title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

body_text: Drug Trafficking Jason Trimmer , 47, of Lander, Wyoming, was sentenced to a total of 180 months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to court documents, in late 2024, agents with the Rocky Mountain Safe Trails Task Force were investigating the trafficking of controlled substances in and around the Wind River Reservation. The task force had information that Trimmer was distributing controlled substances in the area. On April 3, 2024, during a routine traffic stop of Trimmer’s vehicle, officers discovered a variety of controlled substances including more than 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, more than 50 grams of methamphetamine, and cash. Officers also located a handgun in the driver’s side door pocket. Subsequently, law enforcement obtained a warrant and searched Trimmer’s residence where they located additional fentanyl, more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, other controlled substances, firearms, a large quantity of cash, as well as scales and packaging material for redistribution. Trimmer was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb. 27 in Cheyenne. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00118. Elysia Annay Grams , 22, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents, from March 2024 through May 29, 2024, Grams, along with others in Wyoming and Colorado conspired to obtain methamphetamine in Colorado and distribute it in Wyoming. In May, Grams was arrested near Douglas, Wyoming, where she was found in possession of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and a large sum of currency. She was indicted on July 18, 2024, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 2, 2024. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 20 in Cheyenne. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00103. Firearms Offense Rudy Armando Cuellar , 37, of West Valley, Utah, was sentenced to 36 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on June 2, 2023, a trooper with the Wyoming Highway Patrol, stopped Cuellar for driving 93 mph in a 75-mph zone. Cuellar was arrested on an outstanding Laramie County warrant. During an inventory search of the vehicle, officers located a duffle bag containing a firearm, several grams of cocaine, and identifying documents associated with Cuellar. The firearm was later determined to be stolen. In addition, pursuant to a search warrant, officers located another firearm in a bag behind the driver’s seat. Cuellar was a convicted felon at the time of the stop. He was indicted on Nov. 15, 2023, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 26, 2024. U.S. Chief District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on February 19 in Casper, Wyoming. Wyoming Highway Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie R. Morrison prosecuted the case. Case No. 23-00156. Assault Dylan Cameron Houtstra, 32, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, was sentenced to 9 months’ imprisonment with one year of supervised release for assault by striking, beating, or wounding. According to court documents, on June 4, 2021, a security officer for a concessionaire in Grand Teton National Park and U.S. Park Rangers were dispatched to a disturbance in employee housing near Grand Teton Lodge Company. The victim stated that Houtstra was drunk and had grabbed her by the neck and attempted to choke her while she screamed for him to get off. She was able to hold him back and eventually escaped. Multiple witnesses corroborated her story. Houtstra was indicted on July 20, 2022; he pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2024; and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 25 in Casper. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case. Case No. 22-00088 Jose Gabriel Ingellis-Benitez, 36, of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, was sentenced to 20 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for assault by strangulation. According to court documents, on Aug. 5, 2024, a human resources manager for a Grand Teton National Park concessionaire contacted U.S. Park Rangers regarding an assault by strangulation that occurred in employee housing near Signal Mountain Lodge. The victim stated she had an argument with the defendant the night before and, during the argument, he strangled her. She recorded the strangulation using her cell phone and submitted it to the Rangers. Ingellis-Benitez was indicted on Sept. 18, 2024, he pleaded guilty on Dec. 4, 2024, and Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 25 in Casper. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted the case. Case No. 22-00149 Illegal Reentry of a Previously Deported Alien Luis Lopez-Romero, 38, of Guanajuato, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on Oct. 2, 2022, Lopez-Romero was arrested by the Jackson Police Department for three charges of duty upon colliding with an unattended vehicle. In February 2025, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) determined that Lopez-Romero had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in August 2013. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb. 21 in Cheyenne. Case No. 24-CR-00143. About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Assistance The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: Putnam County Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Dean E. Dawson, 65, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to one count of willful failure to pay over employment taxes on behalf of his business. According to court documents and statements made in court, Dawson operated RPC Group LLC, a Hurricane, West Virginia, real estate appraisal business. Dawson was responsible for withholding employment taxes from RPC Group’s employees and paying over those funds to the IRS. Between 2015 and 2022, however, Dawson willfully failed to pay over to the IRS the employment taxes withheld from his employees’ paychecks. He also used the RPC Group’s business accounts to pay for personal expenses, including personal credit cards and his wife’s home mortgage, and issued checks to his wife from RPC Group even though she was not an employee of the business. In addition, from 2018 to 2023, Dawson did not file personal tax returns or pay income taxes. In total, Dawson caused a tax loss to the IRS exceeding $250,000. Dawson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Dawson also owes restitution in an amount to be determined by the Court. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) is investigating the case. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Trial Attorneys Brian E. Flanagan and Rebecca A. Caruso of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan T. Storage for the Southern District of West Virginia 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. 3:24-cr-120. ###


title: Dominican National Pleads Guilty To Multi-Year Conspiracy To Traffic Cocaine Into The United States

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Elyn Carpio-Pena (47, Dominican Republic) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. Carpio-Pena faces a minimum of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court documents, between October 2014 and May 2019, while residing in Mexico, Carpio-Pena served as an intermediary between drug suppliers in Mexico and wholesale narcotics purchasers in the United States, connecting the sellers and buyers and receiving a commission for each kilogram of cocaine purchased in the United States. Carpio-Pena also arranged for the drug proceeds to be laundered. In May 2019, Carpio-Pena moved from Mexico to the La Guajira area of Colombia. While there, he organized the maritime smuggling of cocaine from Colombia to the Dominican Republic with the ultimate destination often being the United States. Not only did Carpio-Pena serve as the intermediary between the cocaine buyers and cocaine owners, but he also arranged, organized, and coordinated the maritime cocaine shipments from Colombia to the Dominican Republic. Carpio-Pena was responsible for no fewer than 20 maritime cocaine shipments during his time living in Colombia, totaling at least 5,000 kilograms. Two of these cocaine shipments were interdicted and seized in Puerto Rico. In October 2021, Carpio-Pena left Colombia and returned home to the Dominican Republic where he continued to coordinate drug shipments. For the next three months, until January 2022, he received cocaine from Colombia via maritime vessel over the Caribbean Ocean no fewer than three times, totaling approximately 900 kilograms. The ultimate destination for this cocaine was often the United States. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations involved in large scale drug trafficking, money laundering, and related activities. The OCDETF Panama Express Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Pardo.


