cambodian children to engage in sex acts with him on multiple occasions. Additionally, when he was arrested in Cambodia, Cline was found to be in possession of a laptop containing hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case. The U.S. Department of State, Cambodian National Police, and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided assistance. Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ilyssa Spergel and Courtney Derry for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Gang Member Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the Minneapolis Highs gang was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in a racketeering (RICO) conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, Deandre Poe, a.k.a. “Squizzy” or “Fat Squad,” 35, was a member of the Highs, a street gang operating on the north side of Minneapolis since approximately 2004. The Highs congregated at specific businesses and residences located at or near the West Broadway Avenue and Lyndale Avenue North intersection. Highs members proved their loyalty to the gang by “putting in work,” i.e., committing acts of violence for the benefit of the gang or offering other benefits such as introducing a source for drugs or firearms. Highs members were expected to “hunt” rival gang members: an express directive to locate and kill rivals. If they did not, Highs members were expelled from the gang and physically assaulted for failing to “put in work.” According to court documents, Poe was part of the Highs extensive fentanyl trafficking operation involving Arizona-based suppliers. Between November 2022 and March 2023, Poe made several round-trip flights from Minneapolis to Phoenix, where he mailed at least four bulk parcels of fentanyl back to Minnesota using the U.S. Postal Service. On October 3, 2024, Poe pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in a RICO conspiracy with the Highs criminal enterprise. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Nancy E. Brasel on March 4, 2025. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and Minnesota Department of Corrections with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, Dakota County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, and numerous other law enforcement agencies also contributed to this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Albania Concepcion, Carla J. Baumel, Rebecca E. Kline and Thomas Calhoun-Lopez for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney Brian W. Lynch of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case.


title: Detroit Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Edward Keith Perkins, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 19, 2024, Perkins shipped a box containing approximately 4.43 kilograms of methamphetamine from California to a Virginia Street address on the West Side of Charleston, West Virginia. On August 22, 2024, Perkins drove to the Virginia Street address. Law enforcement approached the vehicle Perkins was driving after a passenger in the vehicle retrieved the package from the porch of the residence and placed it in the vehicle’s trunk. Perkins fled the vehicle when the officers approached but was later apprehended. Perkins admitted that the package contained approximately 50 grams of fentanyl in addition to the 4.43 kilograms of methamphetamine. Perkins has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for assault, carjacking and carrying a concealed weapon. “The investigation in this case revealed that the defendant distributed nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100 grams of fentanyl that he shipped from California to West Virginia and Tennessee,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Today’s sentence is the result of this office’s commitment to work closely with our law enforcement partners and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent to keep our communities safe.” Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-158. ###


component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – A worker at a DVD and Blu-ray manufacturing and distribution company used by major movie studios was arrested today in Memphis, Tennessee, for allegedly stealing DVDs and Blu-rays of blockbuster movies from the company and selling them before their official scheduled release dates. A digital copy of at least one of the stolen Blu-rays was illegally distributed tens of millions of times over the internet, causing the copyright owner tens of millions of dollars in losses. According to court documents, Steven R. Hale, 37, of Memphis, worked for a multinational company that, among other things, manufactured and distributed DVDs and Blu-rays of movies. From approximately February 2021 to March 2022, Hale allegedly stole numerous “pre-release” DVDs and Blu-rays, that is, discs being prepared for commercial distribution in the United States and not available for sale to the public. These included DVDs and Blu-rays for such popular films as “F9: The Fast Saga,” “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” “Godzilla v. Kong,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” “Dune,” and “Black Widow.” Hale allegedly sold the DVDs and Blu-rays through e-commerce sites. At least one pre-release Blu-ray that Hale allegedly stole and sold, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” was “ripped” — that is, extracted from the Blu-ray by bypassing the encryption that prevents unauthorized copying — and copied. That digital copy was then illegally made available over the internet more than a month before the Blu-ray’s official scheduled release date. Copies of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” were downloaded tens of millions of times, with an estimated loss to the copyright owner of tens of millions of dollars. The indictment, unsealed today, charges Hale with two counts of criminal copyright infringement and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each criminal copyright infringement count and 10 years in prison on the interstate transportation of stolen goods count. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti and Trial Attorney Debra Ireland of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Raney Irwin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### CRM 25-227 If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.


