title: 52 Members of the Criminal Organization known as La Familia Nunca Muere (The Family Never Dies) Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in San Juan, Morovis, and Cataño, Puerto Rico as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On March 17, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 52 gang members from the municipalities of San Juan, Morovis, and Cataño with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) San Juan Strike Force, with the collaboration of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) and Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Today during the arrests, the following agencies provided support: Puerto Rico National Guard, Guaynabo Municipal Police, Bayamón Municipal Police, and San Juan Municipal Police. “Thanks to the great investigative work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, the important leaders, enforcers and other members of the violent gang are being taken off our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “These arrests reflect our steadfast determination to remove violent gangs from our communities.” “This operation makes one thing absolutely clear, those who choose to spread violence and poison our communities will be relentlessly pursued and dismantled,” said Acting DEA SAC Evan Martínez. “There is no safe haven for criminal organizations in Puerto Rico. Together with our federal and local partners, we are applying every resource, every authority, and every strategy to hold these individuals accountable. We will not stop, we will not slow down, and we will not back off until our communities are safer and justice is served.” The indictment alleges that from 2018 to the present, the drug trafficking organization distributed cocaine, marijuana, heroin, and fentanyl within 1,000 feet of the Los Lirios (San Juan), Jardines de Cataño (Cataño), Juana Matos (Cataño), El Coquí (Cataño), and Nemesio Rosario Canales (San Juan) Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and areas near those locations, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances at those PHPs. At times, gang members would pool resources from different areas such as the Luis Lloréns Torres and the Vista Hermos PHPs, Barriada Figueroa and others within the municipalities of San Juan, Morovis, and Cataño. The organization referred to itself as “La Familia Nunca Muere” (The Family Never Dies) (hereinafter “LFNM”), also sometimes referred to as “Los Incorregibles” (The Incorrigibles) or “La Colectora” or “La Cole” (The Collectors). The defendants communicated with each other using two-way radios and cell phones, via instant messaging and social media. Members of LFNM promoted themselves, their narcotics, their firearms, their money, and their gang using social media. Some leaders who were incarcerated participated in meetings using contraband cellular phones, normally via video call. It is alleged that members of LFNM participated in acts of violence, including shootings and murders, in response to mere perceived threats, without first verifying the veracity of the threats. The defendants carried out shootings and murders in public places, in broad daylight, and in the presence of innocent bystanders, including children. Shootings also took place in public establishments such as bars and nightclubs. During the commission of these shootings, LFNM members would often use bulletproof vests, gloves, face masks and other face coverings. At times, they would use stolen or carjacked cars to evade capture and arrest by law enforcement. The investigation, including investigation regarding murders committed by the gang, remains ongoing. The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, suppliers, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Forty defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and twenty-one of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are: [1] Tomás Junior Sánchez-González, a.k.a. “Father/Boss/Patrón/Gemelo” [2] Junior Tomás Sánchez-González, a.k.a. “Bere/Bereta/Gemelo” [3] Jaime Vázquez-Román, a.k.a. “Tio/Tioito” [4] Edwin Rivera-Pérez, a.k.a. “Bubu” [5] Carlos D. Valladares-Díaz, a.k.a. “Dany/Lalo/Ojos Bellos/Ojos Lindos” [6] Omar Matías-Martínez, a.k.a. “KTM” [7] Duhamel J. Natal-González, a.k.a. “Banchi” [8] Luis Joel Rivera-Torres, a.k.a. “Taly” [9] Nestor N. González-Muñíz, a.k.a. “Silencio/Mudo” [10] Randy Padilla-Fernández, a.k.a. “R” [11] Tomás Niochar Sánchez-Feliciano, a.k.a. “Nio” [12] Ángel De Jesús-Vasquez, a.k.a. Ángel De Jesús-Vázquez/El Negro/D.O.” [13] Jonathan González-Agosto, a.k.a. “Tatán” [14] Israel J. González-Rosado, a.k.a. “Kiko” [15] Saúl Rodríguez-Serrano, a.k.a. “Patroncito” [16] Javbdiel López-Paz, a.k.a. “Dreki Malo” [17] Luis Antonio Rosa-Hernández, a.k.a. “Menor de Fajardo” [18] Luis Isander Medina-Vázquez, a.k.a. “Sugar/Flaco/Trenzas” [19] Kevin M. Rijos-Sepúlveda, a.k.a. “Yeezy” [20] Jorge S. Rodríguez-Rivera, a.k.a. “Gallero” [21] John Michael Rentas-Rivera, a.k.a. “Dálmata” [22] Gabrielle Eliud Delgado-Garay, a.k.a. “Kayak/KK” [23] Pedro Antonio Barreto-Martínez, a.k.a. “Pedrito/Mago/Maguito” [24] Pedro A. Polanco-Febus [25] Yadiel Daniel Rosario-Castro, a.k.a. “Papote” [26] Jeancarlos Reynoso-Peralta, a.k.a. “Domi/Greña” [27] Jordanish Manuel Torres-Villegas, a.k.a. “Mutombo” [28] John Huertas-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Casque” [29] Giann Luis Rijos-Sepúlveda, a.k.a. “Yeesy/Yisi/Yeezysito” [30] Freddy Maldonado-Castillo, a.k.a. “Sonrisa/Sonri” [31] Carlos Rosario-Reyes, a.k.a. “Carlos Papi” [32] Yahir Armando Ayala-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Duende” [33] Yecdiel Daniel-Oliveras, a.k.a. “Chagui” [34] Josten Anthony Ramos, a.k.a. “Justin Ramos/Prosper” [35] Carlo André Díaz-Sepúlveda, a.k.a. “Chavito” [36] Adrián Gabriel Ramos-López, a.k.a. “ADN” [37] Javier Colón-Oppenheimer, a.k.a. “Javielito/Javi/TT de Trastalleres” [38] Adam Yadiel Díaz-Santiago, a.k.a. “El Menor” [39] Joshua Yadie De Jesús-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Tokio/Yadiel” [40] Jonathan Ramón González-Pérez, a.k.a. “Tripi/Cripi” [41] Fabián O. Martínez-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Dreki Bueno/Draky Bueno” [42] Noriel Iván Alvarado [43] Joseph Colón-Pagán, a.k.a. “Canito” [44] Elliott Francis Correa-Martorell, a.k.a. “Ele” [45] Adin Jafet Cruz-Sastre, a.k.a. “J” [46] Pauliana Santiago-Vega [47] Yatniel Iván Ramos-Borrero, a.k.a. “Chama” [48] Miguel Sánchez-Reyes, a.k.a. “Cabe” [49] Ronny Arias-Paulino, a.k.a. “Karate” [50] Elvin Josué Jiménez-De la Rosa, a.k.a. “Bin” [51] Jomar Rashid Torres-Torres, a.k.a. “Jomo/Yomo” [52] Juan Gianny Rodríguez-Tosado, a.k.a. “Guasy” Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort, Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares, AUSA Joseph Russell, and AUSA María López-Aponte are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Four, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Five face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutively to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $12,796,800. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department. 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: Denton County man sentenced to 10 years in federal prison under Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas

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

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas –A Denton man has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison under the Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Brandon Lynn Hunter, 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 31, 2026. According to information presented in court, in 2021, Hunter was identified as a source of methamphetamine in the Denton area. A search of Hunter’s residence in June 2021 resulted in the seizure of over 35 grams of methamphetamine and drug trafficking paraphernalia. Hunter admitted to being involved in a conspiracy responsible for distributing at least 45 kilograms of a substance containing methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Denton Police Department; Pilot Point Police Department; Little Elm Police Department; Cooke County Sheriff’s Office; Denton County Sheriff’s Office; and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.


title: Five Accused of Stealing $511,000 from Missouri Childcare Expansion Program

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Five people have been indicted and accused of stealing $511,692 from a Missouri childcare expansion program and using some of the money for kickbacks, travel and luxury goods. LaDonna P. Smith, 43, pleaded not guilty Monday to five counts of wire fraud and two counts of identity theft. Dennis L. Douglas, 40, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Deaun A. Flowers, 61, Princess T. Jones, 47, and Toi P. Jones, 65, were each indicted with one count wire fraud and one count of theft of government property. All three appeared in court last week. The March 18, 2026, indictment says that between August 2021 and February 2023, the five took advantage of a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education program to award Child-Care Relief Funds for the opening of new childcare facilities or the expansion of existing facilities. The CCRF funds came from the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRSSA). The indictment says Smith submitted fraudulent CCRF applications on behalf of “Little Precious Angels Childcare 2” that resulted in a total of $100,000 in payments and another application on behalf of “Little Precious Angels Childcare 3” that resulted in $127,066. Douglas fraudulently received $79,927 on behalf of “Above and Beyond Playmate Center,” the indictment says. Smith, Flowers and Toi Jones submitted a fraudulent application on behalf of “Totta Tots Daycare” that resulted in $129,699, the indictment says, $30,000 of which went towards a kickback for Smith. After DESE demanded repayment of $100,000 for failing to spend the funds on allowable expenses within four months, Flowers wrote Toi Jones a check for $15,000 and wrote herself a $11,000 check, the indictment says. Douglas and Princess Jones fraudulently obtained about $75,000 on behalf of “Childhood Memories Daycare and Learning Center,” $20,000 of which was paid as a kickback to Douglas, the indictment says. The defendants submitted fraudulent receipts and documentation showing that they had paid for furniture, equipment, materials, salaries and benefits, lease or rent payments, supplies and/or remodeling for a daycare, to verify that the requested CCRF money had been spent on allowable expenses related to opening or expanding a childcare facility, the indictment says. In some cases, the receipts, invoices or lease agreements were false. In others, the documents had been altered to make purchases occurring outside allowable dates eligible for reimbursement. Smith and another person also attempted to fraudulently obtain $125,000 on behalf of “Bright Star Academy,” the indictment says. “We take allegations of fraud involving programs meant to help Missouri’s children and families very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “We’d like anyone with concerns about public benefit programs to contact investigators so that we can ensure the integrity of these programs.” “The federal relief funds at the center of this case are intended to support families and strengthen childcare services across Missouri, and any attempt to divert such resources through fraud is taken seriously,” said Linda T. Hanley, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer-funded programs and pursue accountability whenever federal funds are put at risk.” Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.


title: Store Owner Admits to Multi-Million-Dollar SNAP Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of a small convenience in Boston has been convicted of fraudulently obtaining millions of dollars’ worth of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The defendant’s monthly SNAP redemptions in his 150 square foot store ranged from $100,000 - $500,000 per month, far outpacing full-service supermarkets which redeem approximately $82,000 per month in SNAP benefits. The defendant also sold liquor and emergency food supplies intended for food-insecure children overseas. Antonio Bonheur, 74, of Mattapan, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of food stamp fraud and one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2026. Bonheur was arrested and charged in December 2025 . As part of today’s plea, Bonheur agreed to forfeit nearly $400,000 in fraudulently obtained proceeds that were seized during the investigation. Bonheur owned Jesula Variety Store, which operated as a small variety store within a single street-facing storefront in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. Jesula Variety Store occupied approximately 150 square feet. According to the charging documents , despite the store’s limited size, inventory and food offerings, Jesula Variety Store exhibited extraordinarily high SNAP redemption volumes, far beyond what could reasonably be supported by legitimate food sales. Transaction data revealed that the store had exceptionally large and anomalous average monthly SNAP redemption rates when compared to similarly situated businesses of the same size, type and location. Specifically, Bonheur’s monthly SNAP redemptions for Jesula Variety Store regularly exceeded $100,000 – with many months exceeding $300,000 and, at times, $500,000. By comparison, one full-service supermarket in the same area redeems approximately $82,000 per month in SNAP benefits. Additionally, transaction-level data showed that only approximately 10% of SNAP transactions were for amounts under $40, while more than 70% of transactions exceeded $95. Such transaction patterns are typically associated with large supermarkets, not small variety stores with limited food inventory. During undercover operations conducted over the course of the investigation, SNAP benefits were trafficked for cash from Jesula Variety Store on four occasions. In each instance, the defendant worked the cash registers and personally exchanged SNAP benefits for cash. Bonheur also sold liquor in exchange for SNAP benefits. Additionally, Jesula Variety Store also sold MannaPack meals, a donated food product manufactured by the nonprofit Feed My Starving Children. These meals are paid for entirely by charitable donations intended for shipment and distribution to food-insecure children overseas and are never authorized for retail sale. Bonheur sold donated MannaPack meals in his store for approximately $8 per package, profiting from food intended for humanitarian relief. Jesula Variety Store carried little legitimate food inventory and generated minimal lawful revenue, therefore Bonheur relied almost entirely on USDA-funded SNAP redemptions as his source of income. To conceal the nature and source of these funds, Bonheur maintained numerous secondary bank accounts through which SNAP proceeds were transferred, withdrawn as cash and redeposited to create the appearance of legitimate business activity while obscuring the true source of funds. Despite receiving millions of dollars per year in SNAP redemptions through Jesula Variety Store, Bonheur was issued a SNAP card for himself by the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance. In applying for his SNAP benefits, Bonheur made multiple false statements concerning his income and assets. The charge of food stamp fraud greater than $5,000 provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Charmeka Parker, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations – Northeast Region; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Corpus Christi resident admits to producing child sexual child abuse material involving toddler

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old local man has entered a guilty plea to production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. The investigation into Troy Vasquez began after law enforcement discovered he had been uploading child pornography over the internet. They executed a search warrant at his home where they discovered child sexual abuse material he had created the day before the search. A forensic examination of his phone uncovered another video Vasquez recorded two days after Christmas 2024. In it, he is encouraging a three-year-old child to perform sexual acts. U.S. District Judge David Morales will impose sentencing June 20. At that time, Vasquez faces up to 30 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Manufacturing Child Pornography

