title: Illinois Man Indicted in Connection with Gold Bullion Scam

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Harmish Patel, age 26, of Streamwood, Illinois, was indicted last week for his role in a gold bullion scam that victimized an elderly couple in Rensselaer County. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, made the announcement. The indictment alleges that from December 1, 2023, to March 29, 2024, Patel conspired with others to transport across state lines gold bullion that had been taken by fraud, and that he transported gold bullion taken by fraud from New York to New Jersey on December 15, 2023, January 4, 2024, and January 15, 2024. According to the previously filed criminal complaint, Patel picked up gold bullion from an elderly couple in Brunswick, New York; the couple had been defrauded in a scam. The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The charges filed against Patel carry a maximum term of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. HSI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative. The mission of the Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department of Justice’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s older adults. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving elders can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.


title: Smyrna Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison on Child Exploitation Charges

component: USAO - Tennessee, Middle

body_text: NASHVILLE – Peter Allen Snyder, 43, of Smyrna, Tennessee, was sentenced last Thursday to 20 years in federal prison after having pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography, announced Robert E. McGuire, Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Snyder also is required to register as a sex offender. “One of our office’s highest priorities is the aggressive prosecution of crimes against children,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert E. McGuire. “We will seek to hold these criminals accountable in order to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.” According to court records, on November 21, 2019, Snyder created at least nine sexually explicit images of the Minor Victim on his cell phone which depicted her naked from the waist down. Snyder’s hand was visible in one of the images. Snyder later distributed these photographs through the internet. The creation and distribution of these sexually explicit images came to light in December 2021, when Yahoo submitted a CyberTip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material. The CyberTip contained twenty-five images of child sexual abuse material, including nine of the Minor Victim, which had been sent by e-mail from a Russian-based e-mail service, with the subject header reading “Trade.” The images of the Minor Victim contained gps data confirming the images were produced at or near the vicinity of Snyder’s residence in Cannon County. These images also included data about the cell phone used to create the sexually explicit images of the Minor Victim. When Snyder was questioned about the cell phone following his arrest, he said he had disposed of it at a recycling kiosk. After serving his sentence, Snyder will be on supervised release for the remainder of his life. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Woodbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case. # # # # #


title: Centerville Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography of Minor Victim

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Centerville man and Texas native was sentenced on Friday, February 7, 2025 to 40 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. According to public court documents and evidence produced at sentencing, Luis Nathan Hernandez Jr., 48, exploited a minor victim younger than 12 and produced child sexual abuse material of her between 2022 and March 2024, including material depicting sex acts Hernandez performed on the victim. In March 2024, Hernandez persuaded the victim to take nude photos and videos, which the victim sent to Hernandez. Hernandez’s Centerville residence was searched in April 2024. A search of Hernandez’s seized computer revealed 598 files containing child sexual abuse material from at least 71 known series. Hernandez’s two cell phones had approximately 500 images 17 videos containing child sexual abuse material. In 2004, Hernandez was convicted in Texas of indecency with a child, which required him to register as a sex offender. Twice in 2013, Hernandez plead guilty to failing to register as a sex offender in Wayne and Appanoose counties. After completing his term of imprisonment, Hernandez will be required to serve a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hernandez was also ordered to pay $34,000 in restitution. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Osceola Police Department, with assistance from the Centerville Police Department. 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 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. Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York Collected over $400 Million in Asset Forfeiture Actions in FY 2024

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney John J. Durham announced today that the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) collected over $400 million in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, ranking the EDNY first among all 93 districts in the country. Forfeiture recoveries are generally derived from warrants and forfeiture orders against illegal proceeds generated by, among other things, transnational criminal organizations and cartels; financial frauds; bribery and political corruption; cybercriminals; and those who violate the Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions (OFAC). “The forfeiture of criminal assets is an important tool used by law enforcement to deter crime and punish wrongdoers by depriving them of their ill-gotten gains,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “To the extent possible, forfeited funds are used to compensate victims of crime. That my Office collected the largest dollar amount of asset forfeiture of all U.S. Attorney’s Offices is a testament to the hard work and exceptional dedication of our prosecutors and professional staff in carrying out their mission to do justice, compensate victims, and hold defendants accountable for their crimes.” In certain circumstances, forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund can be used to compensate victims of crimes, and for a variety of law enforcement purposes. In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. In addition to the asset forfeiture recoveries, EDNY collected a total of $333,368,879.70 in judgments and other debts on behalf of victims and the government in FY 2024 in criminal and civil actions filed in the district and in cases in which the Office worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice. Of this amount, $303,583,835.60 was collected in criminal cases and $29,785,044.11 in civil cases. FY 2024 Forfeiture Highlights In March 2024, Gunvor S.A. (Gunvor), a part of the Gunvor Group, one of the largest commodities trading firms in the world, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The charge arose out of a scheme to bribe officials of the Ecuadorian Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Petroecuador, the Ecuadorian state-owned oil company, in order to obtain contracts to purchase oil products. In exchange for these bribe payments, high-level Ecuadorian officials helped Gunvor win contracts to provide a series of oil-backed loans to Petroecuador. Following the plea, United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano sentenced Gunvor to pay a criminal monetary penalty of more than $374 million and to forfeit more than $287 million in ill-gotten gains. In October 2023, as previously ordered by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen, $100,189,754.61 was forfeited from a Swiss bank account held by Datisa S.A. As proven at two separate trials, Datisa was a corrupt corporate entity that paid and promised to pay millions of dollars in bribes to top soccer officials to secure the media and marketing rights to the 2016 Copa America Centenario, a soccer tournament played in stadiums throughout the United States. This forfeiture is part of the larger investigation of the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which exposed corruption throughout world soccer and has resulted in over 30 felony convictions and guilty pleas, and the recovery of over $200 million in forfeiture funds.


title: Macoupin County Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Possession of Firearms as a Felon

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

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Chad Dickerson, 34, of Brighton, Illinois, was sentenced on February 6, 2025, to 36 months of imprisonment for possessing a firearm as a felon, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless found that Dickerson possessed four firearms and noted that all four were fully loaded. Dickerson pleaded guilty on September 4, 2024. The statutory penalties for possession of firearm by a felon are up to 15 years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution. The case against Dickerson 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: Alabama Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with Securities and Exchange Commission X Account Hack

