title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Nine Years In Prison For Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced Tuesday by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to nine years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Las Vegas. According to court documents, from about November 8, 2022, to about January 5, 2023, Treshon Edwards conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. On November 8, 2022, Edwards distributed two pounds of methamphetamine. On December 12, 2022, he distributed three pounds of methamphetamine. On January 5, 2023, Edwards agreed to sell six pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of pills containing fentanyl. He was arrested that day with the methamphetamine and pills in his car. Photo of three pounds of methamphetamine sold by Edwards in U.S. v. Treshon Edwards. Photo of methamphetamine and pills on car seat Edwards intended to sell in U.S. v. Treshon Edwards. Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Anthony Chrysanthis, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for the DEA Los Angeles Field Division made the announcement. This case was investigated by the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case. ###


title: Honduran National Sentenced for Failure to Depart the United States and Hindering Removal from the United States

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Noel Chinchilla-Avilez, age 26, was sentenced to 54 days in prison by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for failure to depart the United States after an order of removal and hindering removal from the United States. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Chinchilla-Avilez was ordered removed from the United States in 2023, but he did not depart within the required 90 days. When Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained Chinchilla-Avilez for removal in February 2025, he slipped out of his handcuffs and attempted to escape. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). # # #


title: Felon Convicted of Assaulting a Federal Officer Sentenced  to More than 12 Years in Prison

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – In November 2024, Preston James Campbell, 42, was convicted by a jury for Assault of a Federal Officer with a Deadly or Dangerous Weapon. U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle sentenced Campbell to 130 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. He further ordered Campbell to serve this sentence consecutively with a 21-month sentence previously imposed for violating his supervised release, for a total sentence of 151 months in federal prison. Evidence presented at trial showed that Campbell was previously convicted in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Campbell violated the terms of his supervised release in 2024, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Body camera video presented to the jury showed that when Marshals attempted to arrest Campbell, he ran towards a Deputy with a knife in his hand. The deputy was able to block and deflect the knife, preventing serious injuries. Campbell will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The U.S. Marshals, Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police, Bristow Police Department, and Kellyville Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Elliot Anderson prosecuted the case.


title: Great Falls woman sentenced to 20 years in prison on meth charges

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls woman who conspired to distribute significant amounts of methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The government also forfeited nearly $75,000 in cash, a gun, a BMW, and a motorhome. Melissa Ann Barone, 55, pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that in 2020, law enforcement discovered Melissa Barone and her co-defendant were involved in distributing pounds of methamphetamine in and around Great Falls. Between 2020 and 2024, numerous drug associates advised law enforcement of the pair’s drug distribution activities and travels to Colorado, Washington and Arizona to obtain methamphetamine to redistribute in Montana. Sources identified purchasing one-pound quantities of methamphetamine totaling over six to eight pounds within a 10-month period from 2020 to 2021. In 2022 and 2023, sources reported Barone was trafficking half or full eightballs of methamphetamine for her co-defendant. It was discovered her codefendant was purchasing 50 to 100 pounds of methamphetamine at a time and spending over $100,000 delivered in bulk amounts. Barone and her co-defendant were purchasing vehicles and RVs at auto auctions for cash. In February 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle operated by the defendants as they were traveling back to Montana from Texas. A K-9 detection dog alerted on the vehicle, and $17,000 in United States currency was found rubber banded to a seatbelt inside the vehicle. On May 5, 2024, law enforcement executed a warrant and arrested Barone in Great Falls. A search of her purse revealed approximately 444.4 grams of methamphetamine, a scale, and paraphernalia. Her vehicle contained $7,911 in United States currency, 46.3 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia. During the seizure of a BMW owned by her co-defendant, law enforcement located $5,000 in United States currency in a vacuum-sealed bag concealed under the back seat. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the Russell Country Drug Task Force. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . XXX


title: Berkeley County Woman Admits to COVID 19 Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Beverly Ashbaugh, age 51, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, has admitted to wire fraud involving COVID 19 funding. According to court documents, Ashbaugh filed claims seeking Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) when the pandemic impacted her employment in March 2020. Ashbaugh went back to work but continued to file PEUC claims. Ashbaugh collected nearly $30,000 in fraudulent benefits. Ashbaugh is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Salem is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. Workforce West Virginia investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Owasso Man Sentenced for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kyle Jackson Fugate, 28, for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Judge Frizzell sentenced Fugate to 121 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Fugate will be required to register as a sex offender. In March 2024, an undercover deputy with the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office was posing as a 15-year-old online. Fugate told the undercover deputy that he smoked methamphetamine and sent sexually explicit photos of himself. Fugate then requested sexually explicit images in return. Fugate made plans to meet the undercover deputy, believing he was going to meet with a 15-year-old and engage in sexual acts. When Fugate arrived at the meeting place, he was taken into custody. During the investigation, law enforcement discovered that Fugate had been messaging a minor victim through social media a month earlier. Fugate convinced the minor victim to send sexually explicit photos, and the minor victim complied. Previously released on bond, Fugate was taken into custody following his guilty plea in June 2024. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office investigated it as part of Operation Clean Sweep II. This operation partnered with the Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task Force, which aims to hold child predators accountable throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. 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 .


title: Two Men Found Guilty by Federal Jury on Drug Trafficking Charges in Organized Crime Drug  Enforcement Task Force Operation Case

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SHREVEPORT, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Jaworski Batton , 41, and Cody Gibson , 40, both of Heflin, Louisiana, have been found guilty by a federal jury in Shreveport of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote presided over the trial. According to information presented in court, Batton and Gibson were both involved in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both defendants conspired with their co-defendant, Demetric Carey . Testimony at trial revealed that agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) began an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (“OCDETF”) investigation into suspected drug trafficking in the Webster Parish area. During their investigation, agents were able to obtain a court order to intercept communications on Carey’s cell phone. After receiving information through communications intercepted on Carey’s phone between he and Batton, agents conducted surveillance of Batton at a retail store in Bossier City as he was on his way to obtain the suspected narcotics. A Trooper with the Louisiana State Police conducted a traffic stop of Batton’s vehicle and found marijuana and methamphetamine in a backpack inside his vehicle. Agents were also able to intercept communications between Gibson and Carey as they discussed meeting at a location in Minden to conduct a drug transaction. A deputy with the Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted surveillance of that meeting between Gibson and Carey and obtained video evidence of them exchanging money for the methamphetamine. There were several other intercepted communications that occurred over a period of several months between these two defendants where Carey sold Gibson distribution amounts of methamphetamine. Batton and Gibson each face a sentence of not less than 5 years or more than 40 years in prison, and a fine of up to $5,000,000, or both. Sentencing for Batton and Gibson has been set for July 15, 2025. Ten other defendants were also charged in connection with this OCDETF case and have all pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Those defendants are: Demetric Carey, Derrick Carey, Antario Hawk, Eugene Henderson, Damien Rasco, Dana Ray, Holly Reynolds, Corey Russell, Lloyd Smith, and Norell Washington . The case was investigated by the DEA, Louisiana State Police, and Webster Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys J. Aaron Crawford and William C. Gaskins. The investigation and conviction of these defendants is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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: Boulder man sentenced to over 6 years in prison on gun charges

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

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Boulder man who possessed a firearm while being a prohibited person was sentenced today to 78 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Paul Anthony LaFournaise, 59, was found guilty of prohibited person in possession of a firearm in December 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris presided. At trial, the government presented evidence that LaFournaise has multiple previous felony convictions, and as a result is prohibited from using, owning, possessing, transferring, or controlling any firearms or ammunition. LaFournaise was aware of this prohibition. On May 11, 2024, a relative of LaFournaise reported to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office that he was threatening family members at their home. LaFournaise was ultimately arrested for partner or family member assault, and his relative then revealed the cause of his agitation: he had returned from work to discover that his bag—which contained a handgun and drug paraphernalia—was missing. A family member had found the bag earlier that day and had hidden it from LaFournaise upon discovering the gun inside of it. The gun was identified as a Kel-Tec 9 mm pistol. When LaFournaise was interviewed by law enforcement, he admitted he received the gun from a friend and was holding on to it. The friend was interviewed and confirmed giving the gun to LaFournaise because LaFournaise needed it “for protection” when getting drugs. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case and the investigation was conducted by the ATF, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Probation and Parole Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . XXX


title: Mexican Nationals Charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that defendants Caesar Ramon Martinez Solis, 41, and Humberto Ivan Amador Gavira, 24, both of Mexico, were charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition by Alien Admitted Under a Nonimmigrant Visa. According to the criminal complaint, on March 26, 2025, Detectives with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (FSCO) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by defendants in Canon City. Defendant Martinez Solis consented to a search of the vehicle. During the search, the Detectives found what they estimated to be approximately 150 boxes of .308 ammunition, and approximately 30 boxes of 7.62 ammunition. Each box was labeled as containing 1,000 rounds. The investigation is being handled by the Denver Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations and the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Denver Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The charges in the complaint are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Case Number: 25-mj-00074-CYC


title: Mississippi Firm to Pay $1,207,600 to Resolve Disaster Recovery Claims

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced today that Horne LLP, of Ridgeland, Mississippi, has agreed to pay the United States $1,207,600 to resolve civil allegations that it received improper payments from federal disaster recovery grant funds in connection with disaster recovery services it provided in 2017 and 2018 in West Virginia. On June 23, 2016, portions of the Southern District of West Virginia experienced extreme levels of rainfall, resulting in historic flooding over a vast swath of the region. Flood waters rushing across West Virginia’s mountainous landscape damaged or swept away thousands of homes, businesses, bridges and other infrastructure, leaving thousands of West Virginia residents homeless and at least 23 dead. Following a presidential disaster declaration issued in response to the flooding, Congress appropriated funds for disaster recovery in West Virginia to be administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the form of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds. These funds were made available to fund an array of recovery needs in West Virginia including housing rehabilitation and replacement for low income homeowners. Soon after CDBG-DR funds were appropriated, Horne was selected by the West Virginia Development Office (WVDO) to develop the state’s Action Plan for use of the disaster recovery grant funds. Horne is an accounting and professional services firm specializing in administering state and federal disaster recovery programs across the United States. Horne’s contract with the State of West Virginia included task orders requiring Horne to assist the WVDO in developing a CDBG-DR Action Plan which were to be used to secure additional project funding and to provide program guidance, design and development services. The contract which provided for total compensation of $900,000 was approved by the West Virginia Department of Administration Purchasing Division (WVDAPD). Although the contract provided for total compensation of $900,000, additional “task orders” were added to the contract that inflated the cost of the contract to more than $18,000,000. As a result of these additions, Horne was awarded responsibility for the housing rehabilitation program, which was later re-branded as “Rise West Virginia Housing Restoration Program” (WV-HRP or “RISE”). The RISE program came under scrutiny in late 2017 when Horne’s contract was reviewed by the West Virginia Department of Administration Purchasing Division. During the review, it was discovered that Horne’s original contract price had ballooned from $900,000 to more than $18,000,000 without competitive bidding, review, or approval by the WVDAPD or the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office. The administration of then-Gov. Jim Justice declared the additional work orders to be illegal, and that Horne could not be paid for any services completed under them. This prompted Horne to seek to sell the data it had generated through its operations in West Virginia to the government at a price intended to reflect the value of its prior services. Horne submitted an invoice totaling $6,739,575, and the invoice was paid on November 6, 2018, from the federal CDBG-DR funds. After Horne transmitted its project data to state officials, investigators discovered that many of the services sold to the state were problematic. In particular, investigators discovered that many of the “personal consultations,” included on Horne’s invoice at $950 each, were for cold calls that resulted in a finding of “no unmet need.” Despite a quick call confirming the homeowner had no need of Horne’s services, Horne created an applicant file for each person, complete with fictitious birthdates, social security numbers, and fake signatures on legal documents. Investigators also found that in some cases these personal consultations were actually performed by staff for Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), not Horne. Investigators found that approximately 48 of the physical property inspections, costing the government $1,850 each, were for vacant lots where an inspection was not required. Similarly, Horne billed $1,650 for each of 72 repair estimates where there was nothing to repair. The Settlement Agreement announced today requires Horne to pay $1,207,600 to resolve the government’s claims. “Thousands of West Virginians remained in need after historic flooding damaged or destroyed their homes, and the Horne firm took advantage of the situation,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “This settlement agreement is a result of the excellent work by HUD-OIG and the West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations, our office’s Affirmative Civil Enforcement and Health Care Fraud Investigative Specialist Tyler E. Japhet, and Assistant United States Attorney Gregory P. Neil.” “The alleged actions of Horne, LLP undermine the mission of HUD’s disaster recovery efforts and takes critical resources away from those who need them the most,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG is committed to partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue accountability for those who seek to exploit federal programs.” “The Commission on Special Investigations began investigating the handling of flood related disaster assistance in December of 2018,” said West Virginia Commission on Special Investigations Director Rick Eplin. “Investigators conducted interviews and documented conditions throughout 12 counties in West Virginia touched by the flooding. Investigators documented tragic stories from the families whose homes were destroyed by flood waters. They were struck by the resiliency of the citizens and their commitment to their communities. In the course of the investigation, it was determined that data collected by Horne did not accurately reflect the conditions and circumstances observed by CSI investigators. In partnership with the HUD Office of Inspector General and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia a positive resolution was achieved.” 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. ###


title: St. Paul Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Paying and Directing a Woman in the Philippines to Produce Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – Jason Speed of St. Paul, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for solicitation and production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, between January 2020 through February 2024, Jason Miller Speed, 42, solicited the production of child pornography over the internet. During that time, Speed conducted an online relationship with an adult woman located in the Philippines. In exchange for money from Speed, and under his direction, the woman produced CSAM content featuring minor victims under the age of 12. Speed was aware the victims were minors. Through cooperation with the FBI’s International Operations division, local authorities were able to rescue the minor victims. “Child predators are conniving, creative, and profoundly dangerous. Speed lived in our community and lurked in the dark corners of the internet. From his perch in St. Paul, Speed victimized little children halfway around the world,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “While I am appalled at Speed’s predation, I am extraordinarily proud of the above-and-beyond efforts of law enforcement in this case. Because of the heroic efforts of the FBI and AUSA Will Mattessich, the young victims in the Philippines were rescued from a life of sexual torture.” “Speed's actions were calculated, exploitative, and deeply disturbing,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “He knowingly financed and directed the creation of content that victimized innocent children. The FBI, in close coordination with the U.S. Attorney's Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue those who exploit minors. We remain unyielding in our commitment to identifying offenders, dismantling these networks of abuse, and ensuring perpetrators are brought to justice.” Speed pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the production of child pornography. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan. In handing down the sentence Judge Bryan noted, “What happened to the two minor children is appalling and it is horrific.” This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, Maplewood Police Department, St. Paul Police Department, and the Carver County Sheriff’s Office. It 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, 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 . Assistant U.S. Attorney William C. Mattessich prosecuted the case.


title: Tokio, ND, Man Pleads Guilty to Involuntary Manslaughter, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Child Neglect  in the Death of a Three-Year Old Child

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: Fargo – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl announced that on April 14, 2025, Austin Ray Lester, age 29 of Tokio, ND, appeared in United States District Court and pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Peter Welte to Involuntary Manslaughter and two counts of Child Neglect in Indian country, as well as Assault of a Child with a Dangerous Weapon in Indian country. Lester’s sentencing date is scheduled for August 5, 2025. The charges are related to the August 2022 neglect and death of three-year-old child within the boundaries of the Spirit Lake Reservation. A co-defendant, Krissy Louise Hinsley was also charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Child Neglect in Indian country and is scheduled for a change of plea and sentencing hearing on July 28, 2025. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori H. Conroy. # # #


title: Florissant Sex Offender Admits New Child Pornography Offense

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender from Florissant, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing child sexual abuse material. Christopher A. Wheetley, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted that 470 images and one video containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) were found on his computer, as well as internet searches consistent with an interest in CSAM. The computer also contained 1,081 images and four videos in which children appeared to be depicted but their ages could not be determined. The CSAM was found on the computer after a St. Louis County Police Department detective conducting an online “peer-to-peer” investigation discovered CSAM on Sept. 12, 2023, that was linked to an IP address that traced back to Wheetley’s home. That home was the subject of an earlier investigation after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Nov. 10, 2020, received a cyber-tip that 40 files containing CSAM had been uploaded to Kik in October from an IP address matching Wheetley. The day before the tip was received, Wheetley pleaded no contest to one count of possession of child pornography in California Superior Court in Pomona. When detectives arrived at his Florissant address to investigate the tip, he was in California to complete his term of probation for the child pornography conviction. Because Wheetley was previously convicted of distribution of child pornography, he faces at least 15 years in prison for the crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Wheetley’s lawyer will recommend 15 years at the time of his sentencing, which is set for July 17. The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Drug Traffickers from Kalamazoo County and Kent County Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Four defendants were sentenced this week in different cases for trafficking significant quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, including counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills GRAND RAPIDS – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew B. Birge today announced that the following defendants were sentenced to federal prison, each in their own individual case, for possessing and intending to distribute large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and/or other controlled substances. Specifically: Rene Arnold Ruiz , 52, of Kent County, was sentenced on Monday to 192 months, or 16 years, in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Ruiz previously pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025. (Case No. 1:24-cr-122-PLM) Thomas Charles Davis , 50, of Kalamazoo County, was sentenced on Tuesday to 210 months, or 17 ½ years, in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Davis previously pleaded guilty on December 18, 2025. (Case No. 1:24-cr-119-RJJ) Lonnie Laronn Morrow , 33, of Kalamazoo County, was sentenced on Tuesday to 188 months, or 15 years and 8 months, in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Morrow previously pleaded guilty on December 2, 2024. (Case No. 1:24-cr-98-HYJ) Dyland Edward Hughes , 32, of Kalamazoo County, was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Hughes previously pleaded guilty on December 19, 2024. (Case No. 1:24-cr-127-HYJ) “These cases -- all resolved this week -- individually and collectively demonstrate the serious, on-going threat posed by the trafficking of illegal drugs, especially fentanyl and methamphetamine, here in west Michigan and across the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge . “Thanks to the strong partnership with our federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, our office will continue to prosecute these cases, and commit resources to disrupting the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities.” According to plea agreements and other information available on the public dockets, each defendant possessed large quantities of drugs—primarily fentanyl and methamphetamine—that they intended to sell. Specifically: In March 2024, during a traffic stop in Kalamazoo County, Morrow possessed 10,863 counterfeit pills designed to look like Oxycodone 30mg pills (“M30s”), but in fact cumulatively contained over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, shown in the picture below. During a search of Morrow’s apartment the same day, officers located over 170 grams of cocaine, over $12,000 in U.S. currency, amphetamine and morphine pills, and three firearms. During Morrow’s sentencing, Chief. U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou noted that “fentanyl in and of itself is dangerous,” but when found in pill form, the fentanyl is “disguised,” which creates an additional danger in the community. 10,863 counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills seized from Lonnie Laronn Marrow in Kalamazoo In May 2024, in a storage unit in Kent County, Ruiz possessed and intended to distribute 8,558 counterfeit pills, which were also designed to look like M30s, but in fact cumulatively contained over 900 grams of fentanyl, along with over 400 grams of heroin. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney described Ruiz’s offense as “grave,” and that “the amount of fentanyl attendant to this case is staggering and presents a significant threat to the public.” In July 2024, after previously selling pounds of methamphetamine to an informant, Davis possessed approximately 18 pounds of methamphetamine and 70 grams of cocaine in his Kalamazoo County apartment. At the time Davis possessed those drugs and intended to sell it, he was serving a term of federal supervised release for a 2008 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. (Case No. 1:08-cr-165-RJJ) The Court imposed a consecutive 30-month prison sentence on Davis for violating the terms of supervised release by continuing to traffic drugs. Also in July 2024, Hughes possessed over 500 grams of fentanyl and over 100 grams of cocaine in a bedroom in his mother’s house in Kalamazoo County. During sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou found Hughes’ offense to be “quite serious in terms of the amounts being brought into the community,” in addition to the threat posed by fentanyl. “Taking criminals off the streets who are providing deadly amounts of fentanyl is a priority of our office,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton. “These cases show that DEA and its law enforcement partners will ensure that criminals who deal deadly substances are held responsible for the harm they cause.” “These cases highlight the fine work being done every day by the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) in conjunction with our federal partners,” said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Captain Michael Ferguson. “Our message is clear: if you deal drugs, carry guns illegally, or commit violent crime in our community, we will come after you at the date and time of our choosing.” “Fentanyl is driving overdose deaths in our community, and we are committed to stopping it at the source,” said Kent County Sheriff Michelle Lajoye-Young . “The Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team’s (KANET) work continues to uncover dangerous drug operations and stop fentanyl from reaching our neighborhoods. We value our strong partnership with the DEA and other federal agencies, which allows us to take meaningful action to protect lives and keep these poisons off our streets.” “In Southwest Michigan, we lose nearly twice as many lives to drug overdoses than we do to fatal car crashes,” said Michigan State Police Detective First Lieutenant Rick Pazder . “The Southwest Enforcement Team (SWET) is committed to saving lives and bringing accountability to the drug trafficking organizations that sell lethal narcotics in our communities, robbing us of the lives of our sons and daughters. The lengthy sentences given in these cases are just, and we applaud the United States Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts and strong commitment to justice.” According to the DEA, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery. Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance that is like morphine, but about 100 times more potent. As little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, depending on a person’s body size, tolerance, and past drug usage. Cumulatively, Morrow, Ruiz, and Hughes possessed over 2 ½ kilograms of fentanyl, which is enough to kill over a million people who are “opioid naïve,” or have little to no tolerance for fentanyl. For more information about fentanyl, please visit: http://dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl “Everyone in the community needs to be aware: one pill can kill,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge . “We know that criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public, much like the almost-20,000 counterfeit pills that Mr. Morrow and Mr. Ruiz possessed and intended to sell.” In 2024 alone, the DEA seized more than 60 million fentanyl-laced fake pills, and nearly 8,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, which is the equivalent of more than 377 million lethal doses. To learn more about DEA’s “One Pill Can Kill” community outreach campaign, and to find more resources you can share with your loved ones, please visit: http://dea.gov/onepill. According to the DEA, methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant that can come in pill, powder, or crystalized form. High doses of methamphetamine may result in death from stroke, heart attack, or organ failure. For more information on the dangers of methamphetamine, please visit: http://dea.gov/factsheets/methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team, Kent Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, and Southwest Enforcement Team investigated these cases, and Assistant United States Attorneys Alexia A. Jansen and Daniel T. McGraw prosecuted them. # # #


title: New Haven Man Admits Distributing Methamphetamine Pills and Crack While on Supervised Release

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DONALD OGMAN, also known as “Mainey-O” and ”Manny O,” 43, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to methamphetamine and cocaine distribution offenses. A trial in this matter was scheduled to begin this morning. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ogman has been a leader of the Grape Street Crips (GSC), a violent New Haven gang. In 2012, the FBI arrested Ogman for offenses related to his role in GSC, including drug trafficking. He pleaded guilty to narcotics offenses and, on March 10, 2015, was sentenced to 188 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. In August 2022, a federal judge granted Ogman’s motion for compassionate release, reduced Ogman’s sentence to time served, and he was released from prison. Ogman resumed his drug trafficking activity while on federal supervised release, distributing multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine in and around New Haven. The investigation included surveillance, trash pulls, and controlled purchases of methamphetamine pills from Ogman in March and April 2024. Ogman was arrested on May 9, 2024. On that date, searches of his person and residence revealed additional quantities of methamphetamine, as well as crack cocaine. Ogman pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, methamphetamine; three counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for July 9. Due to Ogman’s prior conviction for a serious drug felony, he faces a prison term of at least 10 years. He also faces additional penalties for violating the conditions of his supervised release. Ogman has been detained since his arrest. This matter has been investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department and the Hamden Police Department. The NHDO Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie T. Levick and Nathan J. Guevremont through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Private Investigator Sentenced to Prison for Interstate Stalking and Harassment of Chinese Nationals on Behalf of the People’s Republic of China

body_text: Today, in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, Michael McMahon, 57, of Mahwah, New Jersey, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to pay an $11,000 fine for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit the same, for his participation in a scheme to coerce repatriation of a U.S. resident to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” McMahon and co-defendants Zhu Yong, 68, of East Elmhurst, New York, and Congying Zheng, 29, of Brooklyn, were convicted by a federal jury in June 2023 following a three-week trial. In January 2025, Zhu and Zheng were sentenced respectively to 24 months and 16 months in prison. As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, the defendants and their co-conspirators participated in an international campaign to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family in order to force him and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC to face purported corruption charges. Beginning in 2012, John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 had been targeted for repatriation as part of the PRC’s transnational repression programs known as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net.” John Doe #1 and his family had accordingly sought to keep their address out of public records. Zhu hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, to locate John Doe #1. McMahon obtained sensitive information about John Doe #1, which he then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s relative and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including a PRC police officer and a PRC prosecutor. As McMahon knew, the operation was intended not only to locate John Doe #1, but to coerce him to return to the PRC by exerting pressure on his family members. In April 2017, PRC officials threatened to jail John Doe #1’s sister, who lived in the PRC, in order to coerce John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father to travel from the PRC to their relative’s home in New Jersey. John Doe #1’s father, who had recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, was so frail that a doctor accompanied him for the trip. McMahon followed John Doe #1’s father from the relative’s New Jersey home, and, by doing so, was able to learn John Doe #1’s address. McMahon immediately provided this information to a PRC operative. On Sept. 4, 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 – at the address that McMahon had provided – where they pounded on the front door, attempted to enter the house, and then peered through the windows in the back of the home. They left a note on the front door informing John Doe #1 that his “wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 surrendered himself to face a ten-year prison term in the PRC. McMahon knew that the subjects of his investigation were wanted by the PRC government, a fact that he texted about with another investigator he contracted to help him. Following his arrest, McMahon acknowledged knowing that his employers wanted to get the victim back to China “so they could prosecute him.” After providing the victims’ address, McMahon told his surveillance partner that he was “waiting for a call” to find out what to do next. McMahon’s partner responded, “Yeah. From NJ State Police about an abduction,” to which McMahon responded “Lol.” McMahon later suggested to a PRC co-conspirator that they “harass” John Doe #1 by “[p]ark[ing] outside his home and let[ting] him know we are there.” McMahon took other investigative steps designed to harass the victims, such as researching their daughter’s university residence and college major. McMahon was paid more than $19,000 in total for his role in the illegal repatriation scheme. In an apparent attempt to conceal the source, McMahon deposited payments from his PRC clients into his son’s bank account, the only time he had done so with client payments. Previously, three co-defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. They are awaiting sentencing. Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney John J. Durham for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division made the announcement. The FBI New York Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Christine A. Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth for the Eastern District of New York provided valuable assistance. The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit the FBI’s website .


title: New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: DONELL ALLICK, JR., also known as “D-Nice,” 26, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 240 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a violent New Haven street gang and a murder in September 2022. Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson. According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, investigated a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020. The investigation revealed that Allick and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube. On August 1, 2024, Allick pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, including acts of violence, narcotics trafficking, and gun sales, and specifically admitted that, on September 16, 2022, he and others shot Kenneth Cloud, 46, who was sitting on the porch of an Atwater Street residence in New Haven. The victim was paralyzed as a result of the shooting and died approximately three months later. Forty-three shell casings were found at the scene of the shooting. Ballistics analysis revealed that 19 had been fired from a handgun later found in Allick’s vehicle, and 24 had been fired from a handgun later found inside Allick’s residence. Allick has been detained since his arrest on November 10, 2022. On July 15, 2024, Judge Bolden sentenced him to 115 months of imprisonment in a separate federal case. Allick’s 240-month sentence will run concurrently with his 115-month sentence. This investigation was conducted by the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis and Rahul Kale. This prosecution was part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn . Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Man Indicted for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender in New Hampshire

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An indictment has been unsealed charging a former Vermont man for failing to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. David J. Courtemarche, 44, was indicted on two counts of failing to register as a sex offender in New Hampshire. Courtemarche will appear in federal court on a later date. The Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”) requires individuals convicted of certain sex offenses to register as a sex offender in the state in which they reside or work. According to the charging documents, Courtemarche is required to register as a sex offender under SORNA. Despite knowing this requirement, between at least August 2022 through January 2025, Courtemarche traveled from Vermont to New Hampshire and did not register as required. The charge of failure to register carries a sentence of up to 10 years incarceration, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The United States Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Four Sentenced for Roles in Morgantown-Area Drug Trafficking Operation

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people were sentenced for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization that stretched from Philadelphia to Detroit to Morgantown, West Virginia. Those sentenced today were: Charles Johnson, 33, of Detroit, Michigan, sentenced today to 96 months in federal prison; Sandra Tennant, 55, of Morgantown, West Virginia, sentenced to 51 months; Stephanie Miller, 48, of Charleston, West Virginia, sentenced to 84 months in federal prison; and Jordan Spadafore, 34, of Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced to five years of probation. According to court documents, Johnson, Tennant, Miller, and Spadafore were distributors for the operation that was selling methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. This case was investigated by the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative. The task force consists of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; the Monongalia County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; the Morgantown Police Department; the WVU Police Department; the Granville Police Department; and the Star City Police Department. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Private Investigator Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Acting as an Illegal Agent of the People’s Republic of China

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Michael McMahon was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 18 months in prison for acting as an illegal agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), as well as for interstate stalking and conspiracy to commit such acts in connection with his participation in a scheme to coerce a U.S. resident to return to the PRC as part of its international repatriation effort known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” McMahon and co-defendants Zhu Yong and Congying Zheng were convicted by a federal jury in June 2023 following a three-week trial. As part of his sentence, McMahon was also ordered to pay a fine of $11,000. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Terence G. Reilly, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Field Office (FBI); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced the sentences. “McMahon, a former law enforcement officer who swore an oath to protect the public, went rogue and dishonorably engaged in a scheme at the direction of the People’s Republic of China, terrorized victims living in the New York metropolitan area, and shattered their sense of safety and security,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “Thanks to the efforts of law enforcement, the defendants’ plan to coerce the victims to return to China failed, and the defendants have instead been brought to justice for their role in China’s insidious Operation Fox Hunt. My Office remains unwavering in its commitment to exposing and undermining efforts by foreign governments to perpetrate transnational repression schemes that threaten our national security interests and harm individuals living in the United States.” Mr. Durham expressed his appreciation to the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their work on the case. “Most private investigators operate within the bounds of the law and ethical conduct. McMahon knew exactly what he was doing—and at trial, we proved his knowing and willing participation in this scheme,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Reilly. “His client, the People's Republic of China, has invested years and millions of dollars trying to silence dissent beyond its borders. When those efforts cross into our country, they threaten our national security. The PRC needs to understand: we will not tolerate it.” “This defendant allowed himself to become a partner in the PRC’s cruel harassment and intimidation campaign,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “HSI, together with our federal counterparts, will continue to outfox our adversaries’ attempts to circumvent U.S. regulations, undermine national security, and target the American public.” As proven at trial, between approximately 2016 and 2019, McMahon and his co-conspirators participated in an international campaign to threaten, harass, surveil, and intimidate John Doe #1 and his family in order to force him and his wife, Jane Doe #1, to return to the PRC to face purported corruption charges. Beginning in 2012, John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 had been targeted for repatriation as part of the PRC’s transnational repression programs known as “Operation Fox Hunt” and “Operation Sky Net.” John Doe #1 and his family had accordingly sought to keep their address out of public records. Yong hired McMahon, a retired NYPD sergeant working as a private investigator, to locate John Doe #1. McMahon obtained sensitive information about John Doe #1, which he then reported back to Zhu and others, including a PRC police officer. McMahon also conducted surveillance outside the New Jersey home of John Doe #1’s relative and provided Zhu and PRC officials with detailed reports of what he observed. The operation was supervised and directed by several PRC officials, including a PRC police officer and a PRC prosecutor. As proven at trial, McMahon knew the operation was intended not only to locate John Doe #1, but to coerce him to return to the PRC by exerting pressure on his family members. In April 2017, PRC officials threatened to jail John Doe #1’s sister, who lived in the PRC, in order to coerce John Doe #1’s then-82-year-old father to travel from the PRC to their relative’s home in New Jersey. John Doe #1’s father, who had recently suffered a brain hemorrhage, was so frail that a doctor accompanied him for the trip. McMahon followed John Doe #1’s father from the relative’s New Jersey home, and, by doing so, was able to learn John Doe #1’s address. McMahon immediately provided this information to a PRC operative. On September 4, 2018, Zheng and another co-conspirator drove to the New Jersey residence of John Doe #1 and Jane Doe #1 – at the address that McMahon had provided – where they pounded on the front door, attempted to enter the house, and then peered through the windows in the back of the home. They left a note on the front door informing John Doe #1 that his “wife and children will be okay” if John Doe #1 surrendered himself to face a ten-year prison term in the PRC. McMahon knew that the subjects of his investigation were wanted by the PRC government, a fact that he texted about with another investigator he hired to help him. Following his arrest, McMahon acknowledged knowing that his employers wanted to get the victim back to China “so they could prosecute him.” After providing the victims’ address, McMahon told his surveillance partner that he was “waiting for a call” to find out what to do next. McMahon’s partner responded, “Yeah. From NJ State Police about an abduction,” to which McMahon responded “Lol.” McMahon later suggested to a PRC co-conspirator that they “harass” John Doe #1 by “[p]ark[ing] outside his home and let[ting] him know we are there.” McMahon took other investigative steps designed to harass the victims, such as researching their daughter’s university residence and college major. McMahon was paid more than $19,000 in total for his role in the illegal repatriation scheme. In an apparent attempt to conceal the source of payments from his PRC clients, McMahon deposited those payments into his son’s bank account, the only time he had done so with client payments. Previously, in January 2025, Zhu and Zheng were sentenced respectively to 24 months’ and 16 months’ imprisonment. Three additional co-defendants pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the PRC-directed harassment and intimidation campaign. They are awaiting sentencing. Five co-defendants in the indictment, Hu Ji, Li Minjun, Tu Lan, Zhu Feng, and Zhai Yongqiang are fugitives. The FBI has created a website for victims to report efforts by foreign governments to stalk, intimidate, or assault people in the United States. If you believe that you are or have been a victim of transnational repression, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/transnational-repression . The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith A. Arfa and Irisa Chen are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Christine A. Bonomo and Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Paralegal Specialist Rebecca Roth also has provided valuable assistance. The Defendants : MICHAEL MCMAHON Age: 57 Mahwah, New Jersey ZHU YONG Age: 68 East Elmhurst, New York CONGYING ZHENG Age: 29 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-265 (S-1) (PKC)


title: Former FAA Contractor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Acting as an Agent of the Iranian Government

body_text: Former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contractor Abouzar Rahmati, 42, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to act and acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the United States without prior notification to the Attorney General. According to court documents, from at least December 2017 through June 2024, Rahmati worked with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives to act on their behalf in the United States, including by meeting with Iranian intelligence officers in Iran, communicating with Iranian intelligence officers and government officials using a cover story to hide his conduct, obtaining employment with an FAA contractor with access to sensitive non-public information about the U.S. aviation sector, and obtaining open-source and non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry and providing it to Iranian intelligence officers. In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services to the Iranian government through a senior Iranian government official who previously worked in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and with whom Rahmati had previously attended university. Four months later, in December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran, where he met with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials and agreed to obtain information about the U.S. solar energy industry, to provide that information to Iranian officials, and to conduct future communications under a cover story based on purported discussions about research with fellow academics. Upon returning to the United States in early 2018, Rahmati obtained various private and open-source materials related to the U.S. solar energy industry and provided them to an official from the office of Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology in response to tasking from Iranian government officials. In response to tasking from Iranian officials, and in furtherance of his role as an agent of the Government of Iran, Rahmati exploited his employment as an FAA contractor, working for U.S. COMPANY 1, by downloading at least 172 GB of U.S. COMPANY 1 files, which included sensitive access-controlled FAA documents related to the National Aerospace System (NAS), NAS Airport Surveillance Radar systems, and radio frequency data. Rahmati stored those files on removable media, which he took to Iran, where he provided sensitive documents to the Government of Iran in April 2022. Also in April 2022, in response to tasking from Iranian government officials, Rahmati sent additional information relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers to his brother, who lived in Iran, so that he would provide those files to Iranian intelligence on Rahmati’s behalf. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 26. Rahmati faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General, and up to five years in prison for conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia, and Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division made the announcement. The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with significant assistance from the FAA’s Office of Counterintelligence and Technical Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Alexander Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


title: Polk County Man Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison For Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber has sentenced Randall Alderman (61, Lakeland) to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for production and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Alderman pled guilty on September 16, 2024. According to court documents, beginning in 2021, Alderman engaged in sexually explicit communications with a 13-year-old victim through a social media application. Alderman requested and received child sexual abuse material from the victim. During an interview with the FBI, Alderman admitted to communicating with and receiving sexual abuse material from the victim. The FBI located 10 videos and 7 images of child sexual abuse involving the victim on Alderman’s phone. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry. 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 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 locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Prison on Methamphetamine Distribution Charge

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh, Jr. on Wednesday sentenced a man who was caught in a stolen car with methamphetamine and marijuana to 87 months in prison. On August 17, 2024, Darryl Duane Jackson, now 23, of Cairo, Illinois, was stopped by a Charleston Police Department officer on Interstate 57 in Mississippi County, Missouri. The vehicle’s license plate matched that of a stolen vehicle. Jackson, the driver and sole occupant, had $1,670 in cash. He also had 78 grams of marijuana and 752 grams of meth, or more than 1.6 pounds, in a backpack. Jackson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in January to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This is his third felony conviction involving drug sale offenses. The Charleston Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.


title: Pocatello Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison  for Trafficking Fentanyl

body_text: POCATELLO – Geoffrey W. Ancheta, 40, of Pocatello, was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. According to court records, members of the BADGES Task Force stopped Ancheta and his co-defendant, Alme Otto, as they returned from a trip to Arizona on April 13, 2024. Task Force officers searched the car and found over 500 grams of blue fentanyl pills and a firearm. Ancheta later admitted trafficking fentanyl to Idaho. A federal grand jury indicted Ancheta and Otto in July 2024. Ancheta pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute on October 23, 2024. On April 14, 2025, the Honorable Chief District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Ancheta to 9 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Otto has entered a guilty plea and is awaiting sentencing set on June 30, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott commended the work of the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bannock County Sheriff's Office, the Idaho State Police, the Pocatello Police Department, and the Chubbuck Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe H. McLane prosecuted the case. This case was investigated though the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force. The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region. ###


title: Last of Four Defendants Sentenced in Federal Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY - This week the last of four defendants who were part of a conspiracy involving federal drug and firearms offenses that spanned over a year was sentenced. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Quincy R. Barnett of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to court documents, Irlan Salazar , 41, of Cuba, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 3 years and 1 month in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for misprision of a felony and obstructing justice by retaliating against a witness, victim, or an informant. Cesar Valdes , 33, of Cuba, was sentenced on March 26, 2025, to 15 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, four counts of distribution of fentanyl, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Valdes was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On January 24, 2014, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Valdes was convicted of attempted robbery 1st degree, enhanced trafficking in a controlled substance within 1000 yards of a school, and enhanced trafficking in marijuana less than 8 ounces, first offense. On June 17, 2021, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Valdes was convicted of leaving the scene of an accident or failure to render aid with death or serious physical injury. Jorge Morales Martinez , 45, of Mexico, was sentenced on February 4, 2025, to 2 years and 6 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. Victor Hernandez , 37, of Louisville, was sentenced on September 13, 2024, to 4 years in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, and distribution of fentanyl. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI and LMPD, with assistance from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank Dahl prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Carissa Moss. This case was sentenced under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


body_text: WASHINGTON – Former Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) contractor Abouzar Rahmati, 42, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of Great Falls, Virginia, pleaded guilty today for acting as an agent of the Iranian government in the United States, without prior notification to the U.S. Attorney General and conspiracy to do the same. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the Washington Field Office. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 26, 2025. Rahmati faces a maximum statutory penalty of up to 10 years in prison for acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General, and up to 5 years in prison for conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, from at least December 2017 through June 2024, Rahmati worked with Iranian government officials and intelligence operatives to act on their behalf in the United States, including by meeting with Iranian intelligence officers in Iran, communicating with Iranian intelligence officers and government officials using a cover story to hide his conduct, obtaining employment with an FAA contractor with access to sensitive non-public information about the U.S. aviation sector, and obtaining open-source and non-public materials about the U.S. solar energy industry and providing it to Iranian intelligence officers. “The brazen acts of this defendant – acting against the United States while on U.S. soil – is a clear example of how our enemies are willing to take risks in order to do us harm,” said U.S. Attorney Martin. “We want to remind anyone with access to our critical infrastructure about the importance of keeping that information out of the hands of our adversaries. I want to commend our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who secured a guilty plea that will keep our country safer.” “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the FBI’s zero tolerance policy for the Government of Iran’s repeated attempts to undermine U.S. national security,” said Assistant Director in Charge Jensen. “Mr. Rahmati’s case should serve as a warning to Americans with access to sensitive U.S. critical technology that Iranian intelligence services see them as a target—particularly those with information regarding our aviation sector. The FBI and our partners will continue to relentlessly identify and disrupt hostile actors’ efforts to target our aviation and other infrastructure, which is vital to keeping our citizens safe.” In August 2017, Rahmati offered his services to the Iranian government through a senior Iranian government official who previously worked in Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security and with whom Rahmati had previously attended university. Four months later, in December 2017, Rahmati traveled to Iran, where he met with Iranian intelligence operatives and government officials and agreed to obtain information about the U.S. solar energy industry, to provide that information to Iranian officials, and to conduct future communications under a cover story based on purported discussions about research with fellow academics. Upon returning to the United States in early 2018, Rahmati obtained various private and open-source materials related to the U.S. solar energy industry and provided them to an official from the office of Iran’s Vice President for Science and Technology in response to tasking from Iranian government officials. In response to tasking from Iranian officials, and in furtherance of his role as an agent of the Government of Iran, Rahmati exploited his employment as an FAA contractor, working for U.S. COMPANY 1, by downloading at least 172 GB of U.S. COMPANY 1 files, which included sensitive access-controlled FAA documents related to the National Aerospace System (NAS), NAS Airport Surveillance Radar systems, and radio frequency data. Rahmati stored those files on removable media, which he took to Iran, where he provided sensitive documents to the Government of Iran in April 2022. Also in April 2022, in response to tasking from Iranian government officials, Rahmati sent additional information relating to solar energy, solar panels, the FAA, U.S. airports, and U.S. air traffic control towers to his brother, who lived in Iran, so that he would provide those files to Iranian intelligence on Rahmati’s behalf. The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating the case, with significant assistance from the FAA’s Office of Counterintelligence and Technical Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Tortorice and Kimberly Paschall for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Beau Barnes and Alexander Wharton of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.


title: KC Area Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine Guns

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for possessing and transferring four machine gun conversion devices. Marquelle D. Love, also known as “Q,” 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, to one count of illegally possessing machine guns – three Glock-type machine gun conversion devices, and an AR-type machine gun conversion device. On Jan. 17, 2024, Love sold an AR-drop-in auto sear and three metal Glock-type switches to an undercover agent for $780. Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices. Under federal statutes, Love is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Felon Indicted for Discharging a Firearm in a School Zone

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a previously convicted felon with gun charges after he allegedly possessed and discharged an AR-15 style rifle within a school zone. The defendant is restricted from possessing firearms and ammunition. Carson Moffitt, 40, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was charged by complaint on April 3, 2025. According to court documents, on April 2, 2025, South Salt Lake City Police Department officers responded to a call of shots fired at Granite Park Junior High School in South Salt Lake, Utah, at 7:15 p.m. After officers arrived, they discovered AR-15 style shell casings in the middle of the road near the school. Surveillance cameras, provided by Granite School District law enforcement, captured the suspect’s vehicle, a Subaru WRX. Shortly after, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper observed a Subaru WRX speeding more than 100 miles per hour near 6000 South and I-15. UHP attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as Moffitt, fled and continued speeding up to 130 miles per hour before exiting Redwood Road and I-215 in Taylorsville. The pursuit was terminated. A run of the vehicles license plate showed the vehicle was registered to Moffitt. UHP troopers responded to the address on the vehicle’s registration and while troopers were working to make contact with Moffit, multiple shots were fired from inside the residence. A witness inside the home advised law enforcement Moffitt had a rifle. Moffitt eventually opened the garage door and fled in the Subaru. A Taylorsville City Police Department Officer intercepted and crashed into Moffitt’s Subaru, disabling the vehicle. Moffit was taken into custody. Officers seized an AR-15 style rifle with a drum magazine and ammunition from inside the vehicle. Moffitt is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm within a school zone, and discharge of a firearm within a school zone. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 17, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the Utah State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). Valuable assistance was provided by the Granite School District law enforcement, South Salt Lake Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol, and Taylorsville City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tangipahoa Parish Resident  Indicted for Fentanyl  Distribution Resulting in Death

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced the April 9, 2025, unsealing of an indictment against KYRIN HUDSON (“HUDSON”) , age 29, of Tangipahoa Parish, charging him with distribution of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, resulting in the death of a victim, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). If convicted, HUDSON faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of twenty years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Acting United States Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Hammond Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Sarver and Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Four St. Louis Area Residents Admit Committing Bank Fraud with Checks Stolen from the Mail

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Four people, including a former U.S. Postal Service employee, have pleaded guilty to federal charges and admitted to involvement in a conspiracy that stole checks from the mail to commit bank fraud. Johnathan Barnett, 29, of University City, was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to 80 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp, who also ordered him to pay restitution of $44,135. Barnett pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of possession of stolen mail and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted participating in a conspiracy from January of 2022 to September of 2023 to steal checks from the mail and alter the checks to defraud banks. Barnett bought a key to U.S. Postal Service collection boxes from a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier, Wynter Hinton, and then he and others, including Ryan McKinney and Jayden Burklow, used that key to open collections boxes in St. Louis County and steal mail. Hinton also stole checks from the mail while on her postal route. Barnett, Burklow and McKinney altered personal and business checks they found in the mail to create counterfeit checks. They recruited others to allow their bank accounts to be used to deposit the fraudulent checks. The conspirators then withdrew the money before the banks realized the checks were fraudulent. Barnett, Burklow and McKinney admitted trying to commit at least $800,000 worth of fraud this way. On Sept. 15, 2023, when investigators were conducting a court-approved search of Barnett’s home, he tried to flee through a window with an AR-15-style rifle with a high-capacity drum magazine loaded with 76 rounds. Four other firearms were found in his home, as well as check-making equipment. Barnett was convicted of a 2014 drug charge and charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action in 2020. Hinton, 29, of St. Ann, and McKinney, 24, of St. Louis, both pleaded guilty Wednesday. Hinton pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a mail key and McKinney pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail. They are scheduled to be sentenced in July. Burklow, 21, of O’Fallon, Illinois, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of stolen mail. He is scheduled to be sentenced in June. “The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. “The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state and federal partners to bring Mail Theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.” "This sentencing and guilty pleas represent the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The USPS OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.” The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Creve Coeur Police Department and the University City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.


title: Woman who Straw Purchased Multiple Firearms for Her Boyfriend Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A woman who illegally purchased multiple guns for her boyfriend, a convicted felon who was prohibited from possessing firearms, was sentenced on April 15, 2025, to 18 months’ imprisonment. Daniella Maldonado-Paraday, age 29, from Palos Hills, Illinois, received the prison term after a December 4, 2024 guilty plea to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. From 2021 through 2024, Maldonado purchased multiple firearms for her boyfriend, who was a felon. Maldonado was also a drug user, but represented when purchasing firearms that she was not an unlawful user of marijuana. Maldonado was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Maldonado was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR- 00030-002. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: St. Louis Man Who Assaulted Woman Pleads Guilty to Gun Charge

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A felon caught in the act of assaulting a woman by St. Louis police pleaded guilty to a gun charge Wednesday. Lee M. Shields, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Sept. 17, 2023, Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department Officers were on patrol when they saw him striking a woman over the head. She fell to the ground and was bleeding heavily from her mouth and nose. Shields got into a Jeep before being approached by officers, who found the magazine for a pistol in his pocket and a Glock 23 handgun in the Jeep. The victim told police that she didn’t know if Shields hit her with his fist or an object. One of the officers saw Shields holding an object in the hand he used to strike the victim. The 6-year-old son of Shields and the victim said Shields hit his mother with the gun. Shields is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 9. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Shields’ lawyer have agreed to recommend 50 months in prison. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Charges Filed in Assault on Metro Transit Police Officer

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Erik Schleehauf, 43, of Washington, D.C., was charged in Superior Court with assault of a police officer while armed and assault with a deadly weapon stemming from the April 15, 2025, attack of a Metro Transit Police Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Michael Anzallo of the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD). Schleehauf made an appearance in court today and was ordered held without bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 18, 2025, before Superior Court Judge Robert A. Salerno. According to documents filed with the court, at approximately 2:26 p.m., on April 15th, at the Navy Yard-Ballpark Metro Station, an MTPD Sergeant observed Schleehauf attempting to evade his fare by standing up on the fare machine and jumping over the glass gates. The MTPD Sergeant, followed the defendant as he walked towards the escalators and tried to stop him from exiting. Schleehauf pulled out a sharpened, pointed tool, which he had hidden on his person, and began to stab the MTPD Sergeant in the face, causing puncture wounds. The MTPD Sergeant suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. Schleehauf was arrested at the scene. This case is being investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck. Charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.