title: Broward Woman Charged in Scheme to Submit Fraudulent Asylum Applications

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Andrea C. Correa, 37, a resident of Sunrise, Florida, was arraigned this week on a federal indictment charging her with submission of a fraudulent asylum application, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1546(a), which penalizes the presentation of immigration documents that contain false statements. According to the allegations proffered during an earlier hearing, Correa prepared and mailed an asylum application to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that contained multiple statements of personal political persecution, despite the applicant having informed Correa that she did not in fact experience personal political persecution in her home country. Correa has prepared more than 1,000 asylum applications since 2013. If convicted of the charged offense, Correa faces up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of HSI Miami, and Miami Asylum Office Director Varsenik Papazian for USCIS made the announcement. HSI West Palm Beach and USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate (FDNS) Miami Asylum Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Sadlo is prosecuting this matter. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . 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-60010. ###


title: New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty To Producing, Distributing, And Receiving Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Michael Taylor, Jr. (27, New Jersey) has pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Taylor faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison for the production offense, and a minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment, for each of the distribution and receipt offenses. Taylor’s co-defendant, Alexandria Stevens (20, New Jersey), pleaded guilty to producing, distributing, and receiving CSAM on February 28, 2025. A sentencing date has not yet been set for Taylor or Stevens. Both remain in federal custody pending the resolution of this case. According to court documents, while visiting Florida in November 2023, Taylor and Stevens produced CSAM with an 8-year-old child. They also received and distributed images of CSAM over the internet. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Texas Man Admits to Stowaway Charge Onboard a Delta Airlines Flight

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Texas man admitted to a felony, after he boarded and hid in a lavatory of a Delta Airlines flight to catch a free flight to Austin, Texas, from Salt Lake City International Airport. Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, of Leander, Texas, was indicted in April 2024. Prior press release here: Alleged Airline Stowaway Passenger Facing Federal Charges According to court documents and admissions made at the change of plea hearing, in March of 2024, Fleurizard intentionally boarded Delta Airlines flight #1683 and hid in the lavatory. Prior to boarding, Fleurizard was captured on surveillance footage in the boarding area taking photos of multiple passenger’s phones and/or boarding passes while they were not looking. Surveillance footage also showed Fleurizard used his phone as a boarding pass when he boarded the plane. However, Fleurizard did not purchase a ticket, and was not authorized to board. Fleurizard further admitted his actions caused the flight, which had pushed away from the gate, to return to the gate where he was met by law enforcement and taken into custody. Fleurizard is scheduled to be sentenced May 20, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice Viti of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by an FBI Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake City Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan N. Reeves and Michael Kennedy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.


title: Man Twice Convicted of Federal Firearms Offense  Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A two-time federally convicted felon who unlawfully possessed a firearm and resisted law enforcement officers when being arrested was sentenced on March 11, 2025, to nearly four years in federal prison. Codie Lee Allen Fisher, age 35, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 25, 2024, guilty plea to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Information from the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on June 8, 2024, officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department arrested Fisher after multiple reports of disturbances involving firearms at an apartment complex. While being arrested, Fisher fought and resisted officers. Officers found marijuana, a knife, and a loaded handgun in Fisher’s possession. Fisher has 18 prior criminal convictions, including seven convictions involving violence. In 2017, Fisher was convicted in federal court of making a false statement when purchasing a firearm. He received a sentence of 21 months in prison as a result of that conviction. Fisher was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Fisher was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Fisher is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Safe Streets Task Force. The task force is composed of representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-00068. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: HHS, DOJ Move to End Sexual Abuse and Harassment of Unaccompanied Alien Children in Shelters Operated by Southwest Key Programs

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that it has stopped placement of unaccompanied alien children in shelters operated by Southwest Key Programs Inc. (Southwest Key) and has moved all children there to other shelters. “This administration is working fearlessly to end the tragedy of human trafficking and other abuses of unaccompanied alien children who enter the country illegally,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. “For too long, pernicious actors have exploited such children both before and after they enter the United States. Today’s action is a significant step toward ending this appalling abuse of innocents.” Southwest Key has operated 27 residential shelters that provide temporary living arrangements for unaccompanied alien children in Texas, Arizona, and California, and has been the largest provider for such shelters for unaccompanied alien children in the United States. Southwest Key operates such shelters through grants from the HHS Office of Refugee Resettlement. Unaccompanied alien children are minors who enter the United States without parents or other legal guardians and without lawful immigration status in the United States. In July 2024, the Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit against Southwest Key, alleging that it had, through its employees, subjected unaccompanied alien children in its care to unlawful sexual harassment and abuse. Out of continuing concerns relating to these placements, HHS has decided to stop placement of unaccompanied alien children in Southwest Key facilities, and to review its grants with the organization. In view of HHS’s action, the Department of Justice has dismissed its lawsuit against Southwest Key. “Securing our border and protecting children from abuse are among the most critical missions of the Department of Justice and the Trump administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under the border policies of the previous administration, bad actors were incentivized to exploit children and break our laws: this ends now.”


title: Repeat child sex predator sentenced to 25 years for possession of child sexual assault material

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: GALVESTON, Texas – A 63-year-old Alvin resident has been sentenced for distribution and possession of child sexual assault material (CSAM), announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Robert Earl Cochran Jr. pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2024. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown has now ordered him to serve a total of 300 months in federal prison. Restitution will be determined at a later date. He will also serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term, during which time he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. “The lengthy sentence imposed today is welcome news” said Ganjei. “The defendant has repeatedly demonstrated that, given the opportunity, he will unrepentantly victimize young children. Every day that he is behind bars, as opposed to walking the streets or accessing the internet, is a win for the community.” “With today’s sentence we have removed an extremely dangerous child predator from the community who was an immediate threat to every child he encountered,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Houston Special Agent in Charge Chad Plantz. “After spending time in prison for sexually assaulting a child, he brazenly admits to getting out and actively seeking, possessing and distributing child sexual abuse materials with absolutely no remorse for the physical, psychological and emotional trauma inflicted on the innocent children who were victimized to produce them. Thanks to the tireless efforts of our special agents in Galveston, he is returning to prison and will no longer be free in the local community to harm children.” The investigation revealed Cochran utilized multiple virtual identities to commit violations concerning child exploitation. From Feb. 24, 2015, to July 16, 2019, he had distributed, received and possessed CSAM of children approximately three to 12 years of age. He was also discovered to be in possession of child pornography at the time of his arrest. Cochran admitted he began viewing child pornography in 2015, shortly after his release from prison, and heavily traded it between 2015-2016. He also acknowledged using his three cellphones to download and view the material. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement located nine images and 54 obscene representations of children depicting child pornography on those devices. He is a registered sex offender after serving a lengthy sentence for aggravated sexual assault of a three-year-old child. Cochran has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. HSI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis Batarse is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) 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: Elmore County, Alabama Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison Following Federal Drug and Gun Convictions

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On March 12, 2025, a federal judge sentenced 31-year-old Desmond Chrishawn Howard, a resident of Elmore, Alabama, to 96 months in prison after pleading guilty to federal gun and drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. In addition, the judge ordered that Howard serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. According to his plea agreement and other court records, on June 13, 2024, deputies with the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office responded to a domestic disturbance call reporting a physical altercation at a residence in the Town of Elmore involving a female and a male, identified as Desmond Howard. While deputies were enroute, the female told law enforcement that she had left the residence, and that Howard was following her in another vehicle. Deputies spotted Howard’s vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Howard refused to stop. During the pursuit, deputies observed Howard throw two objects from his car window then he returned to his residence in Elmore. Deputies took Howard into custody without further incident. When investigators returned to the area where Howard discarded the two objects, they found a handgun and a glove containing suspected dimethylpentylone or "molly." Laboratory analysis later confirmed the drug to be dimethylpentylone. Howard has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On November 20, 2024, Howard pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony offense. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Elmore County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.


title: Grand Jury Returns Indictments

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Boscobel Woman Charged with Bank Fraud Samantha Watters, 33, Boscobel, Wisconsin, is charged with three counts of bank fraud. The indictment alleges that between March 2023 and October 2023, Watters worked as a teller at BMO Harris Bank in Lancaster, Wisconsin, and made unauthorized withdrawals from multiple customer accounts totaling approximately $134,498. If convicted, Watters faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each count. The charges against Watters are the result of an investigation conducted by Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of Inspector General and the Lancaster, Wisconsin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner is handling the case. Three Men Charged in Separate Cases with Illegally Possessing Firearms and Ammunition Kory Washington, 21, Madison, Wisconsin , is charged with possessing a firearm as a felon. The indictment alleges that on November 19, 2024, Washington possessed of a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm handgun and Hornady 9mm ammunition. If convicted, Washington faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge against Washington is the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers (TFOs) from state/local agencies representing the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case. James K. Wilder Jr., 19, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that on November 26, 2024, Wilder Jr. possessed a Taurus G2C handgun and .45 caliber ammunition. If convicted, Wilder Jr. faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by Fitchburg Police Department and ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor L. Kraus is handling the case. Demetrius Howard, 34, Menomonie, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon. The indictment alleges that on December 20, 2024, Howard possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson .40 caliber handgun and ammunition. If convicted, Howard faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge against Howard is the result of an investigation conducted by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office and ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case. All cases involving firearms are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Man Charged with Assaulting FCI Oxford Employee Demetrius Brown, 46, Pekin, Illinois, is charged with assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury. The indictment alleges that on or about August 24, 2024, Brown physically assaulted and inflicted bodily injury on an employee of the Federal Correctional Institution, Oxford, Wisconsin, while that employee was engaged in the performance of his official duties. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge against Brown is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala is handling the case.


title: Yakima Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Kalispel Tribal Cultural Items from the Northern Quest Resort and Casino

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced that on March 12, 2025, Kevin William Wissman, age 61, of Yakima, Washington, pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to one misdemeanor count of theft from an Indian tribal organization. Based on court documents and information presented at the change-of-plea hearing, on October 30, 2020, Wissman stole five moccasins and one beaded glove that were on display in the Heritage Hall of the Northern Quest Resort and Casino in Airway Heights, Washington. The items were displayed inside a shadow box and behind a glass display window at the time Wissman stole them. To date, the stolen items have not been recovered. “This theft was devastating to the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and the individuals who lost their invaluable family heirlooms,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Barker. “My office takes seriously the theft of any Indian cultural items and will continue to hold accountable those who illegally take, possess, or traffic in such items.” “To the Kalispel Tribe, these are not just decorative items in a display case, but rather priceless and irreplaceable pieces of the Kalispel’s history,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Together with our tribal and federal partners, FBI Seattle will not accept the theft of cultural items and will work to reinforce the consequences of these actions to deter other would-be thieves.” “We’re grateful to the Kalispel Tribal Police Department and the FBI for tracking down the person responsible for the theft of these cherished family heirlooms,” said Nick Pierre, a Kalispel Tribal Council Member and General Manager of Northern Quest Resort & Casino. “While we hope justice will be served, it doesn’t make up for the fact that the items have still not been recovered. The Kalispel Tribe of Indians is offering a $25,000 reward for information that leads to the safe return of the stolen items. We encourage anyone with information to please come forward.” To report information about the stolen items, please contact the Kalispel Tribal Police Department at (509) 481-4444. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice accepted Wissman’s guilty plea and set sentencing for June 12, 2025, at 1:30 pm. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Kalispel Tribal Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Vander Giessen. 2:23-cr-00116-TOR


title: Long Island Tax Preparer Indicted for Tax and Covid Loan Fraud Schemes Resulting in Losses of $12 Million

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, a 42-count indictment was unsealed charging Damaris Beltre, formerly a tax preparer in Freeport, New York, with wire fraud, aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, money laundering and aggravated identity theft, for her role in allegedly preparing hundreds of false individual tax returns that caused a total of approximately $12 million in losses to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Payroll Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Beltre was arrested today and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Anne Y. Shields. John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI) announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, the defendant’s fraudulent work as a tax preparer and in furtherance of a COVID-19 loan scheme cost the government millions of dollars, all while she generated a stream of illicit revenue for herself that she used to purchase, among other things, a home in the Dominican Republic, a car and jewelry,” stated United States Attorney Durham. “My Office will vigorously prosecute individuals like the defendant who think the United States government is an easy target for financial crimes.” Mr. Durham also expressed his appreciation to the United States Customs and Border Protection, New York Field Office and the Freeport Police Department for their assistance on the case. “Beltre is charged with defrauding the government of millions of dollars to fatten her pockets, using stolen identities, fraudulent tax submissions and bogus COVID-19 benefits claims. While she may have been viewed as a respected tax preparer, Beltre did not respect federal law, nor did she care about the victims of her fraud—the American people. This IRS-CI investigation has brought her scheming to an end, and she will now be prosecuted for her actions,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Chavis. As set forth in the indictment, Beltre owned and operated three corporate entities, Botanica El Poder De San Miguel (Botanica), L&D Tax & Multi Service Corp. (L&D) and D&L Tax Service (D&L). Beltre was also associated with a fourth company, Apollo Global Improvements LLC (Apollo). Between approximately January 2021 and April 2024, Beltre engaged in a scheme in which she prepared and caused to be prepared false and fraudulent Forms 1040 and associated schedules and forms for client-taxpayers for submission to the IRS. From approximately January 2021 through December 2023, Beltre was the tax preparer for tax returns prepared by L&D; from January 2024 through April 2024, Beltre was the tax preparer for tax returns prepared by D&L. In those roles, Beltre engaged in massive tax fraud scheme utilizing false dependents as well as tens of millions of dollars of COVID-19 sick leave credits and fuel tax credits that there was no basis to claim. Clients paid over $1 million for Beltre’s fees for her work preparing the false returns which included a percentage of any refund issued. For example, in one instance, an undercover agent went to Beltre to have his tax return prepared. If prepared accurately, the agent would have owed the IRS approximately $205. Instead, Beltre prepared a return which claimed a refund of over $14,243. Beltre charged the undercover agent $2,200 in fees to prepare the fraudulent tax return. In other instances, Beltre filed tax returns claiming refunds on behalf of former clients without their knowledge. As a result of her fraudulent tax scheme, Beltre submitted false and fraudulent Forms 1040 and associated schedules and forms to the IRS, that resulted in approximately $11 million in reduced tax liabilities. In a separate PPP fraud scheme, Beltre filed false payroll reports and tax returns with the IRS on behalf of companies to fraudulently obtain PPP loan proceeds totaling approximately $1 million which she used to pay personal expenses. For example, in June 2020, Beltre used approximately $22,500 in fraudulently obtained PPP loan proceeds to make a payment on a house in the Dominican Republic. In May 2021, Beltre used approximately $16,000 in fraudulently obtained PPP funds to pay for the purchase of a Honda CRV. Between November 2021 and February 2022, Beltre and members of her family spent tens of thousands of dollars of fraudulently obtained PPP loan proceeds at jewelry stores, and Beltre withdrew approximately $226,160 of the fraudulently obtained PPP loan proceeds as cash from accounts for Botanica, L&D, Apollo, and various other accounts she controlled. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Section. Assistant United States Attorney Charles P. Kelly is in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroeder. The Defendant : DAMARIS BELTRE Age: 57 Freeport, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-81 (SJB)