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An Alabama man pleaded guilty today in connection with the January 2024 unauthorized takeover of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)’s social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter, in which hackers posted a fraudulent message in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, temporarily causing the value of Bitcoin (BTC) to increase by more than $1,000. According to court documents, Eric Council Jr., 25, of Athens, conspired with others who took unauthorized control of the SEC’s X account and falsely announced that the SEC approved BTC Exchange Traded Funds, a decision highly anticipated by the market. Immediately following the false announcement, the price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 per bitcoin. Shortly after this unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over its X account and confirmed that the announcement was false and the result of a security breach. Following the correction, the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000 per bitcoin. The conspirators gained control of the SEC’s X account through an unauthorized Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swap carried out by Council. A SIM swap refers to the process of fraudulently inducing a cell phone carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber or user’s SIM card to a SIM card controlled by a criminal actor. As part of the scheme, Council used an identification card printer to create a fraudulent identification card with a victim’s personally identifiable information obtained from his co-conspirators. Council used the fraudulent identification card to impersonate the victim and gain access to the victim’s cellular phone number for the purpose of accessing the SEC’s account. Council’s co-conspirators then accessed the account and posted in the name of the SEC Chairman. Council received payment in bitcoin from his co-conspirators for his role. Council pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. for the District of Columbia; Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division; and SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office and SEC Office of Inspector General are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. Substantial assistance was provided by Cyber Fellow Paul M. Zebb III. For more information on SIM swapping, visit www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411 .


title: Romanian National Sentenced To 18 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry Into The United States

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Severin Bombu (35, Romania) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Bombu pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024. According to court documents, Bombu is a citizen and national of Romania. He was previously removed from the United States on three prior occasions: November 16, 2018, December 20, 2023, and March 2, 2024. Bombu was found voluntarily back in the United States on November 1, 2024, when he was arrested in Marion County on an outstanding grand theft warrant. Bombu has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States. This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: St. Petersburg Man Sentenced To More Than 14 Years For Role In Fraud Scheme To Obtain Titles To Vehicles

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington has sentenced Jonathan Daniels (46, St. Petersburg) to 14 years and 7 months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Daniels was found guilty at trial on February 10, 2023. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Daniels and his co-conspirators were involved in a fraud scheme to strip bank liens from more than 100 vehicles and obtain clear titles to the vehicles, thus depriving the financial institutions and the owners from their rights to the vehicles. The conspirators submitted fraudulent and counterfeit documents and fake certified mail receipts to Florida tax collector offices to make it look like the vehicles had towing and storage liens, which enabled the conspirators to obtain clear titles to the vehicles and sell the vehicles to unsuspecting buyers for profit. “The Secret Service is proud to partner with the U.S Postal Inspection Service and the Florida Highway Patrol,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Engel of the United States Secret Service – Tampa Field Office. “The results of this investigation are a testament to strong partnerships across the law enforcement community. The Secret Service remains committed to investigating those who engage in crimes that exploit our financial system.” Steven Hodges, Acting Postal Inspector in Charge of the Miami Division stated, “The U. S. Postal Inspection Service will aggressively investigate individuals who engage in fraudulent schemes at the expense of the American public and our financial institutions. We are committed to working with our partner law enforcement agencies to bring justice to those looking to uses fraudulent means for personal gain. Criminals must understand there are consequences for their actions.” This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Peresie.


title: Jefferson County felon sentenced for federal gun violation

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont convicted felon has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Demond Maurice Barnes, 46, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on February 7, 2025. According to information presented in court, on June 15, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a minor automobile accident in Port Arthur. While in route, officers received information from callers that one of the drivers had a firearm in his possession. Upon arrival, officers observed a red Ford Mustang that had backed into another vehicle. The driver of the Mustang, identified as Barnes, was unconscious in the driver’s seat, unresponsive and foaming at the mouth. When Barnes was removed from the vehicle, officers discovered he was sitting on a semi-automatic pistol. Further investigation revealed Barnes to be a convicted felon having been previously convicted in Louisiana of possession of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. As a convicted felon, Barnes was prohibited by federal law from owning or possessing firearms or ammunition. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. This case was investigated by the Port Arthur Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Quinn. ###


title: Convicted Felon Who Owed Government Millions Of Dollars Found Guilty Of Transferring Properties To Prevent Government Seizure

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Christopher Switlyk (46, Orlando) guilty of two counts of removal of property to prevent seizure. Switlyk faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison for each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 6, 2025. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $10,700,592 was entered against Switlyk in 2013. The judgment arose from a prior criminal case in which he was convicted of several felony offenses. At that time, the government seized over $6 million and Switlyk owed more than $4 million. Years later, in 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service learned that Switlyk had acquired several bank and financial accounts, two vehicles, and three real properties in Daytona Beach and Tampa, for which he was the titled owner. On November 13, 2022, the United States obtained from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, a Preliminary Order of Forfeiture for Substitute Assets, which allowed the government to seize Switlyk’s assets to partially satisfy the money judgment. The next day, the U.S. Marshals served the Order on Switlyk’s financial institutions, which froze his accounts. When Switlyk learned that some of his accounts had been frozen, he immediately transferred assets to his father on November 16 and 17, 2022. Among the assets he transferred were a Tesla vehicle and a real property in Tampa. Trial evidence showed that when Switlyk transferred those two properties to his father, he did so with the purpose of preventing or impairing the government’s lawful authority to take the properties into its custody or control. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Former Deputy For Using Excessive Force

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Tyler Williams (30), a former deputy with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, guilty of violating an individual’s civil rights and obstructing justice. Williams faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for his use of unreasonable force. The obstruction charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. His sentencing hearing has not yet been scheduled. According to evidence presented at trial, on July 4, 2023, Williams, while acting under color of law as a deputy with the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office, willfully deprived the civil rights of an individual by throwing him to the ground and injuring him. Williams then wrote a false justification for the use of force in an incident report, obstructing justice. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Tampa Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick L. Darcey and Jesus M. Casas.