title: Tampa Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Firearm  And Ammunition As A Convicted Felon

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Brandon Palmore (30, Tampa) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Palmore faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Palmore has agreed to forfeit the Sig Sauer handgun and ammunition used in the commission of the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on December 1, 2023, agents were conducting surveillance at an apartment complex in Tampa in relation to an outstanding arrest warrant for Palmore and observed him walking to his vehicle. As Palmore was given commands to exit the vehicle, he was seen reaching toward the center console and passenger floorboard area of the vehicle. A Sig Sauer handgun was found where Palmore had been seen reaching. The handgun was loaded and had previously been reported stolen. At the time, Palmore had multiple prior felony convictions, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and shooting at, within, or into, a vehicle. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Guatemalan National Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and West Haven Police Chief Joseph Perno announced that MARIO RENE GARCIA MARTINEZ, also known as “Mario Rene Martinez Garcia,” 33, a citizen of Guatemala was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint charging him with child exploitation offenses. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on two occasions in February 2024, in Connecticut, Garcia Martinez used his smartphone to record sexually explicit videos and images of a prepubescent minor female while she was sleeping. Garcia Martinez was arrested this morning in Valley Stream, New York. He appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was ordered detained. The complaint charges Garcia Martinez with production of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and with possession of child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Ansonia-Milford. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Crowheart man sentenced to 25 years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor

body_text: Quinlin James Hernandez, 32, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for sexual abuse. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on March 5 in Casper. According to court documents, on April 13, 2024, a 14-year-old minor victim who had been reported missing was located at the residence of Hernandez. She was able to send a text to her grandmother to come pick her up at that location. During her forensic interview, she stated that Hernandez and several minors picked her up April 10, 2023, without the knowledge of her guardians. Hernandez drove to a liquor store, where he bought alcohol and then drove the minors to his residence in Crowheart. At the residence, all the minors and the defendant drank the alcohol. Hernandez began flirting with and making sexual advances toward the minor victim. The minor victim was at Hernandez’s residence for approximately two and a half days, during which Hernandez forced himself on the minor victim, sexually abusing her twice. The victim underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examination and Hernandez’s seminal fluid and DNA were confirmed to be on the victim’s clothing. He was indicted on May 16, 2024. When interviewed, Hernandez denied sexually abusing the minor victim. However, when he entered his plea of guilty on December 13, 2024, he admitted that he had sex with the minor victim when she was too drunk to either consent or decline to have sex with him. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the FBI investigated this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry Jacobson prosecuted the case. This case was brought about by Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet and to identify and rescue victims. Case No. 24-CR-00087


title: Palmetto Man Arrested And Charged With Evading Tax Payments And Filing False Tax Returns

body_text: Tampa, FL - Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Terry Brunning was arrested and charged with evasion of the payment of taxes and four counts of filing false income tax returns. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the evasion count, and up to three years’ imprisonment for each count of filing of a false tax return. According to the indictment, between 2005 and December 2019, Brunning evaded the payment of taxes due and owed by him for income he earned and failed to report and pay taxes on between 1998 and 2001. During the period between 2005 and 2018, aware of the tax assessment by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) against him for more than $2 million in taxes, penalties, and interest, Brunning continued to earn income from a new business. He used that income to pay for personal expenses and personal assets which he tried to conceal from the IRS. He also failed to make any substantial payment to the IRS for his earlier tax debt and failed to file income tax returns between 2007 and 2018. After IRS-CI agents sought to interview Brunning in October 2018 in connection with their investigation, Brunning resumed the filing of income tax returns for a number of years, including tax years 2015 through 2018. The income tax returns which he filed for those years contained false reports related to the amounts of income that he had earned in each of those years, resulting in the underreporting of more than $490,000 in income for those four years. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Tampa Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Naugatuck Man Admits Possessing Child Sex Abuse Material While on State Probation for Prior Child Exploitation Offenses