title: Fourth Guilty Plea in December 2023 Burglary of Dozens of Firearms from a Maryland Pawn Shop

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tyjuan McNeal, 27, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with the December 2023 burglary of 34 firearms from a Maryland pawn shop. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. McNeal pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 17, 2025. According to the court documents, on December 13, 2023, McNeal and at least four co-conspirators drove from Washington, D.C. to the A&D Pawn Shop, a Federal Firearms Licensee in Glen Burnie, Maryland. McNeal was wearing an ankle monitor that he had wrapped in aluminum foil. At the pawn shop, one of the co-conspirators used a portable saw to cut the locks on a pull-down security gate. Another co-conspirator then used a crowbar-type tool to pry open the main door. Once inside, the quintet grabbed an array of rifles, shotguns, and pistols from the shelves and display racks and fled with at least 34 of the firearms. The co-conspirators later used social media to advertise the sale of the stolen firearms. McNeal was arrested on March 22, 2024, with a Glock 29, 10 mm pistol and has been detained since. Co-defendants Vincent Lee Alston, 23, and Niquan Odum, 23, pleaded guilty March 6, 2025, Alston, aka “Vedo,” pleaded to one count of conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. Odumn, aka “Stickz,” pleaded to conspiracy to commit theft from a firearms licensee and to possession of stolen firearms. Juwon Markel Anderson, 22, aka “Peezy,” pleaded guilty March 4 to conspiracy to commit firearms trafficking. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the ATF Baltimore Field Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Lipes. 23cr452


title: Massachusetts Attorney Admits to Participating in a Conspiracy to Smuggle Contraband Inside a Federal Detention Center

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts attorney admitted to a federal judge in Rhode Island today that she participated in a conspiracy to smuggle contraband to a detainee housed at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center in Rhode Island, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Theresa Marie DiJoseph, 51, pleaded guilty today to one count each of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance analogue, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and providing a prohibited object to an inmate. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. DiJoseph admitted that in late 2023, she conspired with three other individuals to smuggle ten papers soaked with K2, a synthetic marijuana, into the Wyatt Detention Center. According to information presented to the court, DiJospeh used her status as an attorney to meet multiple times with detainee Shawn D. Hart, 47, with whom she had a personal relationship, in a visiting room used for attorney visits to conduct legal work. On December 1, 2023, during an attempt to visit with Hart, Wyatt correctional officers seized from DiJoseph 10 sheets of paper that appeared discolored, thicker than normal, and to have been wet and dried. The papers were seized and later sent to an FBI testing lab that confirmed the presence of Schedule I controlled substances. In her appearance in court today, DiJoseph also admitted that she later made false statements to the FBI during their investigation into the source of the contraband that she attempted to bring into the detention center. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Julianne Klein and Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by FBI and the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Center Professional Standards Unit. ###


title: Jury Convicts Tolleson Man of Conspiracy to Transport and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Nathan Isaiah Solano, 23, of Tolleson, was convicted by a federal jury last week of one count of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and two counts of Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. The guilty verdicts came after a three-day jury trial before United States District Judge James A. Soto. Solano’s sentencing is set for May 21, 2025. On September 19, 2023, Solano was driving north on Arizona State Route 85, near the United States-Mexico border. Solano picked up two individuals who were waiting for him in the desert brush off the side of the highway. The individuals later admitted they were illegal aliens. A foot guide traveling with the illegal aliens helped load them into the back of the Solano’s Jeep before returning to Mexico. Border Patrol agents began to follow Solano, eventually conducting an immigration stop. They found the two illegal aliens lying curled up in the rear cargo area of the Jeep. Solano told authorities he had simply picked up a couple of hitchhikers. A jury rejected that claim and found Solano guilty of all three felony counts. Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Micah Schmit and Jennifer Berman, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-01585-TUC-JAS RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-032_Solano


title: Federal Detainee Admits to Possessing and Distributing Contraband Inside the Wyatt Detention Center

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Wyatt Detention Center detainee admitted to a federal judge today that he participated in a conspiracy with several individuals, including a now former correctional officer, to possess and distribute contraband inside the facility, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Matthew Pizarro, 36, admitted that he conspired with another detainee and others outside the facility to arrange for the delivery and distribution of contraband that was delivered by now former Correctional Officer Kaii Almeida-Falcones, 31, of Smithfield. Wyatt Detention Center video surveillance records show that on February 14, 2021, Correctional Officer Almeida-Falcone visited Pizarro’s cell for less than a minute. Pizzaro then visited the cell of another detainee, Edward Nolasco, 38, where he remained for less than a minute. On February 15, 2021, a strip search of Nolasco revealed a package containing suboxone strips. A search by Wyatt staff of Pizarro’s cell on the same date revealed a plastic bottle containing 4.5 grams of marijuana that was located inside Pizarro’s pillowcase. The suboxone strips were sent to a lab and confirmed to be 201 strips, 5 of which were partial strips, containing buprenorphine, which is an ingredient in Suboxone, a Schedule III controlled substance. Pizarro pleaded guilty today to one count each of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of Suboxone, and possession of contraband by an inmate. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Kaii Almeida-Falcones was sentenced on November 14, 2024, to six months in federal prison to be followed by twenty-four months of supervised release - the first six months to be served on home confinement. He pleaded guilty on June 10, 2024, to the charge of providing contraband to an inmate. Edward Nolasco was sentenced on November 3, 2024, to forty-eight months of incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on June 20, 2023, to charges of possession with intent to distribute Suboxone, possession of contraband by an inmate, and possession with intent to distribute Suboxone. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul F. Daly, Jr. and Ly T. Chin. The matter was investigated by the FBI, the United States Marshals Service, the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General, and the Professional Standards Unit at the Wyatt Detention Center. ###


title: Michael Lee Moody Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Role in the Murder of Rosenda Strong

body_text: Yakima, Washington – Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker announced today that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Michael Lee Moody, 44, to 87 months in federal prison on one count of Accessory After the Fact for his role in the October 2018 murder of Rosenda Strong. According to court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, Jedidah Iesha Moreno shot and killed Rosenda Strong on or about October 5, 2018, following an argument at a residence, known as the House of Souls in Wapato, Washington. Following the murder, Moreno asked for help disposing of Strong’s body. A tarp was placed over Strong’ body and Andrew Norris Zack and Jamaal Pimms rolled her body into a freezer. The freezer, and other appliances, were loaded onto the back of a truck. The body, still inside the freezer, was then dumped near M&R Towing, which is off Highway 97 in Toppenish, Washington. The following day, Moreno and Zack traveled to a residence known as the Estrada Ranch located in Wapato, Washington. An argument ensued between Moreno and Zack. Zack entered a garage to urinate. Moreno took out a gun and fired multiple shots into the garage. One of the rounds struck Zack’s hand causing minor damage. As all of this occurred, Uriel Balentin Badillo was at Legends Casino. Badillo received a call that Zack was in trouble. Badillo drove out to the residence and found Moreno standing in a field. Badillo asked Moreno about Zack but Moreno was unresponsive. Badillo then drove Moreno to the House of Souls to look for Zack. Presumably, by this time, Zack had called someone at the House of Souls and told them that Moreno had just shot him. A female exited the House of Souls and said “gag the bitch up.” A sock was placed into Moreno’s mouth. Badillo and the female transported Moreno back to the Estrada Ranch. After her arrival, Moreno was physically restrained, bound with a cargo strap and duct tape, and forced into a Chevrolet Impala. Badillo shot into the truck several times with a .45 caliber pistol, striking Moreno. Later that day, a male juvenile and a female juvenile moved the body to another location on the Yakama Nation. One of the juveniles also fired additional rounds into Moreno’s body. The following day, Joshawa Max Estrada and the male juvenile located and again moved Moreno’s body – taking it to a more secluded location near White Swan, Washington, in an attempt to conceal the crime. Estrada and Michael Moody attempted to hide the Chevrolet Impala by submerging it in a pond; however, law enforcement later recovered the Impala. Moreno’s body also was later found, when a concerned citizen located Moreno’s remains on November 28, 2018. On July 4, 2019, approximately nine months after Strong’s tragic death, a citizen discovered human remains, which later were identified through dental records as belonging to Strong. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and Yakama Nation Tribal Police worked for years to bring to justice those responsible for Rosenda Strong’s tragic death and the subsequent coverup,” stated Acting United States Attorney Barker. “While we could not publicly comment on the investigation while it was ongoing, the Assistant United States Attorneys, FBI agents, and Tribal Police officers were working tirelessly to seek justice for those responsible and obtain some measure of closure for the surviving members of the Strong family. For more than five years, Cissy Strong and the Strong family have been resolute in their pursuit of justice for Rosenda. I am grateful for the dedication of Assistant United States Attorneys Tom Hanlon and Michael Murphy, who devoted countless hours to seeking justice on behalf of Rosenda and her family.” “Together with our partners, FBI Seattle is committed to investigating crimes on tribal lands no matter how long it takes,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Seattle. “We know each victim's loss leaves a painful gap in their community and that community wants answers. We hope this case serves as a reminder that even if the investigation takes years, we will never give up on seeking justice for victims and their loved ones.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Yakama Nation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas J. Hanlon and Michael D. Murphy. Defendants Andrew Norris Zack, Jamaal Antwan Pimms, Kevin Todd Brehm , Joshawa Max Estrada and Uriel Balentin Badillo have all pleaded guilty to charges in this case. 1:23-cr-02037-SAB


title: Metro East fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 19 years in federal prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a California man to 228 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to trafficking fentanyl to the Metro East. Nefer Ojeda-Elenes, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance: fentanyl and one count of distribution of a controlled substance: fentanyl. “Fentanyl is a ruthless killer—devastating families, shattering communities and leaving a trail of grief in its wake,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This defendant conspired to bring seven kilograms of fentanyl into the Metro East region, when as few as two milligrams is lethal to most adults. With this 19-year sentence, the system has delivered certain justice to a drug dealer who prioritized money over the value of human lives.” According to court documents, Ojeda-Elenes worked within a conspiracy to deliver two kilograms of fentanyl to the Metro East in April 2020. In May 2020, he agreed to deliver five more kilograms of fentanyl, but law enforcement intercepted the drugs prior to their arrival in Illinois. “Nefer Ojeda-Elenes attempted to introduce more than half-a-million lethal doses of fentanyl into our Southern Illinois communities in just a short, three-month span,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “That number is astonishing when you think of how many families would be impacted and missing a loved one at the dinner table each night. The lethality of fentanyl can’t be understated. A mere two milligrams is enough to take a life. The DEA and our law enforcement partners remain vigilant in our efforts to stop this poison from taking the lives of those we love.” Co-conspirator Mariano A. Perez, 39, of California, is also facing one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance: fentanyl and one count of distribution of a controlled substance: fentanyl. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 20. An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury. DEA St. Louis is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Carraway is prosecuting the case.


title: Woman Pleads Guilty to Aggravated Assault While Armed

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Marquita Holloman, 36, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with a stabbing that occurred in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, S.E. on September 13, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On March 11, 2025, Holloman pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed before the Honorable Michael Ryan, who scheduled sentencing for May 13, 2025. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 11:00 p.m. on September 13, 2023, Holloman and the victim got into a verbal argument while hanging out in the 2400 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, S.E. After the argument had concluded, the victim walked away from Holloman and towards her daughter, who was also present in the block that night. Holloman got up from the chair she was seated in and lunged at the victim with a knife, stabbing the victim’s daughter in the neck in the process. Holloman then attacked the victim and stabbed her multiple times in the face and head. The victim and her daughter were both transported to local hospitals for treatment of their wounds. The victim suffered severe damage to her right eye that ultimately required surgery to remove the eye. MPD officers and detectives reviewed surveillance video footage of the stabbing from nearby Savoy Elementary school, which led to Holloman’s identification as the assailant. MPD detectives arrested Holloman on January 8, 2024, pursuant to an arrest warrant. In announcing the plea, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant United States Attorney Ella Gladman, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Former Rolla Church Volunteer Admits Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former church youth ministry volunteer from Rolla, Missouri on Wednesday admitted possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material. Bradley Thomas Colvin, 52, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receipt and distribution of child pornography. Colvin admitted searching for, viewing and downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for years. Colvin had at least 833 videos and 5,566 images containing CSAM on four computers, a tablet, an external hard drive and five USB thumb drives, he admitted as part of his plea. The investigation began when Colvin distributed child pornography via a peer-to peer file sharing program to an officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol who was conducting investigations. After investigators conducted a court-approved search of Colvin’s home, he admitted during a polygraph examination having touched a minor for sexual gratification years earlier at a pool party to celebrate the end of Vacation Bible School. Colvin is scheduled to be sentenced June 18. The crime carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will ask for 10 years. The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea in Navajo Nation DUI Crash