title: Sioux City Woman Pleads Guilty to Multiple Federal Firearm Violations

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A woman who violated multiple firearm laws pled guilty on February 7, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Maria Francisca Portalatin, age 53, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of being a prohibited person in possession of firearms, one count of making false statements during the purchase of firearms, one count of straw purchase of firearms, and one count of concealing a person from arrest. In a plea agreement, Portalatin admitted that in April of 2023, she knowingly made false statements and representations on ATF forms to Dunham’s Sports Store in Sioux City in connection with her acquisition of multiple firearms. Portalatin later admitted to law enforcement in April of 2023, she was an unlawful user of methamphetamine and purchased the firearms for Freddie Summerville who she knew was prohibited from possessing a firearm. In January of 2024, Sioux City Police stopped a car being driven by Summerville but owned by Portalatin. One of the firearms was located in the vehicle. In March of 2024, Portalatin purchased two more firearms and, once again, lied on the ATF forms regarding her address, drug use and intended recipient of the firearms. In June of 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the address Portalatin listed on the forms and located the four firearms she had purchased. During an interview with law enforcement, Portalatin admitted she lied on the ATF forms and that she was aware that Freddie Summerville was wanted on a federal warrant. In July of 2024, Portalatin and Summerville were stopped in a vehicle near Sioux Falls. Subsequently, in an interview with law enforcement she admitted they were smoking methamphetamine and that she had helped harbor and conceal Summerville. Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Portalatin remains free on bond previously set. Portalatin faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-04053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Central Falls Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Central Falls man, currently incarcerated in federal prison as the result of separate charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition, admitted to a federal judge today that, before his incarceration, he deposited stolen and/or fraudulent checks into multiple bank accounts that he controlled, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha. Ryan DaCruz, 28, admitted that between February 2022 and May 2023, he opened bank accounts at four Rhode Island banks into which he then deposited checks totaling tens of thousands of dollars that had been stolen from the U.S. Mail stream by confederates. According to information presented to the court, the stolen checks, most of which were third party business checks, appeared to have been “washed” so that the payee names could be changed to Ryan DaCruz, and then deposited into his accounts. The deposited funds were then rapidly depleted through cash withdrawals and/or money transfers. When the banks recognized the deposited items as fraudulent, they closed the accounts, and DaCruz would then open a new account at a different bank. In some instances, the banks were able to stop payment on checks before the funds were completely depleted; in other instances, they were not. The intended loss to banks totaled approximately $46.000. DaCruz pleaded guilty today to a charge of bank fraud conspiracy. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 11, 2025. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Federal court records reflect that in August 2024, DaCruz was sentenced to 24 months of incarceration, having been convicted in January 2024 in for being a felon in possession of ammunition. The case currently before a U.S. District Court judge is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John P. McAdams and Paul F. Daly, Jr. The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Providence Police Department. ###


title: Guilty Plea in Hacking of the SEC’s X Account That Caused Bitcoin Value Spike

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eric Council, 25, of Athens, Alabama, entered a guilty plea today to one count of conspiracy to commit aggravated identity theft in United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Council was arrested on October 17, 2024, in connection with his role in a conspiracy to hack into the X account of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and publish fraudulent posts in the name of the then-SEC Chairman. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, SEC Inspector General Deborah Jeffrey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office, Criminal and Cyber Division. Council’s plea was entered before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson in the District of Columbia. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. His sentencing is scheduled for May 16, 2025. According to court documents, from at least January 2024, Council conspired with others to carry out Subscriber Identity Model (SIM) attacks, commonly referred to as “SIM swaps,” in exchange for money. A SIM card is a chip that stores information identifying and authenticating a cell phone subscriber and connects a physical cell phone to a mobile carrier’s cellular and data network. A SIM swap attack is a form of sophisticated fraud where criminal actors fraudulently induce a mobile carrier to reassign a mobile phone number from a victim’s SIM card to a SIM card and telephone controlled by a criminal actor attempting to access valuable information associated with the victim’s telephone. Members of SIM swapping groups conduct SIM swaps for the purpose of defeating multifactor authentication and/or two-step verification security features for internet connected accounts, such as social media and virtual currency accounts. After convincing a mobile carrier to reassign a phone number to a new SIM card in the criminal actor’s control, members of the conspiracy generate password reset security authentication codes for online accounts and those codes are in turn sent to the telephone in the control of the criminal actor. Members of SIM swap groups share the security reset codes with one another to unlawfully access a victim’s internet connected accounts and complete the fraud. On or about January 9, 2024, Council, and others, executed a SIM swap of the mobile phone account associated with the @SECgov X account, the official account of the SEC. The purpose of this SIM swap was to gain unauthorized access to this government account in order to make fraudulent posts. Before January 9, a member of the conspiracy had identified the authorized user for the phone number linked to the official @SECgov X account. Council received instruction from a co-conspirator to perform the SIM swap on this phone line, along with information to make the needed fake ID, that is, an image of an ID card template with the authorized user’s name on it but Council’s face, and information purporting to be the user’s date of birth and social security number. Council used his portable ID card printer to create a physical ID which he used to impersonate the victim at an AT&T store in Huntsville, Alabama. Council provided false information to the AT&T store employee to explain why he needed a replacement SIM card. Council obtained the SIM card linked to the victim’s phone line and walked to a nearby Apple store where he purchased a new iPhone to use in the crime. He inserted the SIM card to activate the phone, received the @SECGov X password reset codes on this new phone linked to the victim’s SIM card and used his personal cell phone to take a photo of the @SECgov X account reset code to share with his co-conspirators. After passing along the password reset codes, Council drove to Birmingham, Alabama and immediately returned the iPhone for cash. A member of the conspiracy used the reset code to gain access to the @SECGov X account and issue a fraudulent post in the name of the then-SEC Chairman, falsely announcing SEC approval of Bitcoin (BTC) Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The price of BTC increased by more than $1,000 following the post. Shortly after this unauthorized post, the SEC regained control over their X account and confirmed that the announcement was unauthorized and the result of a security breach, which caused the value of BTC decreased by more than $2,000. Council also admitted to attempting to perform additional SIM swaps in June 2024 in Alabama. In June 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant at an Athens, Alabama, apartment where he resided. Agents recovered a fake identification card and a portable ID card printer. They also recovered a laptop computer. Pursuant to the search warrant, agents searched the laptop and discovered templates for additional fake identification cards stored on the laptop along with internet searches for “SECGOV hack,” “telegram sim swap,” “how can I know for sure if I am being investigated by the FBI,” “What are the signs that you are under investigation by law enforcement or the FBI even if you have not been contacted by them,” “what are some signs that the FBI is after you,” “Verizon store list,” “federal identity theft statute,” and “how long does it take to delete telegram account.” Council admitted to receiving approximately $50,000 from members of the conspiracy to perform SIM swap during the previous six months. This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, the SEC-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Fraud Section’s Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. Significant assistance was provided by the FBI’s Birmingham Field Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, CCIPS Trial Attorney Ashley Pungello, and Fraud Section Trial Attorney Lauren Archer. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant United States Attorney John Hundscheid from the Northern District of Alabama. For more information on SIM swapping, go to: https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240411 24cr0457


title: Winona Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison After Targeting More Than 60 Young Girls in Online Sextortion Scheme