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TRAVIS TILLEY, 41, of Naugatuck, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today to possession of child pornography. According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, Tilley was convicted in state court of risk of injury to a child, which involved sexual intercourse with a person under 13, and possession of child pornography. In August 2022, he was released from state custody and began serving a 15-year term of probation. On March 9, 2023, state probation officers conducted an unannounced visit to Tilley’s residence and seized his laptop and a flash drive. Analysis of the seized items revealed that Tilley had utilized prohibited software and had accessed sites that provide sexually explicit material; that he was using encrypted email and messenger services; that he had used an operating system that is configured to leave no digital footprint; and that he was a member of internet chat rooms that focused on child pornography and AI-generated child pornography. The analysis also revealed two videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent children, approximately 60 images of AI-generated child pornography, and sexually explicit chat room messages sent by the laptop user. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 6, at which time Tilley faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Tilley’s prior state convictions. Tilley has been detained since his state arrest on March 28, 2023. This investigation has been conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Connecticut Court Support Services Division – Adult Probation Services and the Westport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Waterbury. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Illegal Possession of Ammunition Following Reported Assault Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal Prison for Three Years

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – FRANCISCO JERARD HOUSE , SR. , a/k/a Cisco, 45, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 36 months in federal prison for illegal possession of ammunition following a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. On September 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned a two-count Superseding Indictment against House, charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to public record, in March 2024, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) received a report that House sexually assaulted a woman with a firearm present. On March 27, 2024, OCPD officers executed a search warrant at House’s address and recovered a firearm and several rounds of ammunition. On November 21, 2024, House pleaded guilty and admitted he possessed ammunition despite his criminal record. At the sentencing hearing on February 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced House to serve 36 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. In announcing her sentence, Judge Dishman cited the need to protect the public and promote respect for the law. She also noted House’s previous criminal history, including charges of domestic violence, and allegations contained in the protective orders previously issued against him. Public record reflects that House has a previous felony conviction in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2007-507 for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and larceny of a motor vehicle. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Man From Clear Lake, Iowa, Pleads Guilty to Producing and Distributing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who produced and distributed child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa. David Bradley Garrison, age 43, from Clear Lake, Iowa, was convicted of sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Garrison admitted that he sexually exploited a child in July 2021 by producing a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. He also admitted that between June 2021 and August 2021, he distributed visual depictions of child pornography to other individuals. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Garrison remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Garrison faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $95,200 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Dillan Edwards, and it was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation, and Rockwell Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-3054. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Clarence Montana Walls, 39, of Huntington, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Walls sold quantities of methamphetamine at a Richwood residence on five occasions between October 11 and October 26, 2023, each time to a confidential informant. Walls also sold a quantify of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Clay County on May 9, 2023. With his guilty plea, Walls admitted to the October 11, 2023, methamphetamine transaction in Richwood. On October 31, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Richwood residence, where Walls had been living, and seized $650 in prerecorded money from the controlled drug buys in addition to $3,625 and a small quantity of controlled substances. Walls has a long criminal history that includes prior convictions for second-degree criminal sexual conduct, domestic violence, providing false information to officers, and multiple controlled substance offenses. The Court also concluded that Walls obstructed justice following his arrest in the case, when he made recorded jail phone calls to an individual in an attempt to influence the individual’s grand jury testimony against him. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Central Regional Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Isabell and Alexander A. Redmon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-77. ###


title: Mahnomen Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of Firearms

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A Mahnomen man has been charged with illegal possession of firearms as a felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, on July 17, 2023, Adam James Webster, 23, was found in possession of a Remington rifle and 12 gauge shot gun. Because Webster has a prior felony conviction in Mahnomen County for third degree assault, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The indictment charges Webster with one count of illegal possession of firearms. He made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Alice R. Senechal in the District of North Dakota. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the White Earth Police Department, the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Drug Supplier from New Hampshire Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Multi-State Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New Hampshire man who supplied Lawrence-area drug dealers with large quantities of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston. Cote Colby, 29, of Derry, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In April 2023, Colby was indicted along with three other defendants in this drug trafficking conspiracy. An investigation began in September 2022 into a drug trafficking organization distributing fentanyl, fentanyl pills, cocaine base and methamphetamine, including counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in the Merrimack Valley areas of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The investigation identified Colby as a significant drug distributor for the organization, making thousands of dollars per transaction. Over the course of the investigation, Colby distributed narcotics to several cooperating witnesses in numerous controlled purchases. In total, it is estimated that Colby is responsible for distributing approximately 422 grams of pure methamphetamine and 26 grams of fentanyl. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Massachusetts State Police; Essex County Sheriff’s Department; Massachusetts Parole Board; and the Derry (N.H.), Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen and Salisbury Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN. This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national residing in Waltham has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. William Estruado Rodriguez-Botello, 39, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is 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 Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Billings man sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing child pornography

body_text: BILLINGS — A Billings man who possessed and traded child pornography was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He was also ordered to pay $22,000 in special assessments to the United States Nathan Allen Sayler, 48, pleaded guilty in April 2024 to possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that in September 2020 law enforcement in Texas arrested an individual who was exchanging child pornography on social media with someone in Montana. His social media accounts were reviewed, and law enforcement learned after an extensive investigation that the person in Montana was Sayler. Because Sayler was a convicted sex offender, law enforcement conducted a probation search of his house and interviewed him. Sayler denied using the cell phone associated with the social media account trading child pornography, which was never found by the authorities. But Sayler later admitted to another witness that he was in possession of the phone during the search and discarded it after law enforcement left his residence. In January 2024, agents executed a search warrant on Sayler’s Gmail accounts and discovered images of child pornography on one of them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. 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 Justice.gov/PSC . XXX


title: Medical Billing Company Owner Sentenced for Health Care Fraud

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Scott Newcombe, age 41, of Plattsburgh, New York, was sentenced today to 1 year of probation, and ordered to pay $34,583.21 in restitution, for health care fraud. Acting United States Attorney Daniel Hanlon; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), New York Regional Office, made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Newcombe admitted that from approximately April 2020 through April 2023, he acted as the office manager and health care claims biller for two physicians’ practices in Plattsburgh through a company that he formed called SJ Healthcare Management Services, LLC (SJHMS). SJHMS charged a fixed monthly fee under which Newcombe performed various management, administrative, and billing services for the practices. He admitted that he submitted false and fraudulent claims to public and private insurers on behalf of those practices for services that, in some instances, were never provided and, in other instances, were provided at lower reimbursement rates than the amounts billed. For example, Newcombe admitted that he submitted claims to insurers for medical procedures that were purportedly performed by a provider on him but which, in fact, never occurred. The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Adam J. Katz prosecuted the case.


title: 5 Charged in Alleged $3.3 Million Scam to Obtain COVID Jobless Benefits for Unqualified Individuals, Including Children and Inmates

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Five defendants – including a California Highway Patrol (CHP) dispatcher and her convicted-felon husband – have been taken into federal custody on a 10-count indictment alleging they fraudulently obtained more than $3.3 million in COVID-19 government unemployment benefits using stolen identities and personal identifiable information, the Justice Department announced today. The following defendants were charged by a federal grand jury with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud: Janet Clarise Gloria Theus, 44, of Lancaster; Diane Clarise Theus, 78, of Lancaster, Janet Theus’ mother; Dailen Spears, 24, of Carson; Erica Abson Robins, 57, of Compton, a CHP dispatcher; and Ronald Lee Robins, 62, of Compton, Erica Robins’ husband, who was serving a state prison sentence for first-degree burglary during the alleged scheme. Janet Theus also is charged with four counts of bank fraud. Diane Theus and Erica Abson Robins each have been charged with two counts of bank fraud. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, Erica Abson Robins, and Ronald Lee Robins are charged with one count of unlawful use of unauthorized access devices. Janet Theus and Diane Theus surrendered to federal authorities today and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Erica Abson Robins and Ronald Lee Robins were arrested Wednesday. Spears surrendered to federal authorities on Wednesday. All three of these defendants were arraigned and pleaded not guilty to all charges. An April 29 trial date was scheduled. Erica Robins and Spears were ordered released on $10,000 bond. A detention hearing was scheduled for March 11 for Ronald Robins, who remains in federal custody. According to the indictment returned February 12 and unsealed today, the defendants from April 2020 to July 2022 executed a scheme to collect and share personal information, including names and Social Security numbers, from individuals to fraudulently receive COVID-19 unemployment cash benefits. After collecting this personal information, the defendants submitted fraudulent COVID-19 unemployment assistance applications, falsely claiming that the applicants had lost jobs because of the pandemic. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, and Erica Robins then withdrew cash at ATMs from the job-loss cash assistance accounts they conspired to create. The indictment further alleges that, in total, defendants caused at least approximately 293 applications for unemployment benefits to be filed, resulting in payouts of approximately $3.3 million. Approximately 169 of the benefits applications the defendants caused to be filed were for children under the age of 18, approximately 106 of which were for children under the age of 10. The defendants also caused to be submitted at least 17 COVID-19 job-loss claims for individuals who were in fact incarcerated prisoners. The indictment also alleges that Erica Robins used her position as a California Highway Patrol dispatcher to query a law enforcement database containing Social Security numbers and dates of birth regarding an inmate at the California Men’s Colony state prison in San Luis Obispo, which was then used to obtain COVID-19 job-loss cash benefits. At the time, Erica Robins’ husband, Ronald Robins, was an inmate at that same prison. While incarcerated, Robins collected Social Security numbers and dates of birth from other inmates, which Janet Theus and Diane Theus then used to withdraw COVID-19 job-loss cash benefits. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted of all charges, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each bank fraud-related count. Janet Theus, Diane Theus, Erica Robins, and Ronald Robins would face up to 10 years in federal prison for unlawful use of unauthorized access devices. 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, among other methods, 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 . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . 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 at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . A number of law enforcement agencies are providing significant support, including the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Secret Service; the California Employment Development Department; California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Diane B. Roldán and Matthew J. Tako of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting these cases.


title: Owner Of Marketing Companies And DME Company Convicted For Role In $100 Million Scheme To Defraud Medicare And Other Insurers And To Violate The Anti-Kickback Statute

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. A Florida man was convicted by a federal jury for his role in a durable medical equipment (DME) kickback scheme that caused millions of dollars in losses to Medicare and other insurance providers, United States Attorney John Giordano announced. Following a month-long jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz, Raheel Naviwala, 36, of Coral Springs, Florida, was convicted on Feb. 28, 2025, of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, one count of health care fraud, conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, and three counts of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute. He was also acquitted of two counts of health care fraud. “This Office is committed to prosecuting those like the defendant who seek to profit by defrauding and corrupting our nation’s medical systems,” United States Attorney John Giordano said. “When people siphon millions from Medicare to line their own pockets, regular citizens pay the price. This case demonstrates that serious consequences will follow for such conduct.” “The scheme Naviwala and his co-conspirators created to steal money from the government was complex and expansive,” FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly said. “However, FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners have the expertise and grit to dig through mountains of data and find the fraudsters. We want this case to serve as a warning to anyone hoping to capitalize on hiding under the red tape - we are still here, and you will eventually get caught.” “The defendant convicted in this case prioritized greed over the provision of appropriate health care services to patients, bilking the federal government for medically unnecessary durable medical equipment,” stated Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure the integrity of the federal health care system and hold accountable owners and providers engaging in fraud that targets its programs.” “Investigating corrupt schemes that undermine the integrity of TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their families, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS),” stated Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. “Mr. Naviwala’s illegal schemes put the TRICARE program and its beneficiaries at risk. We are committed to working with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice to pursue those individuals who selfishly place personal gain over the safety and care of TRICARE beneficiaries.” “Schemes such as these compromise the integrity of VA’s programs and services and divert funds from our nation’s deserving veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them accountable.” According to the evidence at trial: Naviwala and his coconspirators purchased lists of Medicare patients’ names, addresses, and phone numbers, and hired telemarketers to convince the patients to get DME (orthotic braces). These telemarketers pre-filled prescriptions and picked the highest-paying braces to bill to insurers. Naviwala then paid telemedicine doctors to sign the pre-filled prescriptions for braces, regardless of whether the patients needed or wanted braces. Generally, the telemedicine doctor did not even speak to the patients before signing the pre-filled prescriptions. Naviwala then sold the signed prescriptions to DME supply companies that could bill Medicare, TRICARE, and other insurers for the braces. To conceal the fraud, Naviwala and his coconspirators signed sham contracts and used sham invoices that falsely represented that Naviwala was billing DME supply companies for marketing or consulting. Naviwala also owned and operated a DME supply company that was used to bill Medicare, and which submitted claims to Medicare for up to nine braces for a single patient. To further conceal his illegal conduct, Naviwala put multiple of his businesses in the names of nominee owners. The nominee owners generally performed no legitimate work for any company and were paid to hide Naviwala’s involvement. Medicare and other insurers paid hundreds of millions of dollars to members of the conspiracy and paid at least approximately $100 million for DME associated with Naviwala’s companies. Naviwala personally pocketed more than $10 million in fraud proceeds. Conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. Health care fraud is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Conspiracy to violate the federal Anti-Kickback Statute is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison. Each count of illegal kickbacks is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. Each count is also punishable by a fine. Sentencing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 29, 2025, before Judge Farbiarz in Newark. United States Attorney John Giordano credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Terence G. Reilly in Newark; HHS-OIG, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; DCIS, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty; and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher F. Algieri with the investigation leading to the conviction. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elaine K. Lou, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division, and Aaron L. Webman of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. ### Defense counsel: Jamie Hoxie Solano, Esq. New York, New York Amy C. Brown, Esq. New York, New York Bryan W. McCracken, Esq. New York, New York Ifedapo Benjamin, Esq. New York, New York


title: Former Flight Attendant Pleads Guilty to Filming Minors in Aircraft Lavatory

body_text: BOSTON – A former American Airlines flight attendant has pleaded guilty to surreptitiously recording or attempting to record a minor female passenger using the lavatory aboard an aircraft in September 2023. The defendant also pleaded guilty to possessing recordings of four additional minor female passengers using lavatories aboard the aircraft he had worked previously. Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, N.C., pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor. U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2025. In April 2024, Thompson was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston. On Sept. 2, 2023, while working as a flight attendant onboard an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, N.C. to Boston, Mass., Thompson video-recorded or attempted to surreptitiously video-record a 14-year-old female passenger as she used the lavatory. Specifically, before the minor victim entered the lavatory, Thompson told her that he needed to wash his hands, and that the lavatory’s toilet seat was broken and briefly entered the lavatory. After Thompson exited the lavatory, the minor victim entered and observed red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid, which was in the open position, that stated, “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” and “REMOVE FROM SERVICE,” and “SEAT BROKEN” was hand-written in black ink on one of the stickers. Beneath the red stickers, Thompson had concealed his iPhone to record a video. The minor victim informed her parents of what she saw and showed them the picture upon returning to her seat. The victim’s father confronted Thompson, who then locked himself in the lavatory with his iPhone for three to five minutes prior to the flight’s descent. Upon the flight’s arrival at Boston’s Logan Airport, law enforcement observed that Thompson had restored his iPhone to factory settings. A subsequent search of Thompson’s suitcase was found to contain 11 “INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT” stickers, like those observed by the minor victim on the back of the toilet seat. A search of Thompson’s iCloud account revealed four additional instances between January and August 2023 in which Thompson recorded a minor using the lavatory on an aircraft. The minor victims depicted in the surreptitious recordings were seven, nine, 11 and 14 years old at the time. Additionally, over 50 images of a nine-year-old unaccompanied minor were found in Thompson’s iCloud. The images included photos taken while the minor victim was seated in her seat pre-flight and close-ups of her face while sleeping. Additionally, hundreds of AI-generated images depicting child sexual abuse were also found stored on Thompson’s iCloud account. All minor victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families have been contacted by law enforcement. The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Both charges also provide for at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division is 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: Dominican National Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Possessing 70 Kilos of Cocaine