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock woman pleaded guilty in federal court to assault resulting in serious bodily injury after driving while intoxicated and causing a crash that severely injured two children on the Navajo Nation. According to court documents, on April 23, 2023, Jazmyne Deschinny , 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving a sedan carrying eight people within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Deschinny was heavily intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 0.264, which is more than three times the legal limit in New Mexico. She also had opiates and cannabinoids in her system at the time of the incident. The crash occurred when Deschinny ran a red light and collided with a flatbed trailer being towed by a truck. The sedan was overcrowded with three adults and five children, and there were insufficient seatbelts and car seats to properly secure all occupants. As a result, two unsecured minors suffered severe injuries. John Doe 1, one of the minors in Deschinny 's vehicle, sustained a life-threatening head injury, including subdural hematomas, a fractured skull, and bleeding within the brain structure. The child's condition was so critical that he nearly died during the emergency flight to the University of New Mexico Hospital. John Doe 1 required weeks of hospitalization for treatment. Jane Doe 1, another minor in the vehicle, suffered multiple facial fractures, a fractured wrist, and facial lacerations that required surgical repair. She was hospitalized for several days following the incident. According to the plea agreement, Deschinny faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing followed by three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Deschinny).pdf


title: Roseville Man Sentenced to Three Years and Ten months in Prison for Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — Alex Altoh, 64, of Roseville, was sentenced Tuesday to three years and ten months in prison for money laundering conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. Altoh was also ordered to pay $1,478,068.99 in restitution. According to court documents, between January 2021 and November 2021, Altoh and his co-defendant Oumar Sidibe, 31, were involved in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds from two large business email compromise schemes, in which two corporate victims were tricked into making payments to bank accounts controlled by Altoh and another person, rather than to the intended beneficiaries of the payments. Altoh, Sidibe, and others then quickly withdrew a large portion of the funds by way of check deposits, which effectively transferred the funds, concealed their unlawful nature, and prevented them from being clawed back. For instance, on October 26, 2021, an employee of a victim company was tricked into wiring approximately $3.5 million to Altoh’s account at Wells Fargo. That same day, in a span of less than two hours, Altoh withdrew money from the Wells Fargo account by depositing five checks in five separate transactions at multiple bank branches in the Sacramento area. One transaction included a check for $248,000 that Altoh wrote to himself and deposited into his own Chase bank account. In that one day, Altoh successfully withdrew approximately $1.1 million of the funds out of his Wells Fargo account, which was never recovered. Law enforcement traced Altoh and Sidibe to almost $3.9 million in laundered fraud proceeds. Sidibe is yet to be apprehended. The charges against Sibide are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Denise N. Yasinow and Matthew Thuesen prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentencing for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Lordsburg man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, between July 1, 2022, and September 18, 2022, Keith Joseph Medina , 38, recorded at least four videos of himself performing sexual acts on a minor victim at his residence in Lordsburg. Upon his release from prison, Medina will be subject to twenty years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender. Medina was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to his victims. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Lordsburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ong and Jackson K. Dering V prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.


title: Chester Woman Charged With Pandemic Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Muneerah Abdullah, age 45, of Chester, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 27, 2025, by a federal grand jury on six counts of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits related to COVID-19 emergency relief funds. According to Acting U.S. Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from in or about April 2020 to in or about October 2020, Abdullah filed Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) claims for herself and other ineligible recipients, to include inmates. The alleged scheme included making false representations in connection with these claims including, being unemployed as a result of Covid-19, providing false employment or wage history, falsely stating the applicant was willing, and able to work each day, and was seeking full-time employment. It is also alleged that Abdullah received kickbacks when she filed fraudulent claims for PUA with another’s information. The PUA program was created by the March 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The maximum penalty under federal law for wire fraud is 20 years’ imprisonment. Each charge may also carry a fine and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . # # #


title: Federal, State, and Local Agencies Recognized with Midwest HIDTA Award

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS – Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota, has announced multiple local recipients of a Regional Award from the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The award presentation took place in Sioux Falls on March 12, 2025, and recognized the extraordinary, multi-agency work that resulted in the successful disruption of a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing approximately 140 pounds of methamphetamine from Mexico and Arizona into South Dakota and Louisiana. The Midwest HIDTA Outstanding Prosecution Award was given to agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with detectives from the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force and officers with the South Dakota Highway Patrol and Moody County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges was also recognized for his work in securing federal convictions of 19 individuals from South Dakota, Arizona, and Louisiana for their participation in the large-scale conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and to commit money laundering. The investigation, which spanned nearly two years, revealed that Christopher Daniels was operating as the South Dakota cell leader of a multi-state drug trafficking organization. Agents further discovered that Daniels obtained methamphetamine from Sean Gross in Arizona, who in turn sourced the methamphetamine from Rusty Driscoll. Driscoll had a direct connection to a source in Mexico. Gross and Driscoll also sent multiple pounds of methamphetamine to Jessica Louviere in Louisiana. Agents determined that Daniels was personally responsible for distributing at least 120 pounds of methamphetamine in South Dakota. Driscoll was responsible for directing the quantities, prices, payments, and shipments of multiple multi-pound deliveries of methamphetamine to South Dakota and elsewhere. As a result of successful federal prosecutions, the leaders of this drug conspiracy received significant federal sentences—Driscoll was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison; Daniels was sentenced to 30 years; Gross was sentenced to more than 26 years; and Louviere was sentenced to 14 years. “We are extremely fortunate to have local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies who readily and regularly collaborate to intercept drugs being trafficked into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsdell. “This case is just one example of the consequential work being done by law enforcement agencies, alongside federal prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and hold accountable those who dare to do their deadly business in South Dakota.” The HIDTA program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. The DEA plays a very active role and has more than 1,500 authorized special agent positions dedicated to the program. At the local level, the HIDTAs are directed and guided by Executive Boards composed of an equal number of regional Federal and non-Federal (state, local, and tribal) law enforcement leaders. South Dakota counties involved in the Midwest HIDTA include Beadle, Brookings, Brown, Clay, Codington, Custer, Lawrence, Lincoln, Meade, Minnehaha, Pennington, Union, and Yankton.


title: Tampa Shooter Convicted By A Federal Jury At Trial

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that a federal jury has found Milton Anthony Bradshaw (44, Tampa) guilty of possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Bradshaw faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. Sentencing has been set for June 3, 2025. According to evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of September 20, 2022, Bradshaw got into an argument with three unknown individuals at an apartment complex in Tampa. As the three individuals walked to their car, Bradshaw grabbed a gun and proceeded to hide behind a dumpster in the parking lot. As the individuals drove away, Bradshaw started firing at them. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene where they recovered a firearm that Bradshaw had left outside of an apartment after the shooting. Bradshaw was identified in surveillance video that captured the argument and the shooting, and DNA recovered from the firearm matched Bradshaw’s. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Chelsey Hanson. The forfeiture was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky. 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: The “Wolf of West Virginia” Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Theodore Miller, 35, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty today to two counts of wire fraud. Miller admitted to defrauding more than 170 individuals through two real estate-related investment schemes that caused losses of between $395,000 and $434,501. According to court documents and statements made in court, Miller conceived and perpetrated the two fraudulent schemes between the spring of 2022 and September 2024. One scheme solicited direct investments to develop modern residential duplexes and a dry-storage lot on Bigley Avenue in Charleston. The other scheme offered a pooled real estate investment vehicle dubbed “Bear Lute.” To carry out these schemes, Miller portrayed himself on social media as the “Wolf of West Virginia,” a wealthy, successful and knowledgeable real estate mogul with enough disposable income to travel the world at his leisure. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that in reality, he had poor credit, thin month-to-month financial margins, was delinquent on property taxes and bills, and defaulted on loans. In each scheme, Miller made multiple misrepresentations to investors. These misrepresentations included that individuals would receive returns on their investments, that their investments were secured by real property, and that they could withdraw their investments. As part of his guilty pleas, Miller admitted that there were no returns on investments, that he never owned the real property he identified as security for the investments, and that he used the money from his fraud schemes to pay unrelated expenses, debts and obligations. Miller’s victims included an individual who wired $20,000 to Miller from California for the storage lot project on July 5, 2022, and an individual who wired $2,500 to Miller from Texas for Bear Lute on December 12, 2022. The money from the schemes was deposited into bank accounts for several entities Miller solely owned and operated including Bear Industries LLC, which initially served as an umbrella entity for the related businesses. Miller’s mother, Deanna Drumm, served as vice president of operations for Bear Industries from in or around 2019 to September 2024. While Miller lived outside the United States from in or about June 2021 to on or about August 8, 2024, he directed his mother to handle the day-to-day operational tasks for the Bear entities including the management of finances and transfer of funds. Drumm, 61, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on November 21, 2024, to aiding and abetting the sale and offer of unregistered securities. Both the direct investments and the Bear Lute investments were securities as defined by federal law, offered through interstate commerce via the internet, and were required to be registered. Drumm admitted that no registration statement was in effect for either of these securities, and that neither was exempt from the registration requirement. Drumm further admitted that she aided and abetted the offering of these unregistered securities in the course of her duties as vice president of operations for Bear Industries. Drumm is scheduled to be sentenced on May 29, 2025. In September 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist letter to Bear Industries ordering it to stop the unregistered sale and offering of securities in Bear Lute. In November 2022, the West Virginia Securities Commission issued a cease-and-desist order regarding the same. Miller admitted that he continued to operate Bear Lute in violation of the order and never disclosed the order to his investors. On August 9, 2024, law enforcement officers arrested Miller following his return to the United States. Miller admitted that he told his wife during a recorded jail phone call on August 11, 2024, to report his iPhone stolen to make it inaccessible to law enforcement and to hide a backpack containing his laptop computer. Miller further admitted that the laptop contained most of the documents related to the direct investments and Bear Lute. Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on July 2, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Miller also owes restitution of between $395,000 and $434,501, with the final amount to be determined by the Court. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the West Virginia Fusion Center, the West Virginia Securities Commission, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Joshua Hanks are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a parallel civil action against Miller, Bear Industries LLC, Bear Investments and Business Consulting LLC, and Drumm in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia. The lawsuit alleges that Miller has engaged in the unregistered and fraudulent offer of securities related to his real estate-related investment programs since at least 2022, and that Miller’s social-media persona and businesses were all a calculated fraud to divert investor funds for his own personal benefit. The lawsuit seeks permanent injunctive relief, disgorgement of ill-gotten gains and prejudgment interest, and civil penalties. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:24-cr-145 and 2:24-cv-479. ###


title: Council Bluffs Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Conspiracy Charge

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two Council Bluffs man were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. According to public court documents, in March and April 2024, Jessie Lee Holtz, 35, and co-defendant, Andrew Joseph Kaipus, 38, conspired to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs area. During the conspiracy, Kaipus obtained a quarter pound of methamphetamine from Holtz and Kaipus then sold that methamphetamine to a confidential informant in April 2024. On November 14, 2024, Kaipus, received a 10-year prison sentence, followed by a five-month term of supervised release. On March 12, 2025, Holtz was sentenced to 71 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Holtz will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, Iowa Department of Public Safety—Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Council Bluffs Police Department.


title: Vietnamese National Pleads Guilty to Using Stolen Identity of Deceased Individual for Over Five Years

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Vietnamese man who has been residing in Braintree, Mass., and whose true identity was unknown at indictment, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. John Doe, a/k/a “Truong Nguyen,” 50, pleaded guilty to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2025. The defendant was arrested and charged in May 2024 and released on conditions including an unsecured bond of $50,000. He was later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. In March 2023, the defendant submitted a passport application in-person at the U.S. post office in Weymouth, presenting himself to be an individual identified as HH (the victim). In support of the application, Doe provided the victim’s date of birth and Social Security number, a copy of the victim’s U.S. birth certificate, as well a Massachusetts driver’s license with the victim’s information. In June 2023, the Boston Passport Agency forwarded the defendant’s passport application and supporting documents to federal law enforcement, after verifying a death record for HH (the victim) when reviewing the application. The Social Security number, date of birth and parental information provided by Doe in his passport application matched the records for the deceased victim. It was ultimately confirmed that the victim died in Boston in 2002 at the age of 13. The passport was not issued to the defendant. A subsequent investigation determined that the defendant used the victim’s identity to obtain and use multiple government-issued identification documents in the victim’s name, including Massachusetts driver’s licenses in June 2018, January 2019 and April 2023, as well as a Social Security card in the victim’s name in 2018. Doe also used the deceased victim’s identity to obtain an EMT-Basic Certification in 2021 and an EMT-Paramedic Certification in 2023, before going on to apply for employment as a paramedic, again using the stolen identity. From November 2023 to January 2024, Doe used the deceased victim’s identity to attend the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. After graduating, the defendant began employment with the Melrose Fire Department in the name of the victim, where he worked until his arrest in May 2024. The investigation further revealed that Doe (while using the identity of the victim) was the subject of an RMV fraud hearing in August 2018, after a facial recognition hit determined the defendant had been issued Massachusetts driver’s licenses under two separate identities – that of an individual identified as Truong Nguyen issued in February 2018 and that of the deceased victim issued in June 2018. At the fraud hearing, Doe claimed the victim’s identity was his true identity and presented a birth certificate and Social Security card issued under the deceased victim’s identity. As a result of the hearing, RMV closed the case – determining the victim was Doe’s true identity and suspending his license for six months. However, the investigation found that Doe matched the identity of Nguyen and the individual’s corresponding records which span from 1997 to 2018. Specifically, Nguyen entered the United States from Vietnam in 1979 as a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). In 1995, Nguyen’s LPR status was revoked and he was ordered deported after being convicted of second-degree burglary in 1991. Although ordered deported, the investigation revealed that Nguyen was not physically deported to Vietnam. Nguyen was later arrested in 2010 for embezzlement and larceny after allegedly stealing over $46,000 from the Norwell Firefighters Union while working as an officer of the union. At the plea hearing, John Doe stated under oath that is true identity his Truong Nguyen. The charge of false statement in a passport application provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be added to the felony committed while using the means of identification of another without lawful authority. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon competition of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Matthew O’Brien. Special Agent in Charge of the Department of State/Diplomatic Security Service; Braintree Police Chief Tim Cohoon; Melrose Police Chief Kevin M. Faller; Melrose Fire Chief John White; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan; and Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. UPDATE: This press release was amended on March 14, 2025 to reflect that the defendant is 50 years old, not 40 years old.