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Harry Dallas, 44, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted today at trial of manufacturing child pornography, specifically, videorecording himself engaged in sex acts with an underage girl. In June 2023, in Center City, Dallas, then 40 years old, encountered a runaway teenager, who had been reported missing from her home state for several weeks. The evidence at trial established that the 15-year-old girl had no money or shelter, a situation that Dallas used to his advantage. Dallas drove the minor to his home in Northeast Philadelphia, where he sexually abused her over the course of several days and filmed videos of himself and the minor engaged in various sex acts. He also took photos of her, including one that depicted the girl while fully nude and asleep. Dallas used a cellphone to film the videos and take the explicit photos. In 2024, FBI Philadelphia executed a search warrant on Dallas’ cloud-based account, which revealed the videos and images Dallas had taken of the minor in June 2023. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 8 and faces a maximum possible term of 90 years in prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Ashenfelter and Amanda McCool.


title: Moville, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Kidnapping

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Floyd Garcia, age 51, from Moville, Iowa, was sentenced March 27, 2026, to 20 years in federal prison for kidnapping. Evidence showed that in August 2020, Garcia tricked a young woman into leaving her home with him in his pickup truck, ostensibly for a painting job. Instead, he isolated her, held her against her will, and repeatedly sexually assaulted her. He then threatened her life and her family to keep her from reporting the crime to police. On February 23, 2021, Garcia tried to trick her out of her house again, but she told her family and refused to leave. In a November 19, 2025, plea agreement, Garcia admitted to kidnapping and sexually exploiting the young woman in August 2020 and to attempting to do so again in February 2021. He also admitted to a September 2005 sexual assault in North Dakota that had been unearthed during the investigation. Garcia was previously convicted in 2005 in Bexar County, Texas, of aggravated kidnapping, assault, burglary, and a number of alcohol-related offenses. “Thanks to the bravery of these two women, a kidnapping rapist is off the street for the next two decades,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “Their courage in the face of this convict’s violence and his threats against their lives was key in the investigation and prosecution. The public’s trust in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law-enforcement partners is crucial to our ability to hold criminals accountable in cases like this, which is why we work every day to be worthy of that trust.” Garcia was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Garcia is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Woodbury County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4038. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Tugboat Captain Charged in Biscayne Bay Collision Resulting in Deaths of Three Children

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A tugboat captain has been charged with seaman’s manslaughter after operating a barge with obstructed visibility and without a proper lookout, resulting in a fatal collision in Biscayne Bay that killed three children. “Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision. We will present the evidence in court with care and professionalism. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.” According to court records, Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, of Miami, was piloting a tugboat pushing a barge loaded with construction debris across Biscayne Bay on July 28, 2025. The vessel’s forward view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane, and no one aboard was assigned as a lookout. At the same time, a children’s sailing camp was operating nearby. A sailboat carrying one counselor and five children lost wind and stalled in the path of the tugboat and barge. Due to the obstructed visibility, and lack of a lookout, Insua did not see the stalled sailboat before the barge struck it. A forensic review of Insua’s cellphone revealed internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision. The counselor and two children escaped after being dragged under the barge. Three children were trapped in the wreckage and drowned. Insua is charged with seaman’s manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Edward L. Songer of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region; and Captain Frank J. Florio III of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Sector Miami, made the announcement. CGIS, Southeast Region; USCG, Sector Miami; and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are investigating the case. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones commends the valiant rescue efforts of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the Miami Police Department, and the Miami Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Daniel Rosenfeld, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl, are prosecuting the case. An information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 26-cr-20122. ###


title: Dominican National Extradited to the United States To Face Child Sexual Exploitation Charges After Fleeing Prosecution

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Dominican national extradited from the Dominican Republic to face child sexual exploitation charges appeared in federal court today, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joined U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. “Hinojosa is accused of exploiting children and then fleeing the United States to evade prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We will not give up on those that flee; we will track down and prosecute those who prey on our children, wherever they go.” “Roberto Severino Hinojosa was indicted in the Western District of North Carolina, nearly a decade ago and fled the U.S., likely believing he had escaped the reach of the FBI and the Department of Justice. He was proven wrong when he was apprehended and handcuffed in the Dominican Republic. By leveraging the strength of our law enforcement partners in this country and around the world, there is no place to hide for those who prey on children,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. On February 22, 2017, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a five-count indictment charging Roberto Severino Hinojosa, 29, a Dominican national who was a lawful permanent resident at the time of his offense, with one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), one count of transportation of CSAM, and three counts of receipt of CSAM. After being interviewed by the FBI, Hinojosa fled the United States. With the assistance of the FBI Law Enforcement Attaché in the Dominican Republic and Dominican Law Enforcement, Hinojosa was located in the Dominican Republic and subsequently arrested on Jan. 30 by Dominican authorities at the request of the United States. On March 25, 2026, Dominican authorities extradited Hinojosa from the Dominican Republic. On March 26, 2026, Hinojosa appeared in federal court in Charlotte for his initial appearance. Today, Hinojosa had his arraignment and detention hearing and was ordered detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled. According to allegations in the indictment, between May and June 2015, Hinojosa engaged in the sexual exploitation of children by possessing, transporting, and receiving child sexual abuse material, some of which involved prepubescent minors that had not yet attained 12 years of age. If convicted, Hinojosa faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of receipt and transportation of CSAM, and up to 20 years in prison for possession of CSAM. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The investigation was led by the FBI in Charlotte with assistance from the Union County Sheriff’s Office. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI LEGAT, and Dominican authorities provided significant assistance in securing Hinojosa’s arrest and extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Spaugh with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: D.C. Man Sentenced to 205 Months for Role in 29 Armed Robberies and Attempted Robberies

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tavarus Thompson, 32, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 205 months in prison for his role in a spree of dozens of armed robberies and attempted armed robberies of commercial establishments that included restaurants, convenience stores, and liquor stores in the metropolitan region during early 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Thompson pleaded guilty March 29, 2024, before Judge Reggie B. Walton to Conspiracy to Interfere with Interstate Commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), and to Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. In addition to the 205-month term of incarceration, Judge Walton ordered Thompson to serve five years of supervised release. “Tavarus Thompson committed dozens of armed robberies and attempted armed robberies in less than three months—targeting restaurant workers, store clerks, and gas station attendants, ordinary people simply doing their jobs. Each time, they were forced to stare down the barrel of a gun,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Thompson turned workplaces into war zones. This is the kind of individual who does not belong in our society, and today, he is being held fully accountable.” According to court documents, the spree began on Jan. 12, 2022, with the gunpoint robbery of a gas station on 18th Street NE. It ended in March 2022, after law enforcement stopped a stolen car on March 6 at the intersection of 1st Street NW and Gallatin Street NW, leading to the arrests of co-defendant Stephon Harrigan. Thompson was arrested in South Carolina on March 18, 2022. Co-defendant Aaron Harrigan, was arrested March 29, 2022. Thompson acknowledged that he engaged in 29 of the robberies or attempted robberies. In all of them, at least one firearm was brandished including, many times, by Thompson himself. Aaron Harrigan, 30, pleaded guilty on Oct. 3, 2023, to a charge of Conspiracy to Interfere with Interstate Commerce by Robbery for his participation in the conspiracy and was sentenced on Sept. 25, 2023, to 87 months in prison. Stephon Harrigan 32, pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024, Conspiracy to Interfere with Interstate Commerce by Robbery and Possession of a Firearm During and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence for his participation in the conspiracy and was sentenced on Aug. 1, 2024, to 210 months in prison. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia, South Carolina, Field Office, and the Mount Rainier, Md., Prince George’s County, Md., and Montgomery County, Md. Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kinskey and Andrea Duvall, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher. 22cr104