title: Baldwin County Man Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of a 9-year-old Child

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Baldwin County man has been sentenced on a charge of attempted sex trafficking of a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank. U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced William Guy Long, 47, of Bay Minette, Alabama, to 276 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Long was also ordered to pay $5,000 under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015. In October, Long pleaded guilty to the charge. According to the plea agreement, Long arranged a date with an escort and then offered the escort $500 if she would bring an underage girl to have sex with him. Long said he wanted someone 10-years-old or younger. The escort told Long that she had a nine-year-old daughter. Long said that he preferred younger, “like 4 or 5” but he would pay $800 if she would check her nine-year-old out of school that day and bring her to him. An arrangement was made, but instead of getting the child, the escort contacted law enforcement. Long’s abhorrent request was corroborated through text messages. ICE agents, along with the Hoover and Pelham Police Departments, conducted surveillance at the hotel. When Long opened the door to his hotel room expecting to see the child with whom he planned to have sex, he instead was met by law enforcement. Long admitted that he communicated with an escort for the purpose of soliciting a minor child for an unlawful sex act. With Long’s consent, agents seized and searched his cell phone. A review of Long’s messages revealed his correspondence with another individual whom he told, “get me a young one”—“the younger you find the more money I’ll pay FYI.” ICE investigated the case along with the Pelham Police Department and Hoover Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case. Child sex trafficking is a serious issue. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received more than 27,800 reports of possible child sex trafficking in 2024. This signifies more than a 30% increase since 2023. See https://www.missingkids.org/ for further information. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 gave the Department of Justice more tools to address human trafficking. One tool was creating a mandatory $5,000 special assessment that applies to non-indigent defendants for each count of conviction of certain offenses. The revenue generated from this special assessment is used to support programs to provide services to victims of human trafficking and other offenses.


title: Lake County Man Pleads Guilty In Federal Firearms Trafficking Investigation

body_text: Ocala, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Jose G. Medina (49, Leesburg) has pleaded guilty to three counts of knowingly making a materially false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm and three counts of causing a Federal Firearm Licensee (FFL) to maintain false information in its official records. Medina faces up to 10 years in federal prison for each false statement offense and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for each record-keeping offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to court records, between January 1 and December 31, 2023, Medina straw-purchased multiple firearms for other individuals. Some of these firearms were intercepted by the United States Custom and Border Patrol (CBP) as other individuals attempted to transport them across the border into Mexico. On May 27, 2023, an individual was encountered by CBP as he tried to make entry into Mexico at the Eagle Pass (Texas) Port of Entry. He was attempting to bring 10 handguns, 9 rifles, 7 shotguns, 20 ammunition magazines, and large amounts of assorted ammunition into Mexico. The individual stated that he was traveling from Orlando to San Diego de la Union, Guanajuato, Mexico. Medina had purchased one of these recovered firearms nine days earlier. Firearms and ammunition seized at the U.S. border on May 27, 2023. On November 17, 2023, CBP officers stopped another individual at the Eagle Pass (Texas) Port of Entry who also was attempting to bring five firearms into Mexico. Medina had purchased two of these firearms less than two weeks earlier. A record check by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) showed that between January 1 and December 31, 2023, Medina had purchased 82 firearms for a total of $42,085.61—an amount that exceeded his reported annual income. The investigation also revealed that another firearm purchased by an associate of Medina had recently been recovered and electronically traced by Mexican law enforcement using ATF’s e-Trace system. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Eustis Police Department, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. 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: New Haven Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Gun While on Federal Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ELBERT LLORRENS, 32, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 1, 2024, Llorrens possessed a loaded Smith & Wesson, model SD40 VE, .40 caliber pistol. In March 2017, Llorrens was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 60 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for committing multiple carjackings and armed robberies, and he was on federal supervised release when he possessed the firearm. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Unlawful possession of a firearm carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Llorrens is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. Llorrens has been detained since March 1, 2024. This matter has been investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the New Haven Police Department, and the West Haven Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Thibodaux Social Worker Sentenced to 30 Months for Healthcare Fraud

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that JOHN CHRISTOPHER BARRILLEAUX (“BARRILLEAUX”) , age 64, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 27, 2025 to 30 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty to healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347. According to court documents, from 2008 through 2024, BARRILLEAUX submitted false claims to private insurance companies for millions of dollars of healthcare services that were not actually provided. To hide the fraud, BARRILLEAUX created fake patient notes and submitted them to the insurance companies to support his bills. United States District Judge Barry Ashe sentenced BARRILLEAUX to 30 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. BARRILLEAUX was also ordered to pay $4,592,650 in restitution to the victim companies, as well as a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. Acting U.S Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Fraud Coordinator, and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters, of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former small business office manager sentenced to 4+ years in federal prison for embezzlement, identity theft

body_text: EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a Collinsville woman to 51 months’ imprisonment after she embezzled more than $158,000 and stole the identity of a coworker while employed by AMK Heating and Cooling in Edwardsville. Angela L. Cooper, 47, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and three counts of tax fraud. In addition to imprisonment, the judge ordered her to pay $168,536.12 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office aggressively prosecutes identity theft because the crime causes so much harm. Its victims suffer not only drained bank accounts, but they also endure sleepless nights, and it can sometimes take years to undo the damage,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud of our partnership with IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI, and we will continue to hold those who harm small businesses accountable.” According to court documents, Cooper served as the office manager for AMK and had access to the company’s checkbook and accounting software. Using these tools, Cooper fraudulently wrote more than 100 checks payable to herself and forged the signature of the business’s owner. Cooper tried to conceal her fraud by disguising the checks as payroll and loans to her from AMK. Over a two-year period, Cooper embezzled $158,658.41 from AMK. “By nature, greed continues to grow if left unchecked. For two years, Angela Cooper found multiple ways to steal from her employer. Cooper’s greed even extended to a coworker,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “The FBI is proud to work alongside our IRS law enforcement partners to thwart corporate fraud and ensure justice for victims.” While employed by AMK, Cooper also had access to employee files and personal information like birthdates and social security numbers. Cooper used a coworker’s information to apply for and fraudulently obtain a Discover credit card. Cooper maxed out the credit card, accruing $9,877.71 in charges on the card in a matter of weeks. In doing so, she committed bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, which carried a mandatory two year minimum sentence. “Ms. Cooper broke the trust of her employer by embezzling well over $100,000 from them in her role as a bookkeeper,” said Special Agent in Charge Bill Steenson, IRS Criminal Investigation’s St. Louis Field Office. “The crime was compounded when she failed to report the stolen funds as income on her tax returns. All income is taxable, even stolen income and this sentence helps drive that point home.” Finally, Cooper failed to report the additional income in her 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax returns to the IRS. Although fraudulently obtained, the income was required to be reported on her tax returns. Her omission of the additional income caused a tax loss of over $35,000 to the IRS. IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Springfield Field Office contributed to the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Gross prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Gun Control Act Violaton

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that CHRISTOPHER PERTUIT ( “ PERTUIT ”), age 50, of New Orleans, was sentenced after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). The Honorable Carl J. Barbier, U.S. District Court Judge, sentenced PERTUIT to 63 months imprisonment, three years supervised release and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. 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. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Irene González of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Three Wanted Defendants from Mexico Secured in Arizona

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Jose Bibiano Cabrera-Cabrera, 37; Jesus Humberto Limon-Lopez, 43; and Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero, 53; all of Mexico, appeared last week for their initial appearances after they were secured from Mexico on February 27, 2025. The defendants taken into U.S. custody include leaders and managers of drug cartels recently designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists, such as the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Cártel del Noreste (formerly Los Zetas), La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and Cártel de Golfo (Gulf Cartel). These defendants are collectively alleged to have been responsible for the importation into the United States of massive quantities of poison, including cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin, as well as associated acts of violence. Tapia-Quintero is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Conspiracy to Commit Promotional Money Laundering; Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering; and Aiding and Abetting. He is facing up to life imprisonment. Limon-Lopez is charged with Continuing Criminal Enterprise; Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Distribution of Methamphetamine; Distribution of Fentanyl; Distribution of Heroin; Distribution of Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment. Cabrera-Cabrera is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; Conspiracy to Import Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine; and Conspiracy to Unlawfully Export Firearms and Ammunition. He faces up to life imprisonment. An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The OCDETF Arizona Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Arizona Army National Guard, the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Scottsdale Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by the United States Attorney Office for the District of Arizona. CASE NUMBER: CR-13-00179-PHX-SRB CR-21-01864-TUC-SHR RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-030_Cabrera-Cabrera # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Colombian National Sentenced to Prison and Another Pleads Guilty for Roles in Conspiracy to Kidnap and Assault U.S. Army Soldiers in Colombia

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Colombian national was sentenced and another pleaded guilty in separate hearings today in the Southern District of Florida for their respective roles in kidnapping and assaulting two members of the U.S. military who were on temporary duty in Bogotá, Colombia. Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, 47, was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison. Silva Ochoa pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person. Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Protecting Americans, wherever they may be throughout the world, is of paramount importance, and the United States will use every available tool to bring to justice those who harm our citizens,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In particular, kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. military service members will not go unanswered, and we will hold to account anyone who commits these violent acts against those who protect us.” “Members of our military, whether serving here or abroad, can count on this Department of Justice’s respect, support, and protection,” said U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Kidnappings and assaults against U.S. service members will not be tolerated. To those who would dare commit such reprehensible acts against America’s heroes, know this: We will identify you; we will find you; and we will prosecute you as aggressively as the law permits.” “The FBI’s commitment to investigate criminal acts against the U.S. military beyond our borders is clearly demonstrated by our persistent pursuit of justice for the two kidnapped soldiers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “Our close cooperation with Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities was essential to this international investigation’s success. To all would be kidnappers the message is clear: target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world and we will hold you accountable for your actions." According to court documents, Silva Ochoa and Uribe Chiran, both of Bogotá, and their co-defendant, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogotá. The two victims, while serving on orders in Colombia, went to an entertainment district in Bogotá to watch a soccer game on the evening of March 5, 2020. They eventually went to a pub, where they lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated. Medical examinations later confirmed the presence of benzodiazepines in the two victims. The defendants targeted the two victims at the pub, incapacitated them with drugs, and kidnapped them to acquire the victims’ valuables and credit and debit card information. Silva Ochoa and Arango Castellanos used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. Silva Ochoa was extradited in April 2024 from Chile to the United States. Uribe Chiran was extradited in September 2024 from Colombia to the United States. Co-defendant Arango Castellanos was extradited in May 2023 from Colombia to the United States, pleaded guilty in January 2024, and was sentenced in May 2024 to 48 years and nine months in prison. The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in Bogotá and Santiago, Chile, provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States thanks Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance. Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.


title: Gang Member Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Kidnapping and Drug Conspiracy

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lawrence, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiring to commit kidnapping, smuggling drugs into the Essex County Jail, distributing fentanyl and cocaine and unlawful possession of a firearm. Justin Suriel, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In August 2024, Suriel pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine and Suboxone;, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl; distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Suriel was charged in November 2021 along with 12 others in connection with a large drug conspiracy centering around the Gangster Disciples in Lawrence, Haverhill and Methuen, Mass. The investigation, which began in August 2020, intercepted communications between Gangster Disciples’ leaders, members and drug suppliers pertaining to their alleged distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and Suboxone in Massachusetts, Maine and southern New Hampshire as well as into the Essex County Jail. Calls were intercepted between Suriel and other gang members, who conspired to kidnap and assault a marijuana supplier from Maine. Intercepted phone calls also uncovered Suriel’s cocaine and fentanyl distribution operation, wherein he used gang members to sell drugs throughout the Merrimack Valley area of Massachusetts. The calls also revealed that Suriel offered protection to his cocaine supplier, remarking that he would “shoot bullets” for anyone bothering his drug supplier. During a search of Suriel’s residence a loaded firearm was recovered. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Homeland Security Investigations in Boston; Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; and the Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, Chelmsford and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip C. Cheng of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/PSN .


title: Bristol Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Violent Robbery Spree in 2022