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Winona man has been sentenced to 324 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release in an online sextortion scheme that victimized more than 60 minor girls across the country and abroad, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, between April 2022 and June 2023, Valentin Silva Quintana, 31, used social media apps, including Snapchat and Instagram, to threaten, sexually manipulate, and exploit more than 60 young girls primarily between 9 and 12 years old in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Zealand and elsewhere. Quintana, who knew that most of the girls were between 9 and 12 years of age, used fake identities and lied about his age in communications with the girls, often posing as a minor girl himself. He used images and videos of youthful appearing girls to make his communications with other victims more believable. According to court documents, Quintana used a wide range of tactics to coerce his victims, sometimes by convincing young girls that he was their friend or romantic partner, or by offering them money. But most frequently, he convinced young girls to send him a sexual photo or video or covertly recorded them engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then threatened to send the first image to their friends and family unless the girls produced ever more graphic sexual images and videos for him. He continued this type of sextortion even as his victims wept and begged him to stop. Quintana was sentenced on February 5, 2025, in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell after previously pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winona County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael McBride prosecuted the case.


title: Foreign National Extradited From Germany to Face Charge of Transmitting Threatening Communication

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt , Maryland – Today, the Justice Department unsealed criminal charges against Igor Lira, 40, a Slovakia national, for allegedly transmitting a threat in interstate or international commerce containing a threat to injure. Lira made his initial appearance in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland today after he was extradited from Germany. Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to the indictment, on August 10, 2022, the defendant threatened a senior investigator from the National Institutes of Health, by transmitting the following: “You f*cking animal abuser, I’ll find and kill you, b*tch. I’ll drill your f*cking brain off, and I’ll film it, so everyone can watch. You don't deserve anything else. Your days are counted.” If convicted, Lira faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. The individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. U.S. Attorney Barron commended the Public Prosecutor General's Office (Generalstaatsanwaltschaft) in Düsseldorf, which handled Lira’s extradition before the courts in Germany, and Germany’s Federal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz), its central authority for all international extraditions. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) provided significant assistance in securing Lira’s extradition from Germany. Mr. Barron also recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas M. Sullivan, who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Dominican National Sentenced for Role in Human Smuggling Event that Resulted in 11 Deaths

body_text: A Dominican national was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his involvement in a deadly human smuggling venture that resulted in the deaths of 11 smuggled aliens. According to court documents, on or about the evening of May 12, 2022, Fermin Montilla, 45, piloted a vessel carrying 48 individuals from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, with the intent of bringing those individuals to the United States illegally. At some point during the journey, the vessel took on water and capsized, and 11 people drowned. “The defendant attempted to illegally smuggle 48 migrants into the United States, leading to the tragic deaths of 11 people,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Human smugglers threaten our national security and exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety. The Criminal Division is committed to eliminating these transnational criminal smuggling organizations and protecting the public and those who would fall victim to them.” “Human smuggling operations not only violate U.S. law and threaten our national security, but they also endanger the lives of the smuggled migrants and result in death as in this case,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow for the District of Puerto Rico. “The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to bring those who smuggle illegal aliens to justice and dismantle their criminal organizations.” “It is essential to send a strong message to individuals that take advantage of the vulnerable by endangering lives undermining the safety and security of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Gonzalez-Ramos of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Juan. “In this one incident we lost 11 lives, we need to protect individuals from this heinous crime. We will continue to use all resources to pursue and to bring to justice transnational criminal organizations that jeopardize the safety of others exploiting immigration laws. To those seeking to be smuggled into the United States, please remember that it’s extremely dangerous and is not worth your life, these individuals do not care.” On Sept. 13, 2024, Montilla pleaded guilty to one count of bringing aliens to the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry resulting in death. HSI San Juan investigated this case, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. Trial Attorney Angela Buckner of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and U.S. Coast Guard Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena Daniel for the District of Puerto Rico prosecuted the case. The investigation is being conducted under the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. Last June, the Justice Department formally transmitted to Congress a new legislative proposal to increase the recommended penalties for the most prolific and dangerous human smugglers. The proposal, titled the “Deterring Human Smuggling and Harm to Victims Act of 2024,” would amend U.S. Sentencing Guideline 2L1.1, which governs human smuggling offenses, by creating steeper penalty tiers based on the number of people smuggled by the defendant; increasing penalties when the defendant’s conduct results in injury or death to more than one person; and ensuring defendants are subject to sentencing enhancements for sexual assault and other types of prohibited sexual conduct committed during the smuggling offense, even if that conduct occurred outside U.S. jurisdiction. The Department has been working with interested Members of Congress to advance the proposal so that the Sentencing Guidelines accurately account for the full scope of violence that can result from human smuggling.


title: Former Greenfield Township fire department administrator sentenced to prison for causing 26 arson fires in Wayne National Forest

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former fire department administrator and police officer was sentenced in federal court here to 18 months in prison for starting dozens of arson fires in Wayne National Forest. James A. Bartels, 52, of Rio Grande, Ohio, started 26 fires in the national forest in 2022, creating a substantial risk of death or significant injury to the public, as well as to firefighters from federal, state and local governments who were summoned to extinguish the fires. In total, more than 100 firefighters from several states responded to the fires. Approximately 1,300 acres of federal and state land were burned, and the U.S. Forest Service incurred more than $638,000 in resulting expenditures. At the time, Bartels was an administrator at the Greenfield Township Volunteer Fire Department. He also served as a police officer at various law enforcement agencies in Ohio and a 911 dispatcher for Gallia County. According to court documents, Ohio Department of Natural Resources law enforcement officers observed a truck registered to Bartels near Wayne National Forest on Oct. 29, 2022. Within an hour, a fire was reported in the forest near where Bartels had been. In the days after Bartels’s Nov. 8, 2022, resignation from working as a 911 dispatcher for Gallia County, at least 17 fires were lit. Bartels was seen at two separate locations in the vicinity of multiple fire starts within minutes of their ignition. His truck’s infotainment system data also placed him at the locations of the fires. Bartels admitted to starting the fires with a lighter to “give the boys something to do” and to distract himself from his depression. The defendant was arrested in December 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2023. As part of his sentence, Bartels was ordered to pay $638,000 in restitution and register through the Ohio Arson Registry. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and the U.S. Forest Service announced the sentence imposed on Feb. 7 by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Deputy Criminal Chief Brian J. Martinez represented the United States at sentencing. # # #


title: South Florida Car Dealer Turned Carjacker Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal judge has sentenced 59-year-old Erik Hadad to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release after a federal jury convicted him of carjacking a customer of the car dealership that Hadad operated with his sons. In October 2023, Hadad’s car dealership, Guru Auto Sales, sold a salvaged 2020 Honda Accord to a 24-year-old Haitian legal immigrant (the victim). The sale terms bound the victim to pay $30,000 over five years at annual 24.22% interest rate. When Guru Auto closed the deal, it sold the loan to a finance company for a lump sum payment of about $13,800. The sale, however, allowed the finance company to claw back its lump sum to Guru Auto if the car buyer was late on either of his first two payments. When the victim was late on payment one, the finance company enforced the claw-back provision, demanding that Guru Auto return roughly $13,000. The finance company also informed Guru Auto that it had no legal right to the 2020 Honda Accord and could not demand payment from the buyer or repossess the vehicle until Guru Auto paid the money back. On Dec. 19, 2023, five days after Guru Auto received the finance company’s clawback demand and after the victim had caught up on his payments, Hadad staked out the victim’s home. When the victim left his home, he entered his 2020 Honda and began driving to Miami International Airport, where he works as a baggage loader and bathroom cleaner. Hadad followed the victim in a BMW, tailgating him down the highway. When the two cars exited the highway and reached a red light, Hadad got out of the BMW, approached the Honda, ripped off the car’s temporary paper tag, and yelled at the victim to get out of the car. The victim drove away; Hadad jumped back inside the BMW and followed. When they reached a train station, Hadad completed the carjacking: Hadad again approached the victim and demanded that he surrender the key to his Honda. This time, Hadad lifted his shirt and flashed a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol holstered in his waistband. The victim turned over his keys and later called police. Officers arrested the armed Hadad on-scene. United States District Judge K. Michael Moore imposed the sentence. U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division made the announcement. ATF Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Keller and Brianna Coakley prosecuted it. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20220. ###


title: New Jersey CPA Sentenced in Syndicated Conservation Easement Tax Scheme

component: Tax Division

body_text: A New Jersey accountant was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for his role in the promotion and sale of abusive syndicated conservation easement tax shelters. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ralph Anderson was a CPA and return preparer working for accounting firms in New Jersey and New York. From approximately 2013 to 2019, Anderson promoted and sold tax deductions to his high-income clients in the form of units in illegal syndicated conservation easement tax shelters created by convicted co-conspirators Jack Fisher and James Sinnott. Anderson knew that, contrary to law, the transactions related to these illegal tax shelters lacked economic substance and that his high-income clients purchased units at his recommendation only to obtain a tax deduction on their tax returns. The charitable deductions purchased by clients were derived from the donation of land with a conservation easement or the land itself to a charity, and the deductions were based on fraudulently inflated appraisals for the donated land. Anderson and the promoters promised the clients a so-called ratio of “4.5 to 1” in charitable deductions for every dollar paid into the tax shelter. In some instances, to make it appear that his clients had joined the partnerships before the date of the conservation easement donation — which was necessary to claim the tax benefits — Anderson and his co-conspirators also instructed and caused clients to falsely backdate documents, including subscription agreements and checks related to the partnerships. Each year from 2013 to 2019, Anderson and his co-conspirators assisted clients with claiming these false deductions on their tax returns. In total, Anderson assisted in preparing tax returns for clients that claimed over $9.3 million in false charitable deductions based on backdated documents, which caused a tax loss to the United States of nearly $3 million. Between approximately 2016 and 2019, Anderson earned over $300,000 in commissions for promoting and selling the illegal tax shelters to his clients. Anderson also claimed false tax deductions for charitable contributions generated from the syndicated conservation easement tax shelters he received as “free units” on his own returns and fraudulently reduced his own taxes on the income he earned from the scheme. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Shipp for the District of New Jersey ordered Anderson to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,543,005.53 in total restitution to the IRS and Small Business Administration. After being convicted on all counts after a trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Anderson’s co-conspirators, Jack Fisher and James Sinnott, were sentenced to 25 and 23 years in prison, respectively. Nine additional defendants pleaded guilty to criminal conduct related to the syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme. These other defendants include appraiser Walter Douglas “Terry” Roberts and Certified Public Accountants Stein Agee, Corey Agee, James Benkoil, Victor Smith, Herbert Lewis and William Tomasello. In addition, attorneys Randall Lenz and Vi Bui pleaded guilty to their roles in this scheme. The fraudulent syndicated conservation easement tax shelter scheme created and promoted by Fisher and Sinnott resulted in over $1.3 billion in fraudulent tax deductions and caused over $400 million in total tax loss to the IRS. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement. IRS-CI and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Richard M. Rolwing and Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin and Jessica Kraft of the Tax Division prosecuted the case with assistance from former Tax Division Trial Attorney Nicholas Schilling and support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.


title: Former Keshena Resident Receives 115-Month Prison Sentence for Serious Domestic Violence Offense on Menominee Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 6, 2025, John V. Miller, Jr. (age: 43), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and former resident of Keshena, received a 115-month prison sentence following convictions for strangulation and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The sentence, imposed by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of guilty pleas entered by the defendant on September 27, 2024. Miller will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence. According to publicly filed court documents, Miller severely injured his ex-wife during an assault in a wooded area outside Keshena, which is a community on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Miller kicked, struck, and punched the victim, who suffered a facial fracture and severe bruising and swelling. Miller also strangled the victim to the point of unconsciousness before leaving her in the woods. The victim awoke and found her way to a nearby mobile home, where the resident there called for help. In sentencing the defendant, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime the defendant committed and remarked upon the need to punish the defendant for his “brutal” and “horrendous” acts. The court discussed the seriousness of the offense from the perspective of the effect it had on the victim and the children she shares with the defendant. The defendant’s documented history of violence against this victim and a total of 20 prior convictions also factored in the court reaching its sentence. Judge Griesbach also observed the need to incarcerate the defendant for a lengthy period to protect the victim and public. The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case in U.S. District Court in Green Bay. # # # For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: IRS, Postal Employees Indicted for Stealing U.S. Treasury Check

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Employees with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service are among three defendants who have been indicted by a federal grand jury for stealing and cashing a U.S. Treasury check. Sierra S. McCall, 31, of Independence, Mo., Jalen Koonce, 31, of Raytown, Mo., and Julian A. King, 31, address unknown, were charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Thursday, Feb. 6. The indictment was unsealed and made public following Koonce’s arrest and initial court appearance on Friday, Feb. 7. McCall is employed by the IRS as a customer contact representative. Koonce is employed by the U.S. Postal Service at the sorting facility where government checks are processed. The federal indictment charges McCall, Koonce, and King together in one count of the theft of government property. The indictment alleges they aided and abetted each other to steal and cash a $72,236 U.S. Treasury check on Aug. 9, 2023. The indictment also charges Koonce and King each with one count of money laundering related to financial transactions on Aug. 9, 2023, that involved the proceeds of the theft of government property. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the U.S. Postal Service – Office of Inspector General.


title: St. Charles Man Sentenced to Prison, Ordered to Pay $170,500 to Child Pornography Victims

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Monday sentenced a man from St. Charles, Missouri to 72 months in prison and ordered him to pay $170,500 in restitution to victims who appeared in the child sexual abuse material he collected. Judge Fleissig also fined Brian Larkin $10,000 and ordered him to pay a $20,000 assessment that will go to child pornography victims. After his release from prison, Larkin will be on supervised release for life. Larkin, now 54, pleaded guilty in October to one felony count of receiving child pornography. He admitted possessing over 972 image files and 962 video files containing child sexual abuse material on a thumb drive that he kept in a safe. The investigation began in September of 2023, when the FBI’s St. Louis office learned of Larkin’s chat room communications about child sexual exploitation. Larkin had also been the subject of two Cyber Tipline Reports to the National Center for Exploited & Missing Children reporting that he’d used Kik Messenger to upload a total of five files containing child pornography. During a Nov. 29, 2023, court-approved search of Larkin’s home, agents found the thumb drive in a gun safe. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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: Former Keshena Resident Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution and Involuntary Manslaughter Related to Overdose Deaths in Tribal Jail

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 7, 2025, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach accepted the guilty pleas of Warren J. Grignon to one count of distribution of fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841 and one count of involuntary manslaughter in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111 and 1153(a). According to the indictment and plea agreement, Grignon was an inmate at the Menominee Tribal Detention Center in Keshena on the Menominee Indian Reservation. On December 23, 2024, Grignon distributed fentanyl he smuggled into the jail to three other inmates. All three inmates overdosed. Two inmates were revived through the efforts of additional inmates, corrections staff, and responding officers from the Menominee Tribal Police Department. One inmate could not be revived and was pronounced dead. A later autopsy revealed the cause of death to be a fentanyl overdose. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m., before Judge Griesbach. Grignon faces a total sentence of up to 28 years in prison as well as fines and assessments for each count. Grignon also faces a minimum term of three years, and up to a lifetime of supervised release after completing any period of imprisonment. The Menominee Tribal Police Department and FBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier is prosecuting the case in the United States District Court in Green Bay. # # # For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Georgia Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Nehmiah Allen-Griggs, also known as “Newski,” 23, of Dallas, Georgia, was sentenced today to ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Allen-Griggs admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2023, Allen-Griggs distributed approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot in exchange for $2,000. On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Highlawn Avenue residence in Huntington and seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Teck .22-caliber pistol, and various rounds of ammunition. Allen-Griggs admitted that he and others used the residence to store and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Allen-Griggs is among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Allen-Griggs is also among 22 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180. ###


title: Camden Man Admits To Conspiring To Commit Tax Fraud

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man today admitted to conspiring to defraud the IRS by concealing cash wages paid to his business’s employees, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced. Tri Anh Tieu, 53, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an indictment charging him and co-defendant Andy Tran with one count of conspiring to defraud the United States. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Tieu owned Tri States Staffing LLC, a business based in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Tri States Staffing provided temporary workers to New Jersey businesses located in Gloucester and Burlington Counties. As part of its agreement with its customer businesses, Tri States Staffing was responsible for collecting and paying over to the IRS the payroll taxes due and owing on the wages paid to the temporary workers provided by Tri States Staffing. Between the third quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2022, Tri States received more than $2.5 million in payments from its customer businesses. Tieu paid Tri States’s employees in cash and failed to pay over the payroll taxes due and owing on those wages. Tieu spent at least some of the unpaid taxes on personal expenditures, including gambling. Tieu admitted that the conspiracy caused a tax loss of approximately $305,332. The count of conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2025. Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Yury Kruty in Philadelphia and Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. tieuandtran.indictment.pdf


title: Two convicted in Eastern District of Texas COVID fraud scheme

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Collin County man and a Floridian have been convicted of federal violations related to a COVID fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Cord Dean Newman, 47, of Homosassa, Florida, and Eric “Phoenix” Marascio, 53, of Allen, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on February 6, 2025. According to information presented in court, Newman, a Hollywood stuntman, and Marascio, an author and baker, were convicted for their involvement in a multimillion-dollar loan fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The evidence at trial showed they were involved in a scheme to defraud lenders and the Small Business Administration’s (SBA’s) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) by applying for and obtaining fraudulent PPP loans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Once Newman and Marascio obtained the loans, they used the funds in a manner inconsistent with the program, including to invest in foreign exchange currency markets, to purchase vehicles, and for various other non-business-related expenditures. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was a federal law enacted in March 2020 and designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program was an SBA program that provided low-interest financing to small businesses, renters, and homeowners in regions affected by declared disasters. The defendants each face up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing 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 U.S. Probation Office. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Eastern District of Texas. ###


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced To 180 Months In Prison For Child Exploitation Crime

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Mitchell Inscho, age 36, a resident of Belvidere, New Jersey, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Karoline Mehalchick, for attempted online enticement of a minor. According to the Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, between July 17, 2023 and October 26, 2023, Inscho used the internet and cell phone to request a person who he believed to be a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual conduct, and to produce images of child pornography. During that period, on multiple occasions, Inscho sent obscene photographs of himself to the purported child through social media. On March 13, 2024, Homeland Security agents served a federal search warrant at Inscho’s residence in Belvidere, New Jersey. Pursuant to the warrant, agents seized and later analyzed his cell phones and computers. The forensic analysis uncovered approximately 150 images of child pornography on Inscho’s devices. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations – Philadelphia Division, Allentown RAC. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . # # #


title: CBP Officer Arrested in El Paso, Charged with Alien Smuggling and Drug Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – A Customs and Border Protection officer was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle undocumented noncitizens for financial gain and alleged drug trafficking activity. According to court documents, between on or about Dec. 21, 2023 and Feb. 5, 2025, Manuel Perez Jr., 32, of El Paso, allegedly smuggled and attempted to smuggle undocumented noncitizens into the United States for commercial advantage and private financial gain. The indictment alleges that, in multiple instances, Perez Jr. admitted a vehicle driven by an undocumented noncitizen at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso as part of human smuggling operations. Additionally, Perez Jr. allegedly conspired to possess a substance containing at least 5kg of cocaine from on or about Nov. 1, 2019 through and including Feb. 5, 2025, to distribute throughout Texas, Louisiana, North Carolina and elsewhere. Perez Jr. is charged with one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to the United States for financial gain, three counts of bringing aliens to the United States for financial gain, and one count of conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, he faces a up to five years in federal prison for the human smuggling conspiracy charge, three to 10 years in prison for each of the three additional human smuggling charges, and 10 years to life for the drug trafficking charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. This investigation was a joint effort by FBI El Paso, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility, and Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, which comprise the FBI El Paso West Texas Border Corruption Task Force, along with the assistance of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division/Texas Highway Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations El Paso and the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Johnston is prosecuting the case. 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: Bridgeport Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that QUINTEN McKOY, also known as “Quack,” 33, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 40 months of imprisonment for unlawfully possessing firearms. Judge Bolden ordered McKoy’s sentence to be served consecutive to a state sentence McKoy is currently service for unrelated offenses. Once released from federal custody, McKoy will serve a three-year term of supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, after a series of shootings and murders in Bridgeport and Stratford, the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force began an investigation into McKoy and others who were associated with gangs in the South End of Bridgeport. On October 7, 2022, Task Force members conducted a court-authorized search of McKoy’s residence on Logan Street in Bridgeport and seized a stolen Glock .45 semi-automatic handgun; four gun magazines, including a high-capacity magazine loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition; a laser attachment; additional ammunition; and packages of suspected crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. McKoy was arrested at that time. McKoy’s criminal history includes multiple felony convictions in state court for firearm and other offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. McKoy has been detained since his arrest. On September 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck and Ross Weingarten through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN)a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Binghamton Woman is Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Stealing a Child’s Social Security Benefits After the Child was Removed From her Custody

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Loretta Washington, age 60, of Binghamton, New York, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for social security fraud, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Amy Connelly, Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), New York Field Office announced. As part of her prior guilty plea, Washington admitted that she had applied for and was receiving social security benefits for a minor child, as the minor child’s representative-payee. A representative-payee is a person or organization selected by the SSA to receive benefits on behalf of a beneficiary who is unable to manage their payments. In September 2018, Broome County Department of Social Services removed the child from Washington’s custody after the child—who was four years old at the time—was found walking on a road in the middle of the night. Washington never reported the change in custody to the Social Security Administration and, at one point, lied to the Social Security Administration that the child was still in her custody. In total, Washington stole over $25,000 in social security benefits between October 2018 and November 2021. In addition to the 18-month term of imprisonment, Washington will serve a term of supervised release of three years. Washington was also ordered to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration. This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Tuck.


title: Convicted Knoxville Gang Leader Sentenced To 45 Years For Drug Trafficking, Firearms, and Money Laundering Crimes

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On February 10, 2025, Bryan Cornelius, 34, of Knoxville, was sentenced to a total term of 45 years in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, Cornelius will be on supervised release for five years. The sentencing follows Cornelius’s federal trial in April 2022, during which a jury convicted him of conspiring to distribute various controlled substances, including methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana. The evidence presented at trial included wiretaps of multiple cellular phones, multiple search warrants at various Knoxville residences, narcotics, firearms, and cash seizures. The evidence showed that Cornelius, a member of the Gangster Disciples street gang, was ordering narcotics from different sources of supply in California and receiving packages of methamphetamine and marijuana through the United States Postal Service (USPS), Fed-Ex, and UPS throughout 2019 and that he maintained multiple addresses across Knoxville to stash his narcotics, firearms, and cash to facilitate his narcotics distribution. In addition, the evidence showed that, in furtherance of his drug trafficking, at approximately 2:45 p.m. on November 21, 2019, Cornelius, along with two others, drove by the Stop-n-Go on Brooks Avenue and Cornelius and fired fifteen rounds of 7.62mm into a Mercedes-Benz. The driver sustained two non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. The jury also convicted Cornelius of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, twenty-two other charged members of the conspiracy previously pleaded guilty. In determining the sentence, Judge Varlan took into account several aggravating factors, including Cornelius’s role as a leader and organizer of the crimes, his credible threats of violence made against other people in connection with his crimes, and his use of guns and violence in connection with his crimes. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Tommy D. Coke of the U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division, made the announcement. This conviction and sentence resulted from an investigation conducted by the FBI HIDTA Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The FBI HIDTA Task Force includes the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and Sevier County Sheriff’s Office. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, also assisted in this investigation by conducting drug analysis on seized narcotics in the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Cynthia Davidson and Alan Kirk represented the United States. This case was part of the Department's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) and the HIDTA programs. OCDETF is the primary weapon of the United States against the highest-level drug trafficking organizations operating within the United States, importing drugs into the United States, or laundering the proceeds of drug trafficking. The HIDTA program enhances and coordinates drug control efforts among local, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies. The program provides agencies with coordination, equipment, technology, and additional resources to combat drug trafficking and its harmful consequences in critical regions of the United States. This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. ###


title: Guilty Plea from Defendant Who Sexually Assaulted Senior Citizen in Her Yard

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Darnell Peoples, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on Monday, February 10, 2025, to 20 years in prison for the armed oral sexual assault of a senior citizen at her home in Southeast Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On November 15, 2024, Peoples pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree sexual abuse in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Peoples has been in custody since his arrest on June 11, 2024. His guilty plea called for an agreed-upon 20-year prison sentence. The Honorable Anthony C. Epstein accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. Upon release, Peoples will be required to register as a sex offender, and be on supervised release, for the remainder of his life. According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on June 11, 2024, the victim was working in her yard. Peoples approached the victim from behind, displayed a knife, and told the victim to get on her knees. When the victim informed Peoples that she could not get on her knees, Peoples grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Peoples then pulled down his pants and exposed his penis. He pulled the victim’s head toward his penis and forcefully inserted his penis into the victim’s mouth multiple times. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Cybercrime Lab. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Sourbeer, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Wethersfield Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl and Oxycodone to Overdose Victim

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JIMMY LASSUS, 40, of Wethersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 100 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl and oxycodone to an overdose victim. According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of October 6, 2023, Meriden Police responded to a residence on a report of a suspected overdose and found a 27-year-old woman unresponsive in a bedroom. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The investigation revealed that for several months before the victim’s death, the victim engaged in numerous drug-related text message conversations with Lassus. The text messages revealed that Lassus supplied the victim with oxycodone, and that he supplied her with fentanyl that she ingested in the hours before she died. The victim stated in text messages and in a journal entry that it was her first time using fentanyl. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s death to be caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, benzodiazepines, xylazine, and oxycodone. Lassus has been detained since his arrest on April 11, 2024. On September 30, 2024, he pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and oxycodone. This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department. The 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 was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Keefe and Reed Durham.