title: Seven Pasco County Methamphetamine Traffickers Face Federal Charges

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces the return of indictments charging Ismael Alvarez (36, Dade City), Lonnie Griffin (63, Dade City), Juan Medrano (42, Dade City), Raymond Downing (51, Dade City), Lionel Florez (27, Dade City), Lorenzo Herrera (34, Dade City), and Richard Sanchez (31, Dade City) with distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted, each faces a minimum sentence of five years, up to life, in federal prison. According to the indictments and statements made in court, on multiple occasions over a series of months, these individuals conducted drug transactions with an undercover confidential source. The transactions involved varying amounts of methamphetamine. Between April and November 2024, law enforcement recovered over 800 grams of pure methamphetamine collectively from these transactions. On March 11, 2025, the FBI, in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies, arrested five of the defendants during an early morning takedown. “These law enforcement actions demonstrate the FBI’s persistence in combating violent crime in our communities. We will continue to strengthen our federal, state, and local partnerships to meet our mission and to ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, and the Zephyrhills Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.


title: Georgia Woman Sentenced For Role In Aggravated Identity Theft Fraud Scheme

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle has sentenced Coretta Rena Bates (32, College Park, Georgia) to 24 months in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. The court also entered an order directing Bates to pay restitution to the victim credit union in the amount of $167,117.50, the proceeds of the aggravated identity theft fraud scheme. Bates pleaded guilty on December 11, 2024. According to court documents, Bates obtained the personal identification information of several individuals and counterfeit North Carolina driver licenses imprinted with Bates’s photograph and the identifying information of those victims. From April through July 2023, Bates used the identity documents to open lines of credit with a credit union and to withdraw cash advances in the names of those victims. Bates fraudulently obtained more than $167,000 from the credit union. This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Hillsborough County Sherriff’s Office, with the assistance of the City of Brookhaven (Georgia) Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.


title: Stockton Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — Sean Arthur Robinson, 38, of Stockton, was sentenced Tuesday by Senior United States District Judge John A. Mendez to serve two years in prison followed three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, law enforcement officers recovered a Glock 27 semiautomatic firearm and a loaded high-capacity magazine inside a vehicle while serving a search warrant at Robinson’s residence in Stockton in September 2022. The firearm had previously been reported stolen from Sacramento. On the same day in September 2022, law enforcement officers also recovered two Glock switches inside a separate residence associated with Robinson in Fairfield. Robinson is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for elder abuse and for carrying a loaded firearm in public. Law enforcement’s investigation into Robinson began at least as early as May 2021, when surveillance footage captured him engaging in a violent shootout at the Grand Hyatt Hotel near San Francisco International Airport. During this incident, Robinson and a compatriot attempted to carjack at least two other vehicles. Following the shootout, law enforcement officers seized a black duffel bag that surveillance footage captured Robinson carrying just before the firefight began, and that contained three illegal firearms. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, with assistance from the San Francisco Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Lee and Sam Stefanki prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Catra Nelson, also known as “Trey,” 48, of Zanesville, Ohio, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least January 2020 to in or around March 2021, Nelson conspired with co-defendant Steven Reger and others to distribute quantities of methamphetamine in the Parkersburg, West Virginia, area. On March 23, 2021, Nelson aided and abetted in the sale of approximately 428.1 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Parkersburg. Nelson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. Reger, 48, of Morgantown, was sentenced on August 24, 2023, to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Parkersburg Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe, Joshua Hanks, and Negar M. Kordestani are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-196. ###


title: Casselberry Man Sentenced To Life In Prison For Enticing  A Minor To Engage In Illegal Sexual Activity And Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza today sentenced Jordan Franklin Trexler (30, Casselberry) to life in federal prison for enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and two counts of production of child sexual abuse material. Trexler was found guilty by a federal jury on December 11, 2024. According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Trexler groomed a minor victim to engage in sexual activity when she was 14 years old. Trexler reached out to the victim via social media and offered her marijuana. After they met up, Trexler got her heavily intoxicated and then sexually abused her. Over the course of approximately two weeks, Trexler and the victim exchanged messages on a social media app discussing plans to meet and the type of sexual activity in which Trexler wanted the 14-year-old to engage. They met frequently during that period and during those meetings Trexler repeatedly sexually abused the victim. On one occasion, Trexler video recorded his sexual abuse of the victim. On another occasion, he produced a sexually explicit image of the victim. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oviedo Police Department, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaley Austin-Aronson and Stephanie McNeff. This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Parkersburg Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Ray Mackey, 43, of Parkersburg, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Mackey in Parkersburg. Officers searched the vehicle following the traffic stop and found a German Sports Guns model Firefly .22-caliber semiautomatic handgun. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Mackey knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for non-aggravated robbery, assault during the commission of a felony upon a person 65 years of age or older, and conspiracy to commit non-aggravated robbery in Wood County Circuit Court on June 12, 2001. Mackey has a long criminal history that also includes convictions for breaking and entering, escape, domestic battery, fleeing, and obstruction. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Parkersburg Police Department. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin and former Assistant United States Attorney Bill Longwell prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-128. ###


title: Former employee of an online car sales company sentenced to more than 11 years in prison for $2 million embezzlement and absconding before sentencing