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LONNY CROSS, 46, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 188 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised released, for committing numerous violent robberies across Connecticut in September and October 2022. According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 5 and October 13, 2022, Cross committed 37 robberies and attempted robberies of gas station convenience stores, mini-markets, and liquor stores in North Branford, Waterbury, Wolcott, Plymouth, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, West Haven, Wethersfield, Bristol, Southington, Naugatuck, Watertown, Franklin, Norwich, Waterford, Groton City, Stonington, Ledyard, Darien, Norwalk, Stratford, and Seymour, Connecticut, and Port Chester, New York. In total, Cross stole more than $58,000 in cash. Several of the robberies occurred on the same day, only minutes apart. For many of the robberies, Cross traveled to the store with Rebecca Barbera, who would sometimes enter the store to determine the number of employees and customers in the store, exit the store, and then report that information to Cross. Cross then entered the store, displayed a knife or facsimile firearm while threatening employees with statements including “I know where you work” and “if you call the police I’ll come back and blow your head off,” and stole cash and other items. Cross grabbed some victims and held a knife to them. During a robbery in Wethersfield on September 24, 2022, Cross threatened the 12-year-old son of the store owner with a knife and robbed the register. The boy was alone behind the counter while his father was in a back office when Cross entered the store. On October 14, 2022, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of Cross’s residence and a black 2014 Chevrolet Impala that Cross was known to drive. The search of the residence revealed clothing consistent with clothing worn by Cross in several of the robberies, as well as quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, and narcotics paraphernalia. A search of the car revealed 120 bags heroin, approximately 14 grams of crack, and a knit hat matching the description of one worn by Cross during a robbery the day before. Cross, who was on state parole for prior robbery convictions, was arrested on state charges on that date. The morning after his arrest, from jail, Cross directed Barbera and others to go to a storage unit and dispose of a weapon he had used in the robberies. Cross’s criminal history includes 18 convictions for robbery and other offenses. He engaged in two previous robbery sprees and received state sentences of 10 years of incarceration and 15 years of incarceration, respectively. Cross has been detained since his arrest. On May 21, 2024, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, and one count of Hobbs Act Robbery. Barbera pleaded guilty to a related charge and awaits sentencing. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Connecticut State Police, Orange Police Department, Port Chester (N.Y.) Police Department, and numerous other police departments from the municipalities where the robberies occurred, with the assistance of Connecticut State Parole. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.


title: Clairton Resident Sentenced for Escape from Residential Reentry Center

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to time served of approximately seven months on his conviction of escape, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Jamiel Green, 28. According to information presented to the Court, while serving the last portion of a 37-month term of imprisonment for his conviction for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Green was housed at a residential reentry center designed to assist defendants in their transitions back into society. In early November 2023, the center provided Green with a work release pass, but Green failed to return to the center when required, remaining a fugitive for several months until he was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the U.S. Marshals Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Green.


title: St. Louis County Felon Who Triggered Standoff Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who triggered a law enforcement standoff in St. Louis County to 40 months in prison. Randy Wilkes, 43, pleaded guilty in November to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol on Oct. 5, 2022, by the U.S. Marshals Service and St. Louis County police. Deputy U.S. Marshals and police were at Wilkes’ home in the 10400 block of Gardo Court in Bellefontaine Neighbors to arrest him for outstanding felony warrants stemming from two violent domestic assaults, according to a sentencing memo filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin. Wilkes refused officers’ commands to come to the door and instead hid in the basement, triggering a standoff that lasted more than two hours, the memo says. After escorting multiple children out of the house, law enforcement officers tried to safely locate Wilkes, using a K-9, a robot equipped with a camera and multiple nonlethal pepper balls and gas canisters to avoid approaching Wilkes in a way that would risk their safety, the memo says. Wilkes was arrested after officers forced entry into an exterior basement door. After his release from prison, Wilkes will be on supervised release for three years. The U.S. Marshals Service and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin 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.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Checotah Resident Of Federal Firearm Crime

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Douglas Ray Lollis, Jr., age 31, of Checotah, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury on one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm. The jury trial began with jury selection on Monday, March 3, 2025, and concluded on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, with the guilty verdict. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on December 22, 2022, Lollis pawned a SAR 9mm pistol, which he possessed illegally. At the time of that interaction, Lollis was prohibited from owning firearms after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Lollis will remain out on bond pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.


title: Stratford Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Firearms

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that STEFAN BAGLEY, JR., 23, of Stratford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 84 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 26, 2023, Bagley was shot and wounded while traveling in his vehicle in Bridgeport. Later that day, Bagley’s vehicle was used in another shooting incident in Bridgeport. An investigation revealed that, between October 2022 and October 2023, Bagley purchased more than 20 handguns from licensed firearm dealers and sold the guns to a network of customers, several of whom Bagley knew were prohibited by law from possessing firearms. Bagley typically scratched the serial numbers off of the firearms before providing them to his customers, making the guns more difficult to trace. To date, law enforcement has recovered only five of the firearms that were purchased and trafficked by Bagley. One of the recovered firearms was used in a shooting in Stamford. Bagley was arrested on December 18, 2023. On August 19, 2024, he pleaded guilty to firearm trafficking conspiracy. Bagley, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 5. This matter was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Gresham. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Men Admit Role in Fatal St. Louis Drug Robbery

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – Two men have pleaded guilty to charges connected to the fatal robbery of a drug dealer in St. Louis, Missouri in 2022. Ralph Ruffin, 21, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felony counts: conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, resulting in death. Jamie Gore, 37, pleaded guilty in January to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Both men admitted that on Dec. 10, 2022, Gore contacted the victim seeking drugs and asked him to come to Gore’s mother’s house in the 5900 block of Romaine Place. Gore had recently purchased drugs from the victim, and told the victim that he could obtain two guns in exchange for more drugs. Ruffin and an associate were waiting inside the home and began firing at the victim when Gore led him inside. The victim, who fired shots as well, was fatally shot in the throat. Ruffin and his associate then stole the victim’s gun, cash and fentanyl. Gore admitted aiding Ruffin and others in “numerous” prior drug robberies. Ruffin would give some of the drugs to Gore and sell the rest. Ruffin is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4. Both sides have agreed to recommend 20 years in prison. Gore is scheduled to be sentenced on April 23. He faces at least seven years in prison. The Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoff Ogden is prosecuting the case.


title: Reno Man Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Assaulting Federal Officer During Arrest

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: RENO – A Reno resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Miranda M. Du to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon during the execution of his arrest warrant. According to evidence presented at trial, on February 16, 2022, Matthew John Nason, 39, fired a handgun in the direction of a Deputy United States Marshal while the Deputy was attempting to serve a valid arrest warrant for Nason and his girlfriend at Nason’s residence. Nason had an outstanding arrest warrant for drug and firearms violations out of the District of North Dakota. The 10-year sentence is to run consecutive to the sentence Nason received in the District of North Dakota. In November 2024, following the three-day trial, a jury convicted Nason of assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon. Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Marshal Gary Schofield for the United States Marshals Service made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI, United States Marshals Service, and the Reno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Rachow and Randy St. Clair prosecuted the case. ###


title: Former executive of injured child benefit program sentenced to nine years in prison for stealing over $6.7M

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Providence Forge man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for embezzling funds from his former employer, the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program (Birth-Injury Program). According to court documents, John Hunter Raines, 38, was the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director of the Birth-Injury Program. The Birth-Injury Program pays monetary compensation to families of infants who suffer from brain or spinal cord injuries resulting from the birth process that render the infant developmentally and/or cognitively disabled. Raines’ role required that he oversee the finances of the Birth-Injury Program, including approximately $650 million in investments in 2023. From at least January 2022 through October 2023, Raines stole over $6.7 million from the Birth-Injury Program, including by using his access to the Birth-Injury Program bank account to initiate at least 59 separate wire transactions, sending funds to bank accounts in Raines’ own name. Raines also used the Birth-Injury Program debit card for personal gain. Raines spent embezzled Birth-Injury Program money on various personal expenses. For example: Raines purchased numerous vehicles, including eight luxury golf carts for over $160,000 and a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban; Raines spent over $100,000 on gambling, including at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, Virginia, Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia, and the Virginia Lottery; Raines paid at least $29,000 to an intimate partner and tens of thousands of dollars to a bank account in the name of Raines’ wife; Raines spent over $9,000 on private limousine services, including to chauffer Raines and his guests in a Mercedes limousine from Raines’ house to Virginia vineyards; Raines made numerous purchases of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin, and transferred funds to his brokerage accounts; Raines paid tens of thousands of dollars towards his student loan debt, his mortgage, and other loans; Raines paid over $125,000 for private jet travel for Raines’ friends and family. As an example, Raines paid over $34,000 to travel with his wife and his friends to Nashville, Tennessee, for three days in a private jet; and Raines spent over $19,000 to purchase eight separate 2022 1-oz American Gold Eagle Bullion coins and a 100-oz silver bar. As a financial control on the Birth-Injury Program, Virginia Code § 38.2-5015(B) required an independent certified public accountant selected by the Birth-Injury Program’s board of directors to complete an audit of the program's accounts each fiscal year. Raines deliberately impeded the statutorily mandated audit process by failing to timely provide the Birth-Injury Program’s files to auditors when requested. Due at least in part to Raines’ obstructive conduct, the Birth-Injury Program’s statutorily mandated audits continue to be delayed by over three years. Raines pled guilty to mail fraud and money laundering offenses on Oct. 8, 2024. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; and Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Gibney Jr. accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kashan K. Pathan prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-138.


title: Mexican National Facing Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Mexican national with drug crimes after law enforcement seized fentanyl and heroin from his vehicle during a traffic stop. Miguel Mario Soto De Santiago, 23, of Bluffdale, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on February 20, 2025, and taken into custody. According to court documents, the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) began conducting a criminal investigation into Soto De Santiago and other co-conspirators of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing narcotics throughout the District of Utah and the United States. On February 19, 2025 agents stopped a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee in Juab County that was registered to Soto De Santiago. A K-9 officer positively alerted for the presence of narcotics. Agents seized approximately 5,027 grams (about 11 pounds) of field tested-positive fentanyl and approximately 1,103 grams (over two pounds) of field tested-positive heroin. Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force Soto De Santiago is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 6, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 7.1 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated jointly by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF). The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf. 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: Mexican National Sentenced For Illegally Reentering The United States

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced Monday by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey for being found in the United States after previously being removed from the country. According to court documents, Rodrigo Valdovinos-Hernandez, also known as “Rodrigo Tejada-Valdovinos” and “Rodrigo Valdovinos,” 38, is a citizen of Mexico. He was found by officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 25, 2023, after he was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on state charges. ICE had previously removed him from the country twice – in September 2009 and again in November 2012. After spending about 18 months in federal custody, Valdovinos-Hernandez was sentenced to time served. This is his third felony conviction while unlawfully present in the United States, as he was previously convicted in Eighth Judicial District Court in Clark County, Nevada for Attempt Burglary and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. Valdovinos-Hernandez pleaded guilty to one count of deported alien found in the United States. Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . ###


component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Colombian national was sentenced and another pleaded guilty in separate hearings today in the Southern District of Florida for their respective roles in kidnapping and assaulting two members of the U.S. military who were on temporary duty in Bogotá, Colombia. Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, 47, was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison. Silva Ochoa pleaded guilty in December 2024 to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person. Kenny Julieth Uribe Chiran, 35, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to kidnap an internationally protected person. A sentencing date has not yet been set. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “Members of our military, whether serving here or abroad, can count on this Department of Justice’s respect, support, and protection,” said United States Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida. “Kidnappings and assaults against United States service members will not be tolerated. To those who would dare commit such reprehensible acts against America’s heroes, know this: We will identify you; we will find you; and we will prosecute you as aggressively as the law permits.” “Protecting Americans, wherever they may be throughout the world, is of paramount importance, and the United States will use every available tool to bring to justice those who harm our citizens,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “In particular, kidnapping and assaulting two U.S. military service members will not go unanswered, and we will hold to account anyone who commits these violent acts against those who protect us.” “The FBI’s commitment to investigate criminal acts against the U.S. military beyond our borders is clearly demonstrated by our persistent pursuit of justice for the two kidnapped soldiers,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “Our close cooperation with Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities was essential to this international investigation’s success. To all would be kidnappers the message is clear: target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world and we will hold you accountable for your actions." According to court documents, Silva Ochoa and Uribe Chiran, both of Bogotá, and their co-defendant, Jeffersson Arango Castellanos, targeted, incapacitated, and kidnapped two U.S. soldiers in Bogotá. The two victims, while serving on orders in Colombia, went to an entertainment district in Bogotá to watch a soccer game on the evening of March 5, 2020. They eventually went to a pub, where they lost consciousness until the following day, by which point they had been separated. Medical examinations later confirmed the presence of benzodiazepines in the two victims. The defendants targeted the two victims at the pub, incapacitated them with drugs, and kidnapped them to acquire the victims’ valuables and credit and debit card information. Silva Ochoa and Arango Castellanos used one victim’s credit card and the other victim’s debit card to make purchases and withdraw money. Silva Ochoa was extradited in April 2024 from Chile to the United States. Uribe Chiran was extradited in September 2024 from Colombia to the United States. Co-defendant Arango Castellanos was extradited in May 2023 from Colombia to the United States, pleaded guilty in January 2024, and was sentenced in May 2024 to 48 years and nine months in prison. The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in Bogotá and Santiago, Chile, provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States thanks Colombian and Chilean law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor and Elizabeth Nielsen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. 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 23-cr-20173. ###


title: McAllen resident sentenced to 25 years for using communication app to entice minor

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 28-year-old man has been sent to prison for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. James Christopher Ruiz pleaded guilty Sept. 10, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Ruiz to serve 300 months in prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including testimony from the victim’s mother detailing significant trauma the victim is dealing with and how this crime has negatively impacted not just the her, but everyone in her family. After handing down the sentence, the court addressed the victim and informed her there was nothing wrong with or bad about her and she did not bring this upon herself. The court explained that all the blame lies with the Ruiz who will also serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that 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. In August 2023, law enforcement learned Ruiz had been communicating with a 12-year-old minor online. The investigation revealed he had been chatting with the victim from June to July 2022 via Discord. “People like the defendant can make the internet a dangerous place for children,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, law enforcement was able to discover and arrest Mr. Ruiz, bringing an end to his predatory online behavior.” Ruiz knew the minor victim was only 12 years of age. During their conversations, Ruiz sent sexually explicit photos and videos to the minor and enticed the victim to send nude images of her breasts and genitals on multiple occasions. He also explained what masturbating was and persuaded her to send videos of her doing so. Ruiz admitted to communicating with other minors via Discord and virtual reality. He said he would tell the minor females to send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves and instructed them on what to do. Ruiz has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the New Castle County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Alexis Garcia prosecuted the case, which was brought 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: Leader of organization who smuggled aliens through Corpus Christi sent to prison and ordered to forfeit $1 million

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 39-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to prison following his conviction for transporting illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Marvin Reyes pleaded guilty May 30, 2024. U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered him to serve 108 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including how the conspiracy had stretched over three years with over 200 aliens transported. In handing down the prison term, the court commented that over 200 people could have been hurt or killed because of the Reyes’ actions, and that he was responsible as the leader. The court also took note of the funds received as a result of the criminal activity and imposed a $1 million money judgement. “Thanks to the teamwork of our office’s Corpus Christi prosecutors and their law enforcement partners, the leader of an alien smuggling ring has been put out of action,” said Ganjei. “Successful interdiction of illegal alien smuggling at the border or at interior checkpoints benefits the nation as a whole. The Southern District of Texas is proud to do its part to support a secure border.” In July 2021, law enforcement discovered a human smuggling organization based out of Houston that Reyes led. Numerous individuals had been attempting to smuggle illegal aliens further into the United States. The investigation revealed Reyes and others were coordinating the movement of illegal aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoints located near Sarita and Falfurrias as well as by airplane. Reyes also arranged private flights for illegal aliens from Weslaco to Houston. Bank records showed Reyes received at least $1 million in proceeds from the human smuggling activities. Reyes will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman and Tyler Foster prosecuted the case.


title: Montgomery Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison Following Federal Drug and Gun Convictions

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: Montgomery, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Montgomery, Alabama man following his convictions on federal drug and gun charges. On March 4, 2025, 23-year-old Arthur Varcea Colvin, received a sentence of 96 months in prison. Following his prison sentence, Colvin will serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to his indictment and other court records, on February 1, 2023, officers with the Montgomery Police Department observed the driver of a vehicle commit a traffic violation and conducted a traffic stop. Occupants of the vehicle included Colvin in the front passenger’s seat, 28-year-old Le’Anthony Washington in the driver’s seat, and another passenger in the rear seat. Officers developed a suspicion that the vehicle contained illegal narcotics and requested the three occupants exit the vehicle. During a search, law enforcement found three firearms, including a .40 caliber handgun under the driver’s seat, an AR-15 pistol under the front passenger’s seat, and a 9mm handgun on the back floorboard. Investigators also found over 400 grams of marijuana in the trunk. In addition, officers found a handgun and a small amount of marijuana on Colvin’s person. On October 28, 2024, Colvin pleaded guilty to possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Washington has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. In October of last year, Washington pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Washington received a sentence of 35 months in federal prison on January 31, 2025. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Michelle R. Turner prosecuted.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Leonard Samiia, 32, of Wapakoneta, Ohio, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release, for production of child pornography. Samiia must register as a sex offender. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about February 20, 2023, Samiia employed, used, persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor victim residing within the Southern District of West Virginia to send images of her nude vagina to him through the internet using an instant messaging service. Samiia also sent the images back to the minor victim using the messaging service. Samiia admitted that he sent a series of messages to the minor victim, directing her to make specific poses and take specific actions for these images. Samiia further admitted that he threatened the minor victim with the images she sent him, including by messaging her “(h)ave fun with these pics being posted now,” “being posted all over Facebook google snapchat twitch and everywhere,” and “THEY WILL BE POSTED ON YOUR SCHOOL WEBSITE TOO.” In one message, Samiia threatened to travel to where the minor victim lived and physically harm her and her family. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer Rada Herrald and Holly Wilson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . 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-18. ###