title: Illegal Alien From Vietnam Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms Possession

body_text: WASHINGTON – Hieu Trung Vu, 37, a previously convicted felon and illegal alien from Vietnam, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with drug trafficking from a Georgetown Airbnb as well as being a previously convicted felon in possession of two guns, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Vu pleaded guilty before Judge Amit P. Mehta to one count of unlawful possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, cocaine base, amphetamine, and fentanyl, and to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Sentencing is scheduled for July 30, 2026. Because of his illegal status, Vu is subject to deportation to Vietnam following the completion of his sentence. “Vu was operating a drug trafficking scheme out of a Georgetown Airbnb while armed with two loaded pistols. He had no legal right to be in this country, no legal right to possess firearms, and no right to endanger our communities with these deadly narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This prosecution will reinforce that he has no right to victimize our citizens ever again.” According to court documents, on Dec. 4, 2025, Metropolitan Police responded to an emergency call from a woman who reported that a man in her Airbnb had narcotics in his possession. Officers obtained a search warrant for the residence on the 1400 block of Wisconsin Ave. NW. Officers executed the warrant that afternoon and discovered a tan backpack in the rear bedroom containing two handguns. In the kitchen, officers found a black backpack containing, among other items, a black and tan Coach bag. Inside the Coach bag were narcotics packaged in multiple bags, drug paraphernalia, and a debit card bearing Vu’s name. Lab testing confirmed the drugs were methamphetamine (about 48 grams), cocaine (about 14 grams), cocaine base (about 2 grams), amphetamine (about 6 grams), and fentanyl (about 10 grams). Vu admitted that he possessed all five substances with the intent to distribute them. The two handguns were a Glock 43X, 9mm pistol, and a CZ Model 27, 7.65mm pistol. The Glock was loaded with nine rounds in a 10-round capacity magazine. Vu admitted that both firearms belonged to him. Vu was previously convicted in 2022 in Fairfax County, Virginia, of possession with intent to manufacture or sell narcotics and sentenced to five years in prison with two months and four months of the sentence suspended. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing any firearm. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss and Caelainn Carney. This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. 26cr55


title: Georgia Man Guilty of Misprision of a Felony

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ELDER CAMACHO (“CAMACHO”) , age 36, a resident of Georgia, pled guilty on March 25, 2026, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to misprision of a felony, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 4, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, on May 25, 2022, CAMACHO, drove a codefendant from Atlanta, Georgia to New Orleans, in order to launder bulk cash drug proceeds from the Eastern District of Louisiana to Texas. CAMACHO also assisted in purchasing packaging materials to conceal the bulk cash. CAMACHO faces up to three years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit. * * *


title: Georgia Man Charged with Christmas Eve Kidnapping

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Georgia man was charged with kidnapping his former girlfriend on or about December 24, 2025 and transporting her to New Jersey without her consent after shooting her in his car, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today. Jovan Young, 37, was charged by a two-count complaint with one count of kidnapping and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. He had an initial appearance earlier today before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark federal court and was ordered detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On or about the evening of December 24, 2025, Young and the victim, who had been traveling from Georgia to New York to celebrate Christmas with the victim’s family, engaged in a dispute while they were driving in Young’s car in New York. At that time, Young pulled out a gun and shot the victim in her abdomen, paralyzing her. Young then transported the victim from New York to New Jersey without her consent and trapped her in Young’s vehicle for several hours after the shooting before leaving her on the side of the road in or around Denville, New Jersey, where she was later found by law enforcement. Following Young’s arrest on December 25, 2025, he was found to be in possession of a firearm with a green laser that matched the victim’s description of the gun that he used to shoot her. The kidnapping charged in Count One is punishable by a maximum penalty of life in prison. The unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition charged in Count Two is punishable by a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Both are also punishable by a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss or gain, whichever is greatest. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s North Jersey Violent Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit, under the direction of Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, and the Denville Police Department Detective Bureau, under the direction of Chief Scott Welsch, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Boonton Police Department for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Guarracino of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. ### young.complaint.pdf


title: Multiple Indictments, Arrests for Drug Distribution and Firearms Violations as a Part of Homeland Security Task Force Investigation

body_text: Oxford, MS – U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced today that a federal grand jury returned separate indictments on March 25, 2026, charging eight individuals with drug distribution and one of those including charges as a felon in possession of firearms. All of these defendants were arrested today. According to court documents the following individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Mississippi: Gary “Rooster” Ransom, 49, of Clarksdale, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution and felon in possession of firearms Daniel Baker, 40, of Cleveland, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution Madeline Tonos, 31, of Cleveland, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution Patrick Smith, 34, of Cleveland, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution Valerie Ingram, 42, of Cleveland, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution Joshua Fulton, 40, of Cleveland, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution Londyn Todd, 23, of Cleveland, Mississippi, indicted for drug distribution Merrick Smith, 47, of Dallas, Texas, indicted for drug distribution The U.S. Marshals Service and Cleveland Police Department provided invaluable assistance in today’s arrests. The FBI is investigating the case. U.S. Attorney Scott Leary stated, “Last year the administration established the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating the scourge of drug cartels and the resulting drug trafficking and violent crime that affects our communities. HSTF is comprised of federal and state law enforcement professionals who conduct dangerous work protecting the citizens of our state. These selfless officers do a heroic job identifying and dismantling drug trafficking organizations in North Mississippi. This HSTF operation stemmed from a months-long multi-agency investigation. A special thanks to Cleveland Police Chief Dudley Tribble. His cooperation with the FBI made this investigation possible.” Indictments are only charges and not proof of guilt. Our constitution guarantees that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Doleac and Sam Stringfellow are 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: Justice Department Secures Agreement with American Giants Museum in Atlanta, Illinois, to Improve Access for People with Disabilities