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 42-year-old Tacoma man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 142 months in prison for wire fraud, for his scheme to steal more than $2 million from his employer, and for then going on the run before sentencing, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. John Whisenant was arrested in July 2023 and pleaded guilty in March 2024. Just before his July 2024 sentencing date, Whisenant sent an email to his pretrial services officer saying, “I’m not ready to go to jail yet.” Despite his efforts to evade police, the FBI located and arrested him on August 14, 2024. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Lauren King said, Whisenant’s life had been, “a revolving door of crime and prison time.” Judge King noted that the fraud had “a devastating impact… the financial damage (for the victim company) was extreme.” As for his failure to appear for sentencing, Judge King said, “Your actions have destroyed your credibility before this court.” “This was a sophisticated fraud scheme motivated by greed,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Mr. Whisenant bought Porsches and Mercedes and $23,000 airline tickets. He dealt a devastating blow to the company that employed him. Over 20 years he committed 19 fraud offenses related to stealing, swindling, and cheating, but this was the largest. The time is past due for him to be held accountable.” According to records filed in the case, beginning in October 2018 Whisenant worked in a variety of roles at the online used car sales company. About a year after he began with the company, Whisenant was promoted into a role where he had access to the company bank accounts and accounting software. Beginning in about June 2019 and continuing until November 2021, Whisenant used his access to make 57 wire transfers totaling over $2 million into accounts he controlled. Whisenant disguised the transfers as legitimate business expenses in the company’s accounting software with a variety of false entries. Whisenant defrauded the company of $2,084,799. According to records in the case, Whisenant used some of the money for a lavish lifestyle. He bought luxury automobiles such as Porches and Mercedes. He spent $123,096 for a 2022 Audi E-Tron and bought a $98,100 Tesla. He rented luxury homes in Southern California and purchased two airline tickets to Paris at a cost of nearly $23,000 each. More than $1 million went to pay his credit card debts. The fraud on the company accounts was discovered when a bookkeeper began a more comprehensive review of the company’s financials in January 2022. Whisenant resigned abruptly in February 2022. When confronted by the FBI, Whisenant tried to blame the embezzlement on the company CEO. As prosecutors noted in their sentencing memo the impact on the company has been severe. “Whisenant’s fraud seriously harmed his victims. His betrayal “traumatized” his co-workers. His fraud destabilized (victim company’s) finances and inflicted significant financial hardship on its largest shareholder, his family, and other investors. His actions may have ultimately cost (victim company’s) largest shareholder (and CEO) the company.” Prior to his absconding prosecutors were recommending a seven-year prison sentence. Today, they recommended ten and a half years in prison to account for Whisenant’s disregard for the law and the court. While on the run Whisenant repeatedly swapped-out the SIM card in his phone to hide his location, and trafficked methamphetamine, GHB, Viagra and other pills to support himself. This is Whisenant’s second federal fraud conviction. He was sentenced for wire fraud in 2017 and over the past two decades was convicted in state court of various credit card and check fraud crimes. Whisenant has agreed to make full restitution of $2,084,779. The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sean Waite.


title: Serial Sex Offender Indicted For New Felony Offense Under Secure DC Law

body_text: WASHINGTON – Michael Hilliard, 65, of no fixed address, was indicted today by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on four felony accounts. Specifically, he is charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, felony offenses for forced sexual contacts, and two counts of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, now also a felony, for engaging in a sexual contact within the victim’s permission having three or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. The charges are in connection with an allegation that the defendant forcibly sexually touched a treating nurse at George Washington University Hospital, a stranger to him. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hilliard is detained pending competency proceedings. According to charging documents, on September 26, 2024, the victim attempted to draw blood from Hilliard while he sat inside of a hospital room. Hilliard requested to sit on the bed to get his blood drawn. As the nurse attempted to adjust the bed rail, Hilliard grabbed her into a face-to-face bear hug. Having wrapped his arms around her, Hillard then reached down to grope her on her buttocks and genitalia. Hilliard has more than three prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. His most recent conviction occurred on December 19, 2023, when he was convicted of misdemeanor sexual abuse for sexually abusing a female stranger. Hilliard is the first individual indicted with enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse, a felony created by the D.C. Council’s Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024. Prior to the legislation going into effect, repeat offenders who committed sexual contacts or sexual acts when the offender knew or should have known the victim did not give permission for such contact/act, could not be charged with a felony, no matter how many times they were prosecuted, often for virtually identical misdemeanor sexual abuse conduct. The new felony offense of enhanced misdemeanor sexual abuse is chargeable if the defendant has three or more prior convictions for misdemeanor sexual abuse. This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Houck. 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: Des Moines Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Charges

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 54 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering charges. According to public court documents, Bryan David Sampica, 49, executed a scheme to defraud financial institutions responsible for issuing Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans between May 2020 and March 2021. Sampica fraudulently obtained two PPP loans for a company that had no employees, no operations, and no payroll. Sampica falsely claimed that the company had approximately 100 employees and annual payroll in excess of $1 million. Sampica also provided false claims by submitting fraudulent tax documents asserting that the company had millions of dollars in annual receipts and expenses. The PPP loans obtained by Sampica totaled nearly $2 million. Once Sampica received the fraudulently obtained PPP loan funding, he used the fraudulently obtained funds to, among other things, pay off a car loan, transfer money to a family member and trust accounts, and to purchase a yacht. After completing his term of imprisonment, Sampica will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Sampica was also ordered to pay $1,978,345.82 in restitution. “It’s unfortunate that a relief program such as the Paycheck Protection Program was targeted by fraudsters looking to enrich themselves,” said IRS-Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “Mr. Sampica used millions of dollars in stolen taxpayer funds to pay for cars and yachts while legitimate businesses struggled to survive the pandemic. We’re committed to working alongside our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to protect taxpayer resources by holding thieves like Mr. Sampica accountable.” United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud .


title: Lewiston Man Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining $20,833 PPP Loan During Pandemic

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Lewiston man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for filing a fraudulent application for a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Shahied Golden , 30, to 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $24,090.82 in restitution. Golden pleaded guilty on September 27, 2024. The sentence will be served consecutively to Golden’s 27-month state prison sentence for illegal possession of a firearm and a state probation violation. According to court records, in April 2021, Golden filed a fraudulent PPP loan application and received approximately $20,833 in PPP funds. The application listed a false gross income for 2020 and falsely stated the loan proceeds were needed to make payroll payments for his alleged business. He also submitted a fraudulent document in support of his application, which falsely stated his gross income, among other things. Further, Golden caused the funds to be deposited into his own personal bank account, quickly withdrew the funds, and did not use the PPP proceeds for approved expenses. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Paycheck Protection Program (PPP): The PPP was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses. The PPP permitted participating third-party lenders to approve and disburse SBA-backed PPP loans to cover payroll, fixed debts, utilities, rent/mortgage, accounts payable and other bills incurred by qualifying businesses during, and resulting from, the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were fully guaranteed by the SBA. ###


title: Broward Tax Preparer Arrested and Charged with Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Today, Jimmy Desir made his initial appearance in a federal court in Miami, Fla., for allegedly orchestrating a scheme to defraud the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by filing false income tax returns. Jimmy Desir, 46, of Miramar, Florida, was arrested on an indictment charging him with 22 counts of assisting in the preparation of false and fraudulent tax returns that Desir, himself, presented to the IRS using his tax preparation business, A1 Plus Financial Services, Inc., located in North Miami Beach, Fla. According to the indictment, for several years Desir intentionally included false entries on his customers’ tax returns, such as false fuel tax credits and false education credits, as well as false Schedules C with made up business losses, all in the name of increasing his customers’ tax refunds so that he could collect higher tax preparation fees from them. The loss of revenue to the IRS is estimated at more than $2 million. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Emmanuel Gomez of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement. The IRS CI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aimee Jimenez is prosecuting this case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 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-20070. ###