title: Okmulgee Couple Sentenced For Child Abuse And Child Neglect

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John Ray Collins Jr., age 49, and Tambara Lorene Collins, age 38, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, appeared in United States District Court for sentencing. John Ray Collins Jr. was sentenced to 240 months in prison for one count of Attempted Murder, and 360 months each on two counts of Child Abuse, and 360 months for one count of Child Neglect. The terms of imprisonment will run concurrently for a total of 30 years imprisonment, to be followed by a five year term of supervised release. Tambara Lorene Collins, age 38, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 216 months in prison per count on two counts of Child Abuse, and 216 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect. The terms of imprisonment will run concurrently for a total of 18 years imprisonment, to be followed by a five year term of supervised release. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police. On November 17, 2023, a federal jury convicted John Collins at trial of all counts. On October 24, 2023, Tambara Collins entered a guilty plea to two counts of child abuse and one count of child neglect. According to investigators, between January 1, 2023, and June 12, 2023, John and Tambara Collins repeatedly abused and failed to protect two children in their care. The children sustained bruising and abrasions to the face, ears, back, legs, and feet. In mid-June, John Collins escalated his abuse, beating one of the children with a pipe. The child was then denied food, water, medical care, and sanitary living conditions. The child suffered head lacerations, internal bleeding, a broken arm, broken fingers, and traumatic skeletal muscle deterioration before rescuers were able to remove the children from the Collins residence. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “The suffering these innocent children endured at the hands of two people who were supposed to love and care for them is horrific and unconscionable,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “The FBI is proud to have been part of the investigative team that helped put John and Tambara Collins behind prison bars where they undoubtedly belong.” “The defendants subjected children in their care to unthinkable abuse and neglect, and I am thankful for the collaborative work of county, tribal, and federal investigators and federal prosecutors in securing convictions and significant sentences in this case,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Sarah McAmis represented the United States.


title: Former U.S. Postal Service Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for His Involvement in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: MONROE, La. – Willie Shanderek Shavon Woodard , 23, of Monroe, Louisiana, has been sentenced for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, announced Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook. Woodard, a former U.S. Postal Service employee, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 108 months (9 years) in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. The charges in this case stem from an investigation by law enforcement agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”) into suspicious packages being sent through the U.S. Mail to addresses in Monroe. On October 27, 2022, agents intercepted two suspicious packages that were destined for two residences in Monroe from California. Search warrants were obtained for both packages and agents recovered five one-pound packages in each parcel which was determined to be a total of ten pounds of methamphetamine. One of the packages was addressed to a residence in Monroe which was an abandoned house on Woodard’s mail route. In August of 2023, USPIS agents intercepted another package destined for the same abandoned house in Monroe on Woodard’s mail route. A search warrant was obtained for the second package and inside was approximately 2.2 pounds of marijuana. Agents removed the controlled substance and placed the package back into the normal mail stream to the address. On August 28, 2023, agents observed Woodard meet one of his co-defendants and place the same package in the trunk of the vehicle being driven by his co-defendant. Soon after, a traffic stop was conducted of the vehicle and law enforcement officers found the package in the trunk of the vehicle, as well as a Glock 19 pistol under the driver’s seat. Woodard and his co-defendant were both subsequently arrested. Through their investigation, agents found numerous messages between Woodard and other co-defendants notifying them of the address where the suspicious package had been sent in Monroe. In addition, there were numerous messages from Woodard to his co-defendants wherein he provided addresses of houses on his mail route. Agents learned that several packages had been sent from the same address in California to those addresses in Monroe on numerous occasions. Woodard was charged and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Louisiana State Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford and Special Assistant United States Attorney Catherine Semmes. # # #


title: Mexican national sentenced for possession of child sexual assault material

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 26-year-old citizen of Mexico has been ordered to federal prison following his conviction of possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Ezequiel Vallejo-Hernandez pleaded guilty Feb. 12, 2024. U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered him to serve 78 months in federal prison. Vallejo-Hernandez was further ordered to pay $57,500 in restitution to various victims and will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that 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. On Sept. 16, 2023, Vallejo-Hernandez attempted to enter the United States through the Gateway International Port of Entry, at which time authorities referred him to secondary inspection. At that time, they noticed that Vallejo-Hernandez had a “lookout” placed on him based on a Cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Law enforcement conducted a basic search of his cell phone which led to the discovery of child sexual assault material (CSAM) on the device. “Since its founding, the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood (PSC) has allowed prosecutors and law enforcement to uncover and prosecute those that prey on children online. This case is a textbook example on how PSC is making the internet safer for children,” said Ganjei. A forensic analysis resulted in the discovery of a total of 557 CSAM files within his MEGA application - a cloud-based storage application – on his phone. Vallejo-Hernandez admitted to downloading the CSAM files to his cell phone and acknowledged it was a crime to be in possession of that material. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of 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 link on that page.


title: Fort Hall Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Robbery at Knifepoint

body_text: POCATELLO – Malik Marin Ish, 23, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott announced today. Chief U.S. District Court Judge David C. Nye sentenced Ish on March 3, 2025, to 54.5 months in federal prison in addition to the 8.5 months of tribal jail time, which Ish served leading up to his sentencing. According to court records, on February 19, 2024, Ish approached a man getting gasoline in his Jeep Cherokee at a gas station in Fort Hall and demanded the man’s vehicle at knifepoint. The man and Ish struggled for a time and Ish tried to stab him. Ish took the Jeep and crashed it a short distance away. Fort Hall Police officers located Ish later that day and recognized Ish as the robbery suspect, based on the unique red clothing he was wearing. Police officers also obtained video surveillance from the gas station, which showed Ish as the robber. Chief Judge Nye also ordered Ish to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Ish pleaded guilty to the charge in December 2024. Ish will also concurrently serve 21 months for a supervised release violation from an earlier conviction. Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Fort Hall Police Department for their joint investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock prosecuted this case. ###


title: FUGITIVE FIREARMS TRAFFICKER CAPTURED IN MEXICO AS PART OF OPERATION RIPSAW

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced the arrest of fugitive Roland Munoz (age: 44), who was wanted for trafficking firearms from the United States to a Mexican cartel. On September 21, 2021, along with five other defendants, Munoz was charged in a 12-count indictment with violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 371 (conspiracy to violate the laws of the United States), 554 (smuggling goods from the United States), 922(a)(6), and 924(a)(2) (straw purchasing firearms), and 22 U.S.C. §§ 2778(b)(2) and 2778(c) and 22 C.F.R. §§ 121.1 and 127.1 (violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations). In turn, the indictment was the result of a yearslong investigation called “Operation Ripsaw”and led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). The indictment charges a complex conspiracy to smuggle high-powered firearms from the United States to Mexico. According to court filings, Munoz led this conspiracy by recruiting straw purchasers of firearms in Wisconsin and other states, organizing couriers to transport those firearms and money across the nation, and arranging for smugglers to take the firearms across the border in Texas and provide them to a cartel in Mexico. The conspirators purchased and attempted to smuggle over 25 firearms. According to court records, many of those firearms were later recovered in Mexico, including a .50 caliber rifle which was recovered on December 12, 2020, after Mexican law enforcement authorities engaged a group of armed members of Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a Mexican transnational criminal organization. Munoz’s arrest was made in coordination with officials in Mexico and is the result of collaboration between the United States Marshals Service, ATF, and HSI. If convicted of these offenses, Munoz faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and up to a $1 million fine. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. As noted above, ATF and HSI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Philip T. Kovoor and Christopher Ladwig will prosecute the case in the United States District Court in Green Bay. An indictment is only a charge and not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Mexican National with Vehicular Homicide Conviction in Federal Custody for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: WACO, Texas – A Mexican national was transferred into federal custody in Waco on criminal charges related to his alleged illegal re-entry. According to court documents, Arturo Olalde-Velazquez, 40, was booked in the Falls County jail in December 2024 for driving while intoxicated, unlawful carrying a weapon, and possession of a controlled substance. Olalde-Velazquez had been previously removed in December 2019 after being convicted in Louisiana for a 2016 vehicular homicide. Olalde-Velazquez is charged with one count of illegal re-entry. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Gloff is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Salem Man Faces Federal Charge for Illegally Possessing Molotov Cocktails

body_text: A Salem, Oregon man was arraigned in federal court today for possessing Molotov cocktails while attempting to destroy property at a Salem car dealership. Adam Matthew Lansky, 41, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegally possessing an unregistered destructive device. According to court documents, on January 20, 2025, officers from the Salem Police Department responded to a report of an individual throwing Molotov cocktails at a local car dealership. Later, on February 19, 2025, officers returned to the same dealership after a report of damage from what appeared to be bullets fired into a building and vehicle. Investigators soon linked Lansky to both incidents. Surveillance footage obtained from the car dealership appeared to show Lansky throwing Molotov cocktails that struck a dealership building and several vehicles, causing fires. Surveillance video from a patrol car captured a vehicle parked near the dealership while Lansky is alleged to have discharged multiple firearm rounds into a building and at least one vehicle. Investigators learned the vehicle was registered to Lansky and observed it at his residence. Lansky was arrested Tuesday without incident in Salem and made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings. The case is being investigated by the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Salem Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Parakram Singh, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: California man sentenced to prison for scheme to smuggle Indian citizens into the U.S.

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle –A Santa Rosa, California resident, who is a citizen of India, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six months in prison for Conspiracy to Bring in and Transport Certain Aliens for Profit, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Sushil Kumar, 35, and three others were indicted in connection with a scheme to smuggle non-citizens across the northern border for profit. The group was connected to two smuggling episodes in November and December 2023. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin noted that those smuggled into the country are vulnerable. “That they wanted to be in the country doesn’t mean they were not exploited. Each was charged $5,000 to $10,000 which is months or years of their salary in the country from which they were coming… Human smuggling undermines our country’s ability to regulate the border at a real cost,” Judge Lin said. According to records filed in the case, the two smuggling events involved eight different citizens of India. On November 27, 2023, a motion-activated camera caught multiple people jumping a fence near the Boundary Village Apartments in Blaine, Washington. The fence is a quarter mile east of Peace Arch Park. Border Patrol agents near the apartments saw five people run to a white minivan. The vehicle was stopped by Border Patrol. Five citizens of India were in the van with California resident Bobby Joe Green, 68, as the driver. When questioned, three of the non-citizens told U.S. Border Patrol agents that they saw Mr. Kumar at Peace Arch Park prior to crossing the border illegally and identified him in 6-pack photo lineups. Two of the non-citizens stated that they communicated with Mr. Kumar via WhatsApp prior to November 27, 2023. One of the non-citizens stated that Mr. Kumar instructed him to jump over a specific fence, and that he sent the non-citizen a screenshot of his live location near the fence. The investigation revealed that Kumar and 26-year-old Rajat Rajat directed the non-citizens on where and how to cross the border. Rajat paid Green to transport the non-citizens from the border. Rajat asked for monetary payments from the non-citizens for being smuggled into the U.S. Similarly, in December 2023, Rajat met three citizens of India in Peace Arch Park and allegedly directed them how to cross through the park and get into a car driven by Sneha. The car was stopped, and the non-citizens were interviewed. They indicated they had promised to make monetary payments to be smuggled into the U.S. Rajat was picked up near the border after Sneha and the three Indian nationals had been taken into custody. In asking for an eight-month prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Smuggling of non-citizens is a dangerous scheme that profits from exploiting vulnerable individuals while undermining the United States’ ability to regulate its borders and exposing our nation to potential security threats. Mr. Kumar admits that he knowingly and intentionally conspired with his co-defendants to smuggle and transport non-citizens with no lawful right to enter or remain in the United States, and that he engaged in these acts for his own financial gain.” Three of the four defendants have pleaded guilty. Rajat Rajat, will be sentenced on April 23, 2025. Bobby Joe Green will be sentenced on March 13, 2025. The fourth defendant Sneha, 20, a citizen of India who is in the U.S. on a student visa and goes by just her last name, is scheduled to go to trial on a superseding indictment on May 12, 2025. Sneha was arrested in Renton and released on an appearance bond. The charges contained in the superseding indictment of Sneha are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) and the U.S. Border Patrol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jin Kim and Mike Dion and Special Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Collins.