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Department of Justice announced today it has reached a settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the American Giants Museum, located in Atlanta, Illinois, to resolve alleged violations of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department reached the agreement with the Atlanta Betterment Fund, which owns and operates the museum. The settlement resolves an ADA complaint alleging that the Museum does not comply with the ADA and has safety concerns for people with disabilities. The complaint prompted an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois. The investigation revealed that the museum’s front entrance, bathroom, and outdoor exhibits are not accessible as required by the ADA and that some injuries to visitors had been reported. Under the agreement, the Museum will make twenty-four improvements to its building and facilities, including construction of a new entrance, modifications to its bathroom, and improvements to its outdoor exhibits to expand access. The Museum, which opened a brand-new building to the public in 2024 near the historic Route-66 highway, showcases a collection of giant fiberglass statutes. As a place of public accommodation, the ADA requires the Museum to be accessible to people with disabilities and provide full and equal enjoyment of its goods, services, and facilities. “Places of public accommodation like museums must be accessible to all citizens, including people with disabilities, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua I. Grant for the Central District of Illinois. “We commend the Museum for its cooperation and prompt action to renovate its facilities to expand access for all.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant represented the government during the investigation and settlement process. For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint.


title: Vermilion County Business Owner Sentenced to Jail for Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Illinois, Central

body_text: URBANA, Ill. – A Danville, Illinois, man, Howard Keith Wilson, 73, was sentenced on March 30, 2026, to three years of supervised release, during which he will serve thirty consecutive weekends in jail, for failure to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and failure to file federal income tax returns. On July 24, 2025, Wilson pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long to fifteen separate counts of collecting employment taxes from his employees, which included taxes for his employees’ Social Security and Medicare payments, but then failing to turn over those taxes, or pay the employer’s portion of those taxes, to the IRS. At the time of his plea, Wilson admitted that he had failed to pay those taxes from 2013 through 2020. Wilson also pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file a personal federal income tax return from 2018 to 2020. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence establishing that Wilson was the sole owner of Wilson’s Body Shop, a collision repair and car painting business located in Danville, and employed several individuals. Wilson generated and distributed Forms W-2 to his employees whereby he deducted federal employment tax withholdings from their salaries, but then failed to pay those taxes, or the employer’s share of those taxes, to the IRS. Wilson failed to pay employment taxes from at least 2013 through 2020, totaling an employment tax loss of $351,152. Moreover, Wilson failed to file a personal federal income tax return or pay federal taxes for 2018, 2019, and 2020, despite income of $698,354, $1,058,401, and $772,603, respectively, resulting in an additional federal income tax loss of $505,871. The evidence showed that Wilson has a substantial net worth and continues to operate Wilson’s Body Shop in Danville. U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce ordered Wilson to serve one day in jail (time served), to be followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay a $1,575 mandatory special assessment. As a condition of supervised release, Judge Bruce ordered Wilson to pay restitution of $614,411.26 to the IRS and to serve 30 consecutive weekends (known as intermittent confinement) in a local jail where the United States Marshals Service has a contract to hold federal inmates. Judge Bruce also ordered Wilson to pay 50% of his disposable income each month towards his restitution obligation. The statutory penalties for each count of failing to pay employment taxes are up to five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, full restitution, and a $10,000 fine. The case investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.


title: California man appears on fraud charges

body_text: MISSOULA – A California man accused of scamming money and gold from his victim appeared for an arraignment yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. The defendant, Lingwei Yang, 24, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. If convicted of the most serious charge, Yang faces 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. Yang was detained pending further proceedings. Count one of the indictment alleges that beginning in or about October 2025 and continuing thereafter until at least February 20, 2026, at Missoula, Yang knowingly and unlawfully conspired with others to commit the offense of wire fraud. Count two of the indictment alleges that beginning in or about October 2025 and thereafter until at least February 20, 2026, at Missoula, Yang, having devised and intending to devise a material scheme and artifice to defraud, and for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice, and attempting to do so, knowingly transmitted and caused to be transmitted by means of wire communication in interstate and foreign commerce, writings, signs, signals, pictures, and sounds for the purpose of executing such scheme and artifice. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Stack is prosecuting the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. PACER case reference. CR 26-17-M-DLC. The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html . To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl . XXX


title: Ohio Man Charged with Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: WASHINGTON – Robert Clark, 45, a resident of Ohio, was charged in a complaint filed today in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia with Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. According to court documents, starting on Feb. 2, 2026, Clark communicated with another user on a fetish website. Clark stated that he had a sexual interest in children. The other user told Clark that he had a young daughter, and Clark asked the user to record himself sexually abusing his daughter. During the communications, Clark distributed eleven videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including a video that depicted a toddler. After sending one of these videos, Clark told the other user, “U should try that with ur daughter.” This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Kelley. This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Salvadoran National Sentenced to 15 months in Prison for Illegal Presence in United States and Resisting Arrest

body_text: URBANA, Ill. – A Salvadoran national, Edwin Bonilla Mendoza, 39, who previously resided in Kankakee County, Illinois, was sentenced on March 30, 2026, to 15 months of imprisonment for being a removed alien found in the United States and resisting a federal officer. At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence that Bonilla Mendoza had been removed from the United States in 2018 but returned. After that illegal return, he strangled a family member and was convicted of Aggravated Domestic Battery in Kankakee County Circuit Court in 2023. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in marked police uniforms located him in Kankakee County in June 2025 and apprehended him after he tried to flee from arrest. Also at the hearing, U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce found that Bonilla Mendoza created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury while fleeing from ICE. He found that Bonilla Mendoza tried to drive away from agents and accelerated his vehicle into a police car twice before fleeing into a residential area. Bonilla Mendoza pleaded guilty to his offenses. It is anticipated that he will be removed from the United States at the conclusion of his sentence. The statutory penalties for being a removed alien found in the United States are up to two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release. In this case, resisting a federal officer carried penalties of up to one year of imprisonment, up to a $100,000 fine, and up to one year of supervised release. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney William J. Lynch represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced in Illegally Possessing Stolen of Firearm After Fleeing Officers

body_text: WASHINGTON – Guy Cummings, 30, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 50 months in prison for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Cummings was found guilty by a federal jury on July 16, 2025, following a three-day jury trial before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg. In addition to the 50-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Cummings to serve three years of supervised release. This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 18, 2025, about 1:30 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers on patrol in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood observed a group of individuals on the sidewalk in the 300 block of 50th Street NE. As officers approached, Cummings immediately separated from the group and fled on foot between buildings. An officer gave chase and never lost sight of Cummings as he ran through the Lincoln Heights complex in a circular pattern. The officer observed Cummings make a tossing motion with his right hand over a brick wall on the 300 block of 50th Street NE before he was apprehended nearby. Officers retraced Cummings' path and discovered a stolen black Glock 26 9mm pistol in the snow on the other side of the brick wall, loaded with one round in the chamber and 15 rounds in the magazine. The firearm had been reported stolen. Cummings had previously been convicted in 2017 of robbery and carrying a dangerous weapon and sentenced to 36 months in prison, making him ineligible to possess a firearm. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Helfand. CAPTION: Officers recovered a Glock 26 pistol where Cummings had tossed it on a snow-covered path. 25cr44 Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Kansas City Man Sentenced to 11 Years  for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol. Daniel E. Lablance, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On Dec. 10, 2023, officers were called to E. 59 th St. and U.S. 71 Hwy., Kansas City, Mo., regarding a stranded motorist. When officers arrived, they saw a silver Infiniti with a Missouri temporary tag in between two lanes of traffic. The vehicle was not moving with a green traffic light at the intersection. When officers approached, they observed the driver, Lablance, who appeared to be passed out in the driver’s seat. Lablance had a Glock, Model 27, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol on his lap. As officers tried to remove Lablance from his vehicle, Lablance put the vehicle in drive and fled the scene, running over stop sticks and deflating some of the vehicle’s tires. During the police pursuit that followed, Lablance ran over a second set of stop sticks, deflating the Infiniti’s remaining tires. Lablance was eventually stopped and taken into custody at Meyer and U.S. 71 Hwy. When arrested, Lablance was wearing a shoulder bag that contained 38 alprazolam pills. Lablance, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of nine prior felony offenses before today’s hearing. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced to 138 Months Imprisonment for Possession of Over 100 Glock and AR-15 Machine Gun Conversion Devices, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Attempted Obstruction of Justice, And Receiving Explosives

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that on March 26, 2026, the U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe sentenced KODY SEVERIN (“SEVERIN”) , age 28, a resident of New Orleans, to 138 months imprisonment. SEVERIN pled guilty to the following offenses: Count 1-Possession with intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D); Count 2-Possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1); Count 3-Felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); Count 4-Possession of machine guns, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2); Count 5-Possession of an unregistered firearm, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Sections 5841, 5861(d), and 5871; Count 6-Felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); Count 7-Attempt to obstruct justice, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512(b)(1); and Count 8-Receiving explosive materials, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 842(a)(3)(A) and 844(a). The Court sentenced SEVERIN as follows: Count 1: Sixty (60) months imprisonment, two (2) years supervised release, $100 special assessment fee; Count 2: Sixty (60) months imprisonment, five (5) years supervised release, $100 special assessment fee; and Counts 3-8: Seventy-eight (78) months imprisonment, three (3) years supervised release, $600 special assessment fee. The Court ordered that Counts 1, 3-8 be served concurrently. However, Count 2 must be served consecutive to all counts. According to court documents, on December 12, 2022, law enforcement received consent to search an apartment in the 1400 block of Milan Street. Inside, law enforcement located and seized the following items: (1) Glock Model 17L, nine-millimeter caliber pistol; (2) Glock Model 24, .40 caliber pistol; (3) Ruger model Security-6, .357 magnum caliber pistol; (4) Glock Model 21, .45 caliber pistol equipped with a device to convert this pistol to a fully automatic machinegun (more commonly referred to as a “Glock switch”); (5) Masterpiece Arms Model Mac 11, nine-millimeter caliber pistol; (6) Privately Made Firearm (“PMF”) semi-automatic handgun, .40/.357 caliber (more commonly referred to as a “Ghost Gun”); (7) upper receiver with bolt carrier group of a rifle; (8) Several PMF parts; (9) Approximately one hundred (100) machinegun conversion devices in various stages of completion, to include drop-in auto sears to convert AR-Type firearms to fully automatic machineguns and “Glock switches;” (10). One clear plastic bag containing suspected marijuana with a total package weight of approximately 81.2 grams; (11) One clear plastic bag with the word “Politics” containing suspected marijuana with a total package weight of approximately 339.8 grams; (12) Multiple completed silencers; (13) Several silencers in various stages of completion; (14) One industrial milling machine covered in metal shavings; (15) Two explosive devices; (16) Quantities of various caliber ammunition; (17) Several extended magazines; (18) SEVERIN’s mail, clothing; and several cellphones. On December 13, 2022, law enforcement encountered SEVERIN at the apartment. After establishing verbal and visual contact with SEVERIN , law enforcement observed SEVERIN throw a black Smith and Wesson Model 36, .38 special caliber revolver from the apartment’s second floor balcony. SEVERIN eventually opened the door to the apartment and was taken into custody without further incident. Law enforcement booked SEVERIN on active NOPD warrants and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Law enforcement verified that SEVERIN had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. Specifically, on February 25, 2019, SEVERIN pled guilty to the felony charge of possession of methamphetamine in the 24th Judicial District Court for the Parish of Jefferson. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit and Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit are responsible for the prosecution. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Insider Trading

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An Arkansas man pleaded guilty today to securities fraud in connection with insider trading based on material, nonpublic information that he misappropriated from a senior executive at a publicly traded company headquartered in Idaho. According to court documents, Douglas Dalton, 48, of Bentonville, Arkansas, was close personal friends with Michael Smith, the then-President and Chief Operating Officer of Company-1. During a July 26, 2024, telephone call between Dalton and Smith, Dalton learned material nonpublic information regarding Company-1’s impending acquisition by another company at a price of approximately $31 per share. Given Smith’s senior role at Company-1 and their close personal relationship, Dalton knew that this information was confidential and material. Based on the material nonpublic information he received from Smith, Dalton purchased Company-1 call options for approximately $19,985.30. After Company-1’s acquisition was publicly announced on August 7, 2024, Dalton sold the stock options he had purchased for a profit of approximately $96,515.44, representing a nearly 500% return on his illegal insider trading. Dalton pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. In November 2025, Michael Smith pleaded guilty to the same offense. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis for the District of Idaho; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group (USPIS-CI) made the announcement. USPIS-CI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Kyle Crawford and John Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case.


body_text: Washington- An Arkansas man pleaded guilty today to securities fraud in connection with insider trading based on material, nonpublic information that he misappropriated from a senior executive at a publicly traded company headquartered in Idaho. According to court documents, Douglas Dalton, 48, of Bentonville, Arkansas, was close personal friends with Michael Smith, the then-President and Chief Operating Officer of Company-1. During a July 26, 2024, telephone call between Dalton and Smith, Dalton learned material nonpublic information regarding Company-1’s impending acquisition by another company at a price of approximately $31 per share. Given Smith’s senior role at Company-1 and their close personal relationship, Dalton knew that this information was confidential and material. Based on the material nonpublic information he received from Smith, Dalton purchased Company-1 call options for approximately $19,985.30. After Company-1’s acquisition was publicly announced on August 7, 2024, Dalton sold the stock options he had purchased for a profit of approximately $96,515.44, representing a nearly 500% return on his illegal insider trading. Dalton pleaded guilty to one count of securities fraud, and he is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17. In November 2025, Michael Smith pleaded guilty to the same offense. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis for the District of Idaho; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group (USPIS-CI) made the announcement. USPIS-CI is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Kyle Crawford and John Liolos of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mazorol for the District of Idaho are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Kansas City Man Sentenced to 20 years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his involvement in drug trafficking and the illegal possession of a firearm. Brandon R. Haywood, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 20 years in federal prison without parole for possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and felon in possession of a firearm. Haywood was convicted of those offenses at the conclusion of a jury trial held in September 2025. On Feb. 4, 2023, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a store in Independence, Mo., regarding a sexual assault, for which Haywood is charged in Jackson County, Mo., Circuit Court. On Feb. 15, 2023, Haywood returned to the same store and was arrested by officers. His vehicle was towed from the scene in anticipation of a search warrant. When the state search warrant was executed on his vehicle, investigators located a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber firearm; the defendant’s wallet; and approximately 30 grams of cocaine in the center console. Prior to this incident, Haywood was convicted of the felony offense of Voluntary Manslaughter in Jackson County, Mo., Circuit Court. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh Ragner and Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.


title: Wilbraham Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Threatening Public Officials, Private Individuals and Children

body_text: BOSTON – A Wilbraham, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for making numerous violent threats on social media targeting public figures, private individuals, children in Wilbraham and Boston, and an elementary school in Springfield, Mass. Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, a/k/a “Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo,” a/k/a “Michael Jacobs,” a/k/a “Robert Jacobs,”a/k/a “Carl Fields,” 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 32 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In July 2025 , Nyawo pleaded guilty to 13 counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications and one count of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce. Nyawo was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 . Between July 30, 2024 and Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo posted various threatening communications on X (formerly known as Twitter). These threats explicitly referenced killing, shooting, or bombing; targeted a wide variety of public figures, private individuals and sensitive public locations such as shopping malls and an elementary school; and often urged Islamic terrorist groups or holy warriors to commit these acts of violence. Nyawo’s threats included threats to kill an elected United States official (and their family); a former United States official (and their family); a former member of a Massachusetts police department (and their family); two private individuals; local officials and their family members; the children of Wilbraham and Boston; members of the Wilbraham Police Department and Wilbraham Fire Department (and their families); and targeted two shopping malls and an elementary school in Springfield, among others. In addition, between Aug. 17, 2024 and on or about Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo used X to engage in a course of conduct with the intent to harass and intimidate the elected United States official, their spouse, their child, their child’s spouse and their grandchildren. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and J. Thomas Manger of the United States Capital Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wilbraham Police Department, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Fraudulently Obtain Visas for Alien ‘Victims’ of Staged Crimes

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Mexican national in the Kansas City area has pleaded guilty in federal court before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips for his role in a conspiracy to stage numerous armed robberies so that the purported victims of these crimes, who were illegal aliens in the United States, could use their status as crime victims to fraudulently obtain visas. On Jan. 30, 2025, Oscar Gutierrez, 36, of Kansas City, Mo., a citizen of Mexico, was charged in a criminal complaint filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo. The federal criminal complaint, which was unsealed and made public following Gutierrez’s arrest and initial court appearance, charged Gutierrez with participating in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain immigration visas. On February 6, 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Gutierrez and co-defendant Jose Luis Morales Salgado on the same charges. On March 31, 2026, Gutierrez pleaded guilty to conspiring to fraudulently obtain immigration visas for aliens. Gutierrez admitted that immigrants contacted Salgado to arrange for themselves to become “victims” of staged robberies so they could submit applications for U-Visas, which are granted to crime victims. These immigrants, who were either illegally present in the United States or in the United States legally through work visas, paid Salgado thousands of dollars to participate. In exchange, Salgado directed them to the location of a planned staged robbery on a particular day and time. Salgado previously pled guilty to his role in the conspiracy on March 23, 2026. In his plea hearing, Salgado admitted that he recruited individuals to pose as robbers during the staged robberies and provided directions to those individuals. One of the persons Salgado recruited to pose as a robber was Gutierrez. Salgado admitted that each robbery involved aliens who later told police they had car trouble and pulled over and got out of their vehicle to diagnose the car trouble. Soon after stopping, another vehicle would arrive and park next to, or in front of, the purported victim’s vehicle. The robber, wearing a medical mask over his face and brandishing a firearm, would strike the purported victims in the head or face, take their cash, and typically fire two rounds into the purported victim’s vehicle. In today’s guilty plea hearing, Investigators with the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department initially identified 11 incidents in which the reported robberies followed this pattern. These cases were linked to each other, based in part, on leads generated from the National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN utilized ballistic imaging technology to compare cartridge case markings on the expended cartridges from each crime scene. Detectives determined there was likely one firearm used in the commission of all of the robberies. Detectives gathered information from city cameras and license plate readers to identify the vehicles used in the robberies, the affidavit says, which led them to Gutierrez. Salgado instructed the aliens to falsely report to law enforcement officials how the robberies occurred, and advised them how to make these false reports in an effort to bolster their applications for U-Visas. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act was designed to strengthen the ability of law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute certain crimes while also protecting victims of crimes who are willing to help law enforcement authorities in the investigation or prosecution of the criminal activity. A foreign national is eligible for a U-Visa if he/she was the victim of qualifying criminal activity, suffered substantial physical or mental abuse as a result of having been a victim of the criminal activity, possessed information about the criminal activity, and was likely to be helpful to law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of the crime. During today’s guilty plea, Gutierrez admitted that he engaged in several of these fake robberies to bolster fraudulent U-visa applications for aliens. According to court documents, a source told investigators the number of purported victims involved in the scheme was well over 100. Court documents also indicate that investigators identified 11 robberies involving 33 purported victims that occurred as part of the conspiracy between Dec. 29, 2021, and July 13, 2024. Of those 33 immigrants, 18 submitted U-Visa applications falsely claiming to be victims of violent crimes. An undercover federal agent and a law enforcement source met with Salgado on Jan. 22, 2025, and recorded their meeting. The undercover agent made arrangements to pay Salgado $4,000 for a robbery to be staged in order to fraudulently obtain a U-Visa. Salgado told the undercover agent he would “put on a grand show.” Once the plans were agreed upon, the undercover agent paid Salgado $500 with a promise to pay the balance later. The undercover agent met with Salgado again on Thursday, Jan. 30, and Salgado was arrested. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Homeland Security Investigations. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty in Connection with $50 Million Real Estate Fraud Scheme