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national living in Manchester, N.H. was sentenced today in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Miguel Angel Martinez Lugo, a/k/a “Jesus Manuel Encarnacion,” a/k/a “Jose Rosado Rabell,” 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 14 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the sentence imposed. In December 2024 , Martinez Lugo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. On April 4, 2024, law enforcement observed a black Acura MDX with a New Hampshire license plate registered to Martinez Lugo under his alias, “Jesus Encarnacion,” and a Chevrolet pickup truck with an Ohio license plate in close proximity to one another that appeared to be travelling together. Law enforcement followed the two vehicles as they drove down a number of streets and then ultimately parked on a street in Salem, Mass. The two vehicles were parked in such a way that their trunks were visible and two males, one of which was identified as Martinez Lugo, transported a heavy-duty black plastic storage bin with a yellow lid from the pickup truck to the black Acura MDX. Two additional heavy duty black plastic storage bins were observed inside of the black Acura MDX. When the Black Acura MDX passed the law enforcement vehicle, the driver, Martinez Lugo, made eye contact with the officer and then quickly parked and abandoned the vehicle. A search warrant was subsequently sought for the vehicle and 70 kilograms of cocaine was found inside the three plastic storage bins along with three cellular phones, among other things. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Lucas J. Miller of the Salem (Mass.) Police Department; and Chief Peter Marr of the Manchester N.H. Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Marshals and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Spree of Violent Armed Carjackings and Armed Robberies Results in Guilty Plea

body_text: WASHINGTON – Javon Roach, 20, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to his role in a spree of violent armed carjackings and armed robberies perpetrated against 17 victims across Washington D.C. in early 2023. The plea agreement was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Roach pleaded guilty to three counts of carjacking and two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras scheduled sentencing for June 27, 2025. He is subject to a mandatory minimum of 14 years in prison and facing a sentence up to 20.5 years when he is sentenced. According to court documents, Roach admitted to perpetrating six armed carjackings and five armed robberies between March 6 and March 28, 2023. In these incidents, Roach used firearms to threaten 16 victims and steal their property. Roach’s prior conviction in Fairfax County, Virginia, for possession of a machinegun and assault of a police officer resulted from his arrest on March 30, 2023. As part of this spree, Roach led police on a high-speed chase in a carjacked vehicle, rammed into police vehicles, and was ultimately arrested with a handgun with a machine gun conversion device attachment on his person. This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Gaelin Bernstein and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall. 24cr349


title: Marquette Heights Felon Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Possession of a Stolen Firearm and Unregistered Destructive Devices

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

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Marquette Heights, Illinois, man, Dalton Lee Mattus, 35, was sentenced on March 5, 2025, to an aggregate 57 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a felon, possessing a stolen firearm, and possessing an unregistered destructive device. At the sentencing hearing in front of Senior U.S. District Judge Michael M. Mihm, the court was informed that Mattus had multiple prior criminal convictions within Tazewell and Peoria Counties that prohibited him from possessing a firearm. In May 2024, he was the passenger in a car that was stopped by Pekin Police Department officers. During the traffic stop, the officers confiscated a locked bag from the car. After obtaining a search warrant for the bag, they found a stolen Springfield Armory XD-S .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol and two unregistered destructive devices. The devices were made from cardboard tubing, metal BBs, and chemical powder used to make explosives. The officers also obtained a search warrant for Mattus’s residence, where they found three additional unregistered destructive devices, along with materials to make several more. Officers also seized 50 rounds of live ammunition and equipment used to assemble and disassemble firearms. In sentencing Mattus, Judge Mihm commented that while this was a very serious case, what was most troubling was that the explosives were homemade and were intended to harm others. The judge commented that this is “about as bad as it gets.” Mattus was arrested by the Pekin Police Department in May 2024, and a federal complaint was filed two weeks later, followed by a federal indictment in June 2024. He entered a guilty plea in October 2024. The statutory penalties for possessing a firearm as a felon are not more than 15 years’ imprisonment. The maximum term of imprisonment for possessing a stolen firearm and possessing an unregistered destructive device is ten years’ imprisonment. Each count carries up to a three-year term of supervised release. The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. The Pekin Police Department and Tazewell County Sheriff’s Department also participated in the investigation. The case against Mattus is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Skagit County man once declared a sexually violent predator, pleads guilty to receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuse

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 71–year-old Skagit County man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to receipt and possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Alan Lewis Meirhofer faces a mandatory minimum 15-year prison sentence when he is sentenced by U.S. District Judge John H. Chun on June 2, 2025. According to records filed in the case, Meirhofer befriended teen boys in the Skagit County area by inviting them to hang out at his residence, where he provided them “gifts’ such as food, clothing, alcohol, cash, and marijuana. When one of the boys borrowed the phone, he noticed that Meirhofer had sent members of a group chat, images of his friends. The teen also saw images of child sexual abuse on the phone. The teens mother alerted police and Meirhofer was arrested in March 2021 and his electronic devices were seized. The FBI asked the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, (NCMEC) for any cyber tips associated with internet accounts linked to Meirhofer. There were more than a dozen reports of images of child sexual abuse linked to accounts controlled by Meirhofer. On July 17, 2024, Meirhofer was taken into federal custody. In 1988 Meirhofer was convicted of burglary, kidnapping and rape. In 1990, Meirhofer was convicted of Burglary in the First Degree While Armed with a Deadly Weapon and Assault in the Second Degree. Meirhofer was civilly committed to the sexually violent predator Civil Commitment Center on McNeil Island. He was released in 2017 as a registered sex offender level 3, the level with the highest risk of reoffending. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellingham Police Department, and the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.


title: Waterloo Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: A man who possessed child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Forrest Rindels, age 69, of Waterloo, was convicted of two counts of possession of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Rindels admitted that, between 2021 and 2022, he knowingly possessed child pornography on a tablet and a micro SD card. He also admitted that he was convicted of receipt of child pornography in the Northern District of Iowa in 2016. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Rindels remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Rindels faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Waterloo Police Department. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is CR 24-2055. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Dominican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Methuen has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Florencio Antonio Nuñez Guerrero, 37, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Nuñez Guerrero is currently in state custody for unrelated charges and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the indictment, Nuñez Guerrero was deported from the United States on March 3, 2017, after serving a federal sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin. It is alleged that sometime after his March 2017 removal, Nuñez Guerrero illegally reentered the United States without permission. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is 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 Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office, HSI and ATF Charge Four Illegal Aliens with Firearms Offenses in New Mexico

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Federal authorities announced charges against four illegal aliens for unlawful possession of firearms and related offenses following a series of state-wide law enforcement operations. On February 25, 2025, HSI executed a search warrant at an apartment in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In one bedroom, agents recovered a loaded pistol with an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition. A witness stated that the firearm belonged to Maikol Ramos and had previously seen it in his possession. Ramos , a citizen of Venezuela, was confirmed to be present in the United States unlawfully. Ramos is charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition. In another bedroom, agents recovered another loaded pistol and ammunition from under a bed. Antoni Herrera, confirmed to be a Venezuelan national unlawfully present in the U.S., admitted the firearm was his and that he had received it two weeks prior as payment for a debt. Herrera is charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition. On February 19, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a federal search warrant at a residence of Raul Esparza-Gonzalez in Espanola, New Mexico. Agents discovered 11 firearms, including pistols, revolvers, shotguns, and rifles. Esparza-Gonzalez admitted to purchasing the firearms privately, knowing it was illegal for him to possess them. He stated he had been deported to Mexico previously and re-entered the United States illegally about six years ago. Esparza-Gonzalez is charged by criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm. In a separate investigation, HSI initiated an inquiry into Cristhian Ortega-Lopez in January 2025, following an anonymous tip. Ortega-Lopez , an illegal alien from Venezuela suspected of being affiliated with Tren de Aragua, was allegedly residing with other illegal aliens in Las Cruces and had been in possession of firearms. The investigators determined Ortega-Lopez had entered the U.S. illegally on December 15, 2023, and was released pending removal proceedings. Social media evidence showed Ortega-Lopez in possession of multiple firearms at a shooting range in Las Cruces. Ortega-Lopez is charged by criminal complaint with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm or ammunition. All four men will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, they each face 15 years in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin, Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated these cases with enforcement assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Trembley, Patrick Cordova, Maria Armijo, and Ry Ellison are prosecuting these cases.