title: Final defendant sentenced in large-scale federal drug trafficking case

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A large-scale investigation has concluded with multiple individuals being sentenced to federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. According to information presented in court, beginning in 2021, law enforcement investigated a drug trafficking organization operating throughout East Texas, identifying Edgar Garcia, Jr. as the primary distributor. Law enforcement began conducting operations to identify numerous individuals receiving methamphetamine from Garcia. During the investigation, law enforcement executed residential search warrants, purchased methamphetamine and/or firearms directly from Garcia and other members of his drug trafficking organization, and directed traffic stops to intercept narcotics and firearms being transported for distribution. Ultimately, multiple kilograms of methamphetamine were seized during the operation. Law enforcement was also able to obtain almost a dozen firearms from various individuals in the organization. The firearms were either sold as part of narcotics transactions or being used to guard the illegal drugs. This case was prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. The individuals sentenced to federal prison during the investigation and prosecution of the drug trafficking organization are: Edgar Garcia Jr., 26, of Nacogdoches, sentenced to 151 months; Justin Michael Sanchez, 33, of Nacogdoches, sentenced to 235 months; Beverly Hurst, 26, of Center, sentenced to 151 months; Jason Clepper, 36, of Goliad, sentenced to 150 months; Blake Trahan, 29, of Center, sentenced to 48 months; Austin Yarbrough, 32, of Timpson, sentenced to 188 months; Laddarus Perkins, 40, of Timpson, sentenced to 135 months; Jeanese Fenley, 43, of Timpson, sentenced to 70 months; and Koury Nowell, 49, of Gary City, sentenced to 33 months. This case was investigated by the FBI; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Texas Department of Public Safety; Shelby County Sheriff’s Office; Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office; and Panola County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald S. Carter and Lucas Machicek. ###


title: Kissimmee Man Pleads Guilty To Possessing With Intent To Distribute Fentanyl And Cocaine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Raul Rodriguez-Jimenez (37, Kissimmee) has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. Rodriguez-Jimenez faces a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been set. According to court documents, between December 13, 2023, and August 29, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration used an undercover agent to conduct five controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine from Rodriguez-Jimenez. On February 9, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rodriguez-Jimenez’s residence and located more than 1,700 grams of cocaine and over 230 grams of fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.


title: Clearwater Man Pleads Guilty To Obstructing And Impeding The Administration Of The Internal Revenue Laws

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Terence Taylor has pleaded guilty to obstructing and impeding the administration of the internal revenue laws for actions seeking to defeat the collection of back taxes he owed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Taylor faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. According to the plea agreement, Taylor was sentenced in 2012 for failing to file his income taxes for several years while he lived in the Northern District of New York. He owed more than $810,000 in taxes and was required to pay the tax debt during the term of his sentence. For more than seven years, continuing after he moved to the Middle District of Florida, Taylor engaged in a series of obstructive acts to defeat the efforts by the IRS to collect those taxes. During those years, Taylor hid assets from the IRS, placed other asserts and income in the names of alter egos or nominees such as his wife, and used money that he could have used to pay off his back taxes to make purchases of assets including boats, jewelry, and a home in Palm Harbor. Taylor continued to earn income from his work as a financial consultant during those years after 2012. He used that income for numerous personal purposes and expenses and only minimally paid his tax debt to the IRS during that time. The IRS made extensive efforts to collect on Taylor’s tax debt between 2004 and 2008. Aside from contacting Taylor on numerous occasions, IRS Revenue Officers also sent him numerous forms for detailing his financial situation. Taylor submitted false or incomplete information on those forms, omitting to record assets he owned such as boats and providing false information about his business and its accounts and dates of operation. Instead of using it to repay his tax debt, Taylor used his business income and bank accounts after 2012 to pay for a large number of personal expenses, including marina and yacht club expenses, boat expenses, and jewelry purchases, while knowing of his tax debt to the IRS. In February 2017, Taylor used income that he had earned from his business to buy a $73,000 boat, which he then titled in his wife’s name in an effort to shield that asset from the IRS collection effort. Taylor also failed to file personal income tax returns for several years after his New York sentence had ended. He did so, even though he was earning sufficient income requiring him to file tax returns. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Honduran National Sentenced To 12 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry Into The United States

body_text: Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Mainor Danilo Alcerro (39, Honduras) to 12 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a previously deported alien. Alcerro pled guilty on November 21, 2024. According to court documents, Alcerro is a citizen and national of Honduras. He was previously removed from the United States on three prior occasions: June 22, 2010, February 12, 2018, June 1, 2018. Afterward, he was found voluntarily back in the United States on September 22, 2024, when he was arrested by local law enforcement in Lake County, Florida. Alcerro has never applied for or received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reenter the United States. This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.


title: Mexican National Sentenced To 21 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Moises Moreno-Godinez (35, Mexico) to 21 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Moreno-Godinez entered a guilty plea on October 31, 2024. According to court documents, Moreno-Godinez was convicted of aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on August 15, 2013, and deported from the United States to Mexico. Following his deportation, Moreno-Godinez illegally reentered the United States. This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.


title: Mexican National Sentenced To 18 Months In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara has sentenced Miguel Gomez-Rosales (40, Mexico) to 18 months in federal prison for illegal reentry into the United States after deportation. Gomez-Rosales entered a guilty plea on November 13, 2024. According to court documents, Gomez-Rosales was convicted of lewd or lascivious battery on July 16, 2012, and deported from the United States to Mexico. Following his deportation, Gomez-Rosales illegally reentered the United States. This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.


title: Armed Carjacker Detained Pending Trial for March 2024 Carjacking

body_text: WASHINGTON – Miquel Beasley, 22, of Bryans Road, MD, was charged on February 5, 2025, and ordered detained on February 7, 2025, for an armed carjacking stemming from an offense in Southeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to court records, at approximately 3:15 p.m. on March 22, 2024, the victim met up with Beasley in the 3900 block of First Street SE to purchase marijuana. Beasley entered the victim’s car, asked if the victim wanted to purchase marijuana, and the victim handed Beasley approximately $250. Beasley then pulled out a firearm, pointed it at the victim, and demanded that the victim get out of the car or else he would shoot the victim. The victim got out of his car, and Beasley got into the driver’s seat of the victim’s car and drove away. An arrest warrant was issued on June 20, 2024, and Beasley was arrested on that warrant on January 30, 2025. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.