body_text: MIAMI – A convicted felon pleaded guilty to orchestrating a years-long real estate investment fraud scheme that raised more than $50 million from investors through false promises about high-value property assets and the use of investor funds. Jean Joseph, also known as “Jon,” 55, of Boca Raton, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. His co-defendant, Janalie Camille Bingham, also known as Janalie Camille Joseph, 44, also of Boca Raton, previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud. “These defendants sold the illusion of a $450 million real estate portfolio that simply did not exist,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Instead of investing $50 million as promised, they diverted millions into speculative trading, paid high commissions to keep money flowing, purchased a luxury home for themselves, and used new investor funds to make Ponzi-style payments to earlier investors. That is fraud, plain and simple. In South Florida, if you build a scheme on deception and misuse investor funds, you will be investigated and you will be prosecuted.” According to court records, Joseph and Bingham formed Wells Real Estate Investment, LLC in or around 2017 and operated the company together, with Bingham serving as the Chief Executive Officer. Beginning in approximately 2019, Joseph and Bingham concealed Joseph’s involvement in the business after he became a convicted felon. Despite beginning to serve a prison sentence in June 2020 in an unrelated wire fraud case, Joseph continued to direct aspects of the scheme from prison. Earlier, in October 2019, Joseph and Bingham opened a bank account in the name of Wells Real Estate, with Bingham as the sole authorized signer due to Joseph’s pending criminal prosecution. Joseph nevertheless directed transactions in the account, including while incarcerated. From approximately 2019 through 2024, Joseph and Bingham solicited investors to purchase promissory notes issued by Wells Real Estate. They falsely represented that investor funds would be used to acquire and improve residential and commercial real estate and that the notes were backed by valuable real estate holdings. In reality, only a small portion of investor funds was used for real estate. Instead, Joseph diverted approximately $28 million into speculative equities trading. Joseph and Bingham also falsely claimed that the investment notes were secured by a real estate portfolio purportedly worth as much as $450 million. In truth, neither Wells Real Estate nor the defendants owned sufficient real estate assets to secure the investments. Joseph and Bingham further misled investors by claiming that Wells Real Estate did not pay commissions on note sales. In fact, the company paid up to 15% in commissions, distributing approximately $8 million in investor funds to sales personnel. To sustain the scheme, the defendants used funds from newer investors to make more than $8 million in Ponzi-style payments to earlier investors, without disclosing the source of those payments. They also used more than $2 million in investor funds for personal expenses, including a down payment on a $1.95 million home that they used as their primary residence. Shortly after purchasing the home through a limited liability company, the property was transferred into Bingham’s name. Joseph and Bingham are scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez. Bingham’s sentencing is scheduled for May 8, and Joseph’s sentencing is set for June 4. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement. FBI Miami is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office appreciates the assistance of the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, which previously brought a civil action against Joseph and Bingham. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eli S. Rubin and Roger Cruz are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20483. ###


title: Portland Man Charged in Drug and Firearm Offense

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man has been charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Aaron Nathaniel Gabbert, 50, made his initial appearance on Friday before a U.S. magistrate judge. According to court documents, on March 25, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office conducted a search warrant for Gabbert’s residence after identifying Gabbert as a narcotics distributor. During the search warrant, investigators seized 34 firearms, including rifles, a shotgun, and handguns, many of which were loaded. Investigators also located a ballistic helmet and vest, along with approximately one pound of cocaine. The majority of the cocaine was located in the basement along with multiple firearms, over $11,000 in cash, and an apparent 3-D printed firearm suppressor, also known as a “silencer.” Investigators also located what appeared to be two destructive devices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office- Special Investigation Unit- Dangerous Drugs Team are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott M. Kerin and Kemp Strickland are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives. This arrest is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Portland comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.


title: Colombian National Unlawfully in the United States Pleads Guilty to Interstate Burglary Conspiracy Targeting Asian American Business Owners

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: EUGENE, Ore.— A Colombian national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty today in federal court for his role in a multi-state burglary conspiracy that targeted Asian American business owners in Oregon and Washington. Jhon Alexander Quintero, also known as Edwin Andres Cadena-Pineda, 45, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods. According to court documents, in early October 2025, Quintero and six co-conspirators targeted homes for burglary in Oregon and Washington by traveling from state to state, staying in short-term rentals, identifying and surveilling potential burglary victims—who were all Asian American business owners—and then performing reconnaissance on the victims’ residences. When they carried out the burglaries, Quintero and his co-conspirators employed signal jamming technology, perimeter countersurveillance, and seven-way group calls. They entered their victims’ homes by shattering glass doors. Once inside, they ransacked the residences, stealing United States and foreign currency, jewelry, designer handbags, purses, wallets, travel documents, and other valuables. After the burglaries, the crew returned to their short-term rental and package the proceeds for transport, transfer, or transmittal. The investigation revealed that Quintero and the crew burglarized a home in Auburn, Washington, on October 3, 2025, then a home in Gresham, Oregon, on October 5, then a home in Eugene, Oregon, on October 6, and a home in Salem, Oregon, on October 9. All the burglary victims were Asian American business owners who were away working at their businesses. Between the Eugene and Salem burglaries, detectives with the Eugene Police Department became aware of the group’s movements and began surveillance. Following the burglary in Salem, detectives learned that Quintero and his co-conspirators returned to their rental in Eugene and executed a search warrant at the rental that night. Investigators recovered money and property, believed to be stolen from the various residences, more than a dozen cell phones, believed to be used by the burglary crew, evidence of money wires to Bogota, Colombia, and various Colombian travel documentation, including passports. They also located commercial-grade Wi-Fi signal jammers that were plugged in and charging following their suspected use during the burglary that day. Upon noticing the officers executing the search warrant, Quintero and the rest of the crew fled into a nearby wooded area. Law enforcement eventually detained all seven individuals. Investigators later performed searches of the devices, which revealed additional evidence of the conspiracy, including sending and receiving coordinates for the houses they burglarized, surveillance communications, and shared messages containing messages highlighting the burglary targets from the preceding days. For instance, Quintero researched the value of jewelry the night of the Auburn burglary, received the contact information for a Colombian shipping company two days after the Eugene burglary and then called that company, and returned to the Eugene rental to package stolen property the night of the Salem burglary. On November 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Quintero and the other six members of the burglary crew with conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods. On December 3, 2025, Quintero made his initial appearance in federal court and was ordered detained. Quintero faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on June 30, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Eugene Police Department with assistance from the Salem Police Department, the Auburn Police Department, and the Gresham Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren.


title: San Jose Man Pleads Guilty To Robbing And Assaulting A U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE –Robert Cordova, also known as Robert Cordona, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of Robbery of a United States Mail Carrier and one count of Assaulting a Federal Employee. Cordova, 49, of San Jose, was indicted by a federal grand jury on January 23, 2025, on charges of robbery and assault. He pleaded guilty to both counts of the indictment. In connection with pleading guilty, Cordova admitted that he went inside a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail truck with the intent to steal mail. A USPS letter carrier approached him as Cordova was taking mail. Cordova punched the letter carrier in the face, knocking him to the ground. Cordova then got on top of the letter carrier and continued to punch him several times in the face and head. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood made the announcement. Cordova’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 2, 2026 before U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman. Cordova faces a maximum statutory penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for Robbery of a United States Mail Carrier in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2114(a) and 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for Assaulting a Federal Employee in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a) and (b). Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sahib Kaur. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by USPIS and the San Jose Police Department.


title: Great Falls man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for drug trafficking

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 43 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Nicholas Charles Williams, 46, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that between 2021 and March 2025, law enforcement officers investigated a group of individuals suspected of distributing methamphetamine in and around Great Falls. Williams was one of the members of the group. As part of the investigation into Williams, officers conducted three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from him utilizing a confidential informant. On each occasion, the drugs were sent to the DEA Laboratory for testing, which confirmed each of the substances acquired from Williams was methamphetamine. On July 9, 2024, officers interviewed Williams and he admitted to selling methamphetamine between 2021 and late June 2024. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Montana comprises agents and officers from a number of federal agencies as well as drug task forces throughout the state, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The Russell Country Drug Task Force and DEA conducted the investigation as part of the HSTF. XXX