title: Ghanaian national sentenced to prison for two years for $1M romance scam

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Ghanaian national was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, from no later than March 2022 until at least July 2022, Emmanuel Gyasi, 29, and his co-conspirators ran a “romance scam” to induce a victim to send money by wire transfers. The conspirators created a fictitious profile on an online dating platform under the name “Jessica Morris” and used the profile to connect and begin a romantic relationship with the victim. The conspirators, pretending to be Morris, told the victim that Morris” had inherited gold bars worth $12 million and that Morris needed money to pay for various fees related to the sale of the gold bars. The conspirators then introduced the victim to a second fictitious persona, “Steven Baggett,” who was supposedly Morris’ lawyer. The conspirators promised that, if the victim would lend money to pay for the fees related to the sale of the gold bars, Morris would repay the victim with interest. Gyasi opened and controlled a bank account to which the conspirators directed the victim to transfer the money. Based on the conspirators’ false promises, the victim sent a total of approximately $1.1 million. Though the victim was able to recall some of the transferred funds, Gyasi and his co-conspirators received over $750,000.00 from the victim. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey 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. 1:25-cr-280.


title: Manitowoc Resident Indicted for Transportation of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 3, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Zachariah R. Breihof (Age: 27) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for transportation of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(1). The indictment alleges that in January 2025, Breihof “did knowingly transport and ship in interstate commerce … a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” If convicted of the offense, Breihof faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum $250,000 fine, and from 5 years to a lifetime on supervised release. This case was investigated by the City of Manitowoc Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. An indictment is only a charge and is 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. 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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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.projectsafechildhood.gov. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Former Houston Educator Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A former Houston Independent School District teacher’s aide was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio on Wednesday to 24 months in prison for her role in a drug trafficking organization, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, Tonya Vonci Middleton-Harris, 57, of Houston, conspired in June 2021 to traffic 992.4 grams of 100% methamphetamine and 526 grams of cocaine. Texas Department of Public Safety agents conducted a traffic stop on Middleton-Harris after she was observed receiving two bags of narcotics from drug trafficker, Terry Clay. Clay was also arrested after being found to possess $11,213 in U.S. currency and a pill bottle containing 11.2 grams of oxycodone pills. Middleton-Harris pleaded guilty on Oct. 8, 2024, to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The following co-defendants have already been sentenced in this case: Timothy Bland, 235 months in federal prison Crandall Jones, 63 months in federal prison Luis Tovias, 132 months in federal prison Valerie Nichole Garcia, 84 months in federal prison Pamela Felita Breeding, 140 months in federal prison John Russup, 144 months in federal prison Dana Harrington, 40 months in federal prison Michelle Katherine Bilskey, sentenced to time served (1,050 days) The sentence hearing for Clay is set for March 11. U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam presides over the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Gonzales County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Spears prosecuted the case. ###


title: Richland County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

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

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Arthur Ryans, Jr., 42, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested Ryans at a local motel for his involvement in a shooting incident. During the arrest, Springdale Police officers acquired a search warrant for the motel room where Ryans was staying at the time of his arrest. During a search of the room, officers located a loaded 9mm pistol in a gym bad. Officers also located multiple plastic baggies containing a purple powder, plastic baggies containing a crystal substance, a digital scale, and multiple plastic baggies consistent with narcotics packaging material. Through ballistics testing, investigators confirmed that the firearm was used in the prior shooting. Ryans was prohibited from possessing a firearm based upon a prior conviction for assault with intent to kill. United States District Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Ryans to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin 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. This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and Springdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case. ###


title: March Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Saul Flores-Sanchez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Flores-Sanchez, 27, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in November 2017 and January 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-072 Ashley Lineth Godoy Lopez; Angel Gabriel Malvaez Alvarez. Drug Conspiracy. Godoy Lopez, 22, a Honduran national, and Malvaez Alvarez, 21, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring together and with others to distribute fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-073 Luis Alberto Lopez-Quiroz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez-Quiroz, 45, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2010. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-074 Christopher Joel Velasco. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 1, 3, and 5); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 2, 4, and 6). Velasco, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with three separate minor children under the age of 12. Additionally, Velasco is charged with knowingly causing sexual contact with three minor children under 12-years-old. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-077 Rodrigo Yepez-Balderas; Ana Fabiola Solis-Padilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise (Counts 3 and 4). Yepez-Balderas, 30, of Tulsa, and Solis-Padilla, 39, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from August 2025 through February 2026. Solis-Padilla is additionally charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lastly, both are charged with maintaining residences for drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-071


title: Tampa Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in an Overdose Death

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Brandon Lewis Graham (44, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to 20 years in federal prison for distribution of a substance that contained cocaine and fentanyl that was used and resulted in death. Graham pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, on March 30, 2022, a man and a woman bought a substance from Graham at a location in Riverview. They went to the woman’s home and used the substance, which they believed to be cocaine. The next morning, the man found the woman in her bed. She was unresponsive and appeared to be deceased. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a 911 call and found the deceased victim. Investigators also found a clear plastic baggie under the victim’s bra. The baggie contained a substance that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Department conducted an autopsy and determined that the cause of the victim’s death was intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol. Based on witness interviews, surveillance videos, and evidence from the victim’s cellphone, HCSO detectives determined that Graham, known to the victim as “Homie Boog,” sold the cocaine and fentanyl mixture to the victim. When Graham was arrested on August 3, 2022, he was found in possession of two plastic bags that contained fentanyl and three bags that contained methamphetamine. Graham admitted to selling narcotics to the victim at a gas station in Riverview and told detectives that he had narcotics in his apartment. A search of Graham’s apartment resulted in the recovery of two plastic bags containing fentanyl and cocaine. This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore.


title: GAINESVILLE MAN INDICTED FOR PRODUCING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Robert Lee Johnson, III., 39, of Gainesville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with six counts of production of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today. Johnson, III. appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for April 8, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida. If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to 30 years’ imprisonment, on each count. The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: CRAWFORDVILLE MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED ENTICEMENT AND ATTEMPTED TRANSMISSION OF OBSCENE MATERIAL TO A MINOR

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Anthony Wayne Lanier, Jr., 33, of Crawfordville, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with one count of attempted enticement of a minor and one count of attempted transmission of obscene material. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today. Lanier, Jr. appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 4, 2026, before District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. If convicted, Lanier, Jr. faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on the attempted enticement count, and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on the attempted transmission of obscene material count. The case was investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Tallahassee Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: MEXICAN NATIONAL RESIDING IN GEORGIA SENTENCED TO 120 MONTHS FOR ATTEMPTED COERCION AND ENTICEMENT OF A MINOR

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Victorino De La Cruz, age 43, of Mableton, Georgia, to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The Court further sentenced De La Cruz to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release. De La Cruz, a Mexican national who is present in the United States on a now-revoked work visa, may also be deported from the United States upon completing his sentence. De La Cruz used social media applications and the name “Code_Magnolia” to convince someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Over the course of several months, De La Cruz engaged in sexually explicit communications, among other things, to entice her to engage in sexual acts. The 14-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. De La Cruz also sent the undercover officer pictures of himself and his genitals and requested that she send him sexually explicit videos and images of herself. Further, De La Cruz asked for the undercover law enforcement officer’s location, expressed his desire to engage in illegal sexual acts in person, and discussed and planned an arrangement with the undercover law enforcement agent where De La Cruz would visit the undercover law enforcement agent in Baton Rouge to engage in illegal sexual activity. De La Cruz was arrested by law enforcement in December 2024. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Anderson and Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Lead Homeland Security Task Force Trial Attorney, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: PENSACOLA MAN FACES FEDERAL GUN AND DRUG CHARGES

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Terry Terrell Crenshaw, 39, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of use of a communication facility; and one count of maintaining drug-involved premises. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges. Crenshaw appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers. If convicted, Crenshaw faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count; 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; up to four years’ imprisonment on the use of a communication facility count; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the maintaining drug-involved premises count. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Kenosha Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Murder Federal Officer

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Andrew Stanton (Age 38) of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was convicted of threatening to murder a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer who was serving on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Stanton pled guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 115(a)(1)(B) and 115(b)(4), and that plea was accepted by the District Court. Stanton made his murder threat to interfere with his victim’s ability to perform his official duties as a federal law enforcement officer and to retaliate against him for the past performance of his duties. Court records indicate that on August 29, 2025, Stanton posted a video to TikTok in which he stated, “We’re not getting through to them [politicians] with using our words. That’s never gonna happen. You have to use bullets.” In a separate video posted that same day, Stanton superimposed text over a video of himself, and that text stated, “I imply the very TRUE statement that a violent state can only be stopped with violence in return. / Also, I think we should be OFFING federal agents / Also, I support ‘terrorism’ by their standard. Anti-imperialist by mine.” Members of the FBI Task Force attempted to interview Stanton, prompting him to post additional calls for violence on TikTok. These included a specific threat to the CBP Officer who had reached out to him. On October 4, 2025, Stanton posted a video to TikTok in which he stated, “What the f**k are we even talking about here? If ICE shows up to your neighborhood – I’m sorry, I’m just gonna say it. It’s time to start f**king shooting at them. If they show up to your neighborhood, and I’m talking to you, Border Patrol Officer Joe, it’s time we start shooting at y’all.” Stanton also repeatedly posted images of weapons and body armor on TikTok, along with additional violent messages. Stanton’s videos, including his threat to the CPB Officer, were viewed hundreds of thousands of times on TikTok. Stanton’s sentencing is scheduled for June 18 th , 2026. At sentencing, Stanton faces a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson is prosecuting it. ### For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Mexican Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Leading a $6.85M Healthcare Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Legal Permanent Resident cardholder from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 168 months in prison for healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, in 2008, Orlando Omar Garcia-Moya, 54, of Piedras Negras, founded an ambulance company known as Fleet Ambulance Service Inc., which operated in and around Brackettville. As part of a fraud conspiracy involving Garcia-Moya and two of his employees, Oscar Gutierrez and Melody Ann Villarreal, the three conspirators fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for services and received reimbursement they were not authorized or entitled to receive. Garcia-Moya, Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal fraudulently created run sheets for patients that were not transported, transported patients in personal vehicles or in vehicles not approved for appropriate medical transfers, and used “ghost employees” in the run sheets. From 2008 to 2012, Fleet Ambulance billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) more than $12.3 million. Medicare and Medicaid paid a total of $4,741,601.73. From Jan. 1, 2013, to April 2016, Fleet Ambulance billed Medicare, Medicaid and MCOs more than $5.6 million. Medicare and Medicaid paid a total of $2,142,491.12. The total amount paid out by Medicare and Medicaid as a result of the fraud was $6,856,186.85. Garcia-Moya, Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal were named in a 13-count indictment on Aug. 21, 2019. On March 2, 2022, Garcia-Moya opted for a bench trial and was found guilty on all 13 counts of the indictment. Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal each pled guilty and were sentenced on March 1, 2023, to 60 months and 48 months in federal prison, respectively. During the sentencing hearing Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses also ordered Garcia-Moya to pay $6,856,186.85 in restitution. U.S. Health and Human Services and the Office of Inspector General - Medicaid Fraud Control investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung prosecuted the case. ###


title: Tea, South Dakota Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison  for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Tea, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026. Sean Blanchfill, 48, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Blanchfill was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025. Blanchfill was part of an organization that obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and then distributed it in and around Sioux Falls. Blanchfill’s role in the group was to distribute methamphetamine and investigators determined he was responsible for personally selling over eight pounds of it. The total amount of methamphetamine trafficked by the organization was over 100 pounds. “Our law enforcement partners are working around the clock in Sioux Falls and communities across South Dakota to stamp out methamphetamine and other illegal drugs and put the dealers of these toxic substances behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “With their hard work, and our southern border as secure as it has ever been, progress is becoming evident, as the crime numbers just released by the Sioux Falls Police Department have shown. State, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement are united in this mission. And this substantial federal prison sentence is one more link in the chain.” This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. Blanchfill was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Ghanaian National Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding UConn

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DICKSON ALORWORNU, also known as “Dixon Al,” 36, a citizen of Ghana residing in Greenwich, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 48 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for operating a tuition refund scheme using stolen identities. According to the evidence presented during Alorwornu’s trial, in December 2017, Alorwornu used other individuals’ identities to submit two non-degree student applications to the University of Connecticut (“UConn”). He then used credit card information that had been stolen from three victims to fund the two student accounts with a total of more than $62,000 in fraudulently obtained funds. In early 2018, Alorwornu withdrew from the courses and requested that UConn refund the money he had deposited. UConn subsequently transferred approximately $46,000 to bank accounts Alorwornu controlled. The investigation revealed that email accounts that Alorwornu used to defraud UConn were also used to defraud other universities of more than $500,000. Alorwornu was arrested on February 1, 2023. On October 29, 2024, a jury found him guilty of two counts of wire fraud. Alorwornu’s criminal history includes a conviction in New York in 2017 for an offense involving his using stolen credit cards and other individuals’ personal identifying information. Alorwornu, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 20. This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the UConn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Chang and Elena Coronado.


title: Billings man sentenced to 10 years in prison for drug charges

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 120 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Logan Scott Bergren, 43, pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that in May 2024, two separate sources of information reported Logan Bergren was selling methamphetamine and using CashApp to conduct drug transactions. Law enforcement later searched the camper in which Bergren was living and seized over 100 grams of actual methamphetamine in the camper, two pistols, two shotguns, and ammunition. One of the women present at the camper told law enforcement she was there to purchase fentanyl from Bergren. In an interview with law enforcement, Bergren admitted to selling meth. In January 2024, law enforcement searched Bergren’s hotel room at the Vegas motel in Billings. They located a small amount of methamphetamine and seized $2,500 from his jacket. Text messages obtained through a search warrant confirmed Bergren was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl and using CashApp to accomplish sales. In those messages, Bergren often referred to methamphetamine as “clear” and fentanyl as “blues” or “blue skies.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The ATF, Billings Police Department and State of Montana Division of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Leader of Violent Jewelry Theft Ring Pleads Guilty Mid-Trial

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The leader of an organized and violent theft ring that carried out armed robberies of jewelry stores in multiple states has pleaded guilty mid-trial, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. The federal trial of Deuntria Lamar Lyons, 45, of Valdosta, Georgia, began on Monday, March 2, 2026. After two days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell, Lyons pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea deal on Wednesday to the counts charged in the indictment, including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery. Lyons’ co-conspirators, Brandane Smith and Alzaah Wade, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and are awaiting sentencing. “Robberies at gunpoint like Lyons and his crew carried out are terrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Armed with guns and sledgehammers, they stormed jewelry stores, threatened employees, and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. We will do all that is necessary to put an end to these actions, and I am glad Mr. Lyons pled guilty before wasting more of the jury’s time.” “After only a few days of trial, Mr. Lyons dramatically changed his tune and admitted his part in a multi-state violent jewelry theft ring. Despite the group’s use of heavy disguises and smash and grab tactics, the FBI and multiple field offices, local, state partners, and prosecutors identified them, uncovered their elaborate theft ring, and stopped them as they attempted to rob another store. While the criminals used hammers to break the jewelry displays, it is clearly the FBI who crushed violent crime in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Davis. According to filed documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on July 11, 2023, at approximately 11:50 a.m., three hooded and masked individuals entered FINK’s Jewelry in Huntersville. All three robbers were brandishing handguns. The robbers corralled the employees to one side of the store at gunpoint. Two robbers then began to break display cases with sledgehammers while the third robber stood guard on the business entrance. In total, the robbers stole approximately $500K in diamonds and watches before they fled the scene. U.S. v. Lyons et al. – Robbery in Huntersville, North Carolina During the investigation, investigators determined that the group was responsible for a string of armed robberies of jewelry stores in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Lyons was the leader who orchestrated the robberies with Wade, Smith, and others. U.S. v. Lyons et al. – Robbery in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina Ultimately, the FBI learned that Lyons was planning a robbery for the morning of December 1, 2023. in Dunwoody, Georgia. FBI agents in Atlanta and local law enforcement were waiting for the would-be robbers when they arrived at the location for the planned robbery. The crew had gloves, masks, firearms and sledgehammers. U.S. v. Lyons et al. – Seized Evidence from Robbery Prevented in Dunwoody/Atlanta, Georgia Lyons was remanded into federal custody following the guilty plea. At sentencing, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each charge. A sentencing date has not been set. The investigation was led by FBI Charlotte, assisted by the Columbia, Atlanta, Nashville, and Richmond Field Offices. In addition, several local law enforcement partners assisted both in investigative capacities as well as preventing further robberies including, the Huntersville Police Department; the Raleigh Police Department; the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (SC); the Mount Pleasant Police Department (SC); the Brentwood Police Department (TN); the Mt. Juliet Police Department (TN); the Georgia State Patrol; the Georgia Department of Corrections; and the Atlanta Police Department; the Dunwoody Police Department (GA); the Gwinnet County Police Department (GA); and the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office (GA). The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Kansas City Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Illegal Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Marcus J. Porras, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 7 years in federal prison without parole. On Aug. 5, 2025, Porras pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Porras admitted he was in possession of a Glock 43, 9mm pistol on April 13, 2025. On April 13, 2025, officers of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department were dispatched to the area of Westport Road and Broadway Boulevard to meet private security officers who had detained Porras for fighting. A security officer reported he was flagged down by patrons of the entertainment district regarding a fight inside an establishment within the Westport Entertainment District. The security officer reportedly observed multiple females and two males physically fighting. The females dispersed, and the two males continued to fight with one another. One of the males pointed at Porras indicating that Porras had a firearm. Porras was taken into custody. The security officer retrieved a Glock 43, 9mm pistol near the area of the incident. The Glock 43 was loaded with one live 9mm round in the chamber. The security officer also recovered a magazine loaded with six live 9mm rounds. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who is convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Porras has two prior felony convictions for robbery in the first degree, two prior felony convictions for armed criminal action, and prior felony convictions for unlawful use of a weapon – exhibiting and resisting arrest by fleeing. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison  for Distributing the Fentanyl that Killed Another Woman

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026. Anastasia Muggins, 33, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Muggins was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in May 2025. She pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025. On December 15, 2024, Sheila Eastman, who was born in Flandreau and was an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, was found deceased in her Sioux Falls residence. The coroner concluded Eastman died from fentanyl toxicity. Sioux Fall Police Detectives investigated the case and determined Muggins had distributed approximately 0.1 grams of fentanyl powder to Ms. Eastman. She ingested it and died. “On December 15, 2025, the one-year anniversary of the death of Sheila Eastman from fentanyl poisoning, this Administration issued an Executive Order officially designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “As this case tragically shows, illicit fentanyl is much closer to a chemical weapon than a simple narcotic. Just two milligrams, an almost undetectable trace amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is a lethal dose. Hundreds of thousands of Americans like Sheila have been killed by the fentanyl smuggled into this country from China and the Mexican drug cartels. We are committed to doing everything we can to put an end to the death and misery these chemical weapons continue to cause.” This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. Muggins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Long Island Man Charged With Sex Trafficking, Enticing, and Exploiting a Minor

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Jimmy Francois, also known as “Bentley Bugz,” will be arraigned this afternoon, in federal court in Brooklyn, on a six-count indictment charging him with the sex trafficking of a minor using force, fraud, and coercion; coercing and enticing a minor; sexually exploiting a child; and interstate prostitution. The charges in the indictment arise from the defendant sex trafficking a 16-year-old minor victim (Jane Doe) using force, fraud, and coercion, including physically assaulting the victim and intimidating the victim using threats and by physically assaulting other women in her presence. Francois also created sexually explicit images of Jane Doe, some of which were posted online in prostitution advertisements. Francois was arrested on January 29 in Miami, Florida, and transported in custody to the Eastern District of New York earlier this week by the United States Marshals Service. Today’s proceeding will be held before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), and Frank Russo, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York (CBP), announced the arrest and charges. “As alleged, the defendant preyed on a vulnerable child and sold her body for his own profit, while subjecting her to physical violence and threats,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “With today’s arrest, Francois is being held to account for his cruel and depraved crimes. Our Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of sex trafficking that threatens the safety of our communities.” “As alleged, the defendant’s exploitation and trafficking of an innocent teenager — across state lines and over the course of months — can only be described as depravity in its most vile form. He hid his dark life of threats and abuse behind a facade of power and luxury. Together with our law enforcement partners, HSI New York is wholeheartedly focused on protecting victims as we relentlessly pursue those who dehumanize and debase them for their own selfish gain and satisfaction,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “This case began with the vigilance of our CBP officers, who recognized indicators of possible exploitation and took action,” stated CBP Director of Field Operations Russo. “From that first encounter, our Task Force Officers worked tirelessly with Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and state and local law enforcement across multiple states to help identify, locate, and apprehend the defendant. Their determination and close collaboration with our partners were critical to bringing this alleged trafficker into custody and protecting a vulnerable child from further harm.” As alleged in court filings, between June 2024 and August 2024, Francois sex trafficked Jane Doe throughout multiple states, including in Queens, New York, and forced her to engage in commercial sex with multiple clients per day. Francois took sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe and posted commercial sex advertisements of the victim online during that time period. Law enforcement also recovered a video in which Francois assaulted Jane Doe and made demeaning, and threatening statements to her, including stating in sum and substance and in part, (i) “You learned and understand that me and you are not equal”; (ii) “You speak when you’re spoken to”; (iii) “I’mma violate you... you gonna have broken bones... in your hotel room. No hospital, no nothing”; (iv) “I will personally break your bones.” The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Francois faces a minimum term of 15 years in prison, and up to life imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel A. Bennek and Molly Delaney are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : JIMMY FRANCOIS Age: 37 Elmont, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-11 (DLI) jimmy_francois_indictment.pdf


title: Kenton County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Covington man, Lamar Crawley, 42, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 60 months in prison for the distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement identified Crawley as a methamphetamine and cocaine supplier, and used a confidential informant to make three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from him in April and May 2025. In total, Crawley distributed 1.954 grams of cocaine and 20.14 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant. Under federal law, Crawley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years. Paul C. McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: AmerisourceBergen Subsidiary Agrees to Pay $1 Million for Allegedly Paying Kickbacks to Health Care Providers and Medical Practice Executives

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – ASD Specialty Healthcare, LLC, (ASD) doing business as Oncology Supply Company (Oncology Supply), a distributor of specialty pharmaceutical products and a subsidiary of Cencora, Inc., f/k/a AmerisourceBergen Corporation, has agreed to pay $1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks to health care providers (HCPs) and medical practice executives to induce them to purchase specialty pharmaceutical products from Oncology Supply. As part of the settlement agreement , ASD admitted and accepted responsibility for certain facts providing the basis for the settlement. Specifically, from January 2012 to October 2019, another Cencora subsidiary, International Oncology Network (“ION”), hosted conferences for its “Large Practice Program” members. At the conferences, ION and Oncology Supply employees provided meals and alcohol at high-end restaurants and various forms of entertainment to health care providers and medical practice executives, including rounds of golf and outings at bars and nightclubs. Additionally, outside the conference setting, from January 2012 to September 2022, ASD Specialty Healthcare, through 15 Oncology Supply and ION employees, also paid for meals and alcohol at high-end restaurants and various other forms of entertainment for HCPs and medical practice executives, including rounds of golf and outings at bars and nightclubs. At some of the events, ASD even covered the expenses of the spouses of HCPs and medical practice executives. The government alleges that ASD caused physicians to submit false claims to Medicare and Medicaid induced by these kickbacks. The claims resolved in today’s settlement include claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States et al. ex rel. Brandon Osborn v. AmerisourceBergen Corporation, et al., No. 20-cv-12018-IT. As part of today’s resolution, the relator will receive 17.5% of the settlement amount. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Ross handled the matter.


title: Accountability in Action: Federal Immigration Prosecutions

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS- Six illegal immigrants, all convicted felons, have been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry in the Southern District of Indiana. The prosecutions, which involved defendants arrested in Bartholomew, Hamilton, Henry, and Marion counties, stemmed from separate investigations. Each case was handled independently. Defendant Sentence Prior Removals Previous Convictions Francisco Cervantes-Venegas, 36, of Mexico 4 years, 9 months’ imprisonment 2 years of supervised release January 2015 & April 2017 2010 Intentionally Operating a Motor Vehicle without Ever Receiving a License 2013 Intentionally Operating a Motor Vehicle without Ever Receiving a License 2014 Criminal Confinement of a Victim Under 14 (Vehicle Used, Bodily Injury); Domestic Battery Committed in the Presence of a Child Under 16. 2022 Domestic Battery; Criminal Confinement with bodily injury; Strangulation; Sexual Battery by force or Imminent Threat German Lazo Mendez, 36, of Honduras 4 years, 3 months’ imprisonment 2 years of supervised release September 2015 & May 2019 Illegal Reentry; Armed Robbey; & Battery Resulting in Bodily Injury. Giovani Ramirez-Soto, 33, of Mexico 2.5 years’ imprisonment 2 years of supervised release April 2013 & September 2020 Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 1 Kilogram or more of Heroin and 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine; Illegal Reentry. Pending charges in Marion County: Operating a vehicle without ever receiving a license and leaving the scene of an accident. Bonifacio Ortiz-Pena, 40, of Mexico 1.5 years’ imprisonment 2 years of supervised release June 2005, February 2020, & March 2020 Illegal Reentry; Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person; Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Nelgio Tovias DeLeon-Perez, 46, of Mexico 1 year, 2 months’ imprisonment 3 years of supervised release April 2008 & April 2014 Transportation of Illegal Aliens and Aiding and Abetting; Illegal Reentry (x2); Intentionally Operating a Vehicle Without Ever Receiving a License Mauricio Toto-Xolo, 32, of Mexico Time Served (11 months) November 2011 & March 2016 Illegal Reentry At the time the defendants entered their guilty pleas, they acknowledged that upon completion of their sentence, they will be subject to removal from the United States. Conditions of supervision require the defendants to surrender to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement upon release from federal custody. “Violent criminal aliens who repeatedly violate our immigration laws and endanger our communities must face real consequences,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Through Operation Take Back America, we are unleashing the full force of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal aliens and ensure that those who threaten our security face swift and decisive justice.” The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated these cases. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judges Matthew P. Brookman, Jane Magnus-Stinson, and Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam Eakman, Carolyn Haney, MaryAnn Mindrum, and Meredith Wood, who prosecuted these cases. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) ###


title: Harrisburg Man Sentenced To 180 Months’ Imprisonment For Possessing A Firearm As A Convicted Felon and Consecutive 51 Months’ For A Supervised Release Violation

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Darin Blackburn, age 43, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to a 231 months’ aggregate imprisonment sentence by United States District Judge Keli M. Neary for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and for violating terms of a previously imposed supervised release sentence. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on November 17, 2021, Harrisburg Police Officers approached Blackburn as he sat in a car. One of the officers observed a small bag of marijuana in plain view through the passenger window of Blackburn’s car. Those officers summoned a K-9 unit and when the dog began sniffing the car for the presence of narcotics, Blackburn ran from the scene. Officers apprehended him a short distance later. Once Blackburn was taken into custody the owner of the car arrived at the car. The owner denied ownership of anything found in the automobile, but he gave police permission to conduct a search. During the search police found a Hermann Weihrauch Arminus .38 caliber revolver. There were 6 rounds of ammunition in the gun and 13 loose rounds in a bag in the trunk. Blackburn had previously been convicted of an armed bank robbery and two serious drug offenses that were all committed on occasions different from one another. As such, Blackburn was not legally permitted to possess a firearm and was subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act. At the time of the offense, Blackburn was still serving a federal supervised release term for two armed bank robberies committed in 2001. Those robberies resulted in a 211 months’ imprisonment sentence to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Blackburn’s supervised release term commenced in July 2021 upon his release from prison. The additional 51 months’ imprisonment term was imposed for his violation of the supervised release requirement that he not commit another crime. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Harrisburg Bureau of Police. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Former Intermediate Unit Resource Instructor Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Transport of Material Depicting Sexual Exploitation of Minors

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Grove City, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 84 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal law regarding the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Michael William Boston, 41, on March 5, 2026. According to information presented to the Court, on October 25, 2022, Boston transported material depicting the sexual exploitation of minors in interstate commerce by uploading the material to a cloud-based server. As part of his plea agreement, Boston also took responsibility for transporting child sexual abuse material on two other dates in 2023 and for the possession of more than 1,500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material across seven different electronic devices. Many of the images depicted the sexual exploitation of toddler-aged and infant males as young as several months old. Boston’s collection of images and videos additionally depicted acts of bestiality and blindfolded children tied to stationary objects. Boston was previously employed by an intermediate unit as a resource instructor for hearing-impaired students. In this role, he traveled to various schools across nine Pennsylvania counties to work with children from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade who suffered from hearing impairments. Boston also was known to be active in his local community, particularly at local churches. As a result of this prosecution, Boston was fired from his teaching position and forced to surrender his teaching license. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police’s Northwest Computer Crime Unit for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Boston. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Monroe County Man Sentenced To 15 Years’ Imprisonment For Drug Trafficking

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jackie A. Johnson, age 40, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 180 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distribution of methamphetamine. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, between March 19, 2024, and April 17, 2024, Johnson sold over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Stroudsburg area to an undercover State Police Trooper. At the time, Johnson was on federal supervised release for a prior heroin trafficking conviction which resulted in a five-year prison term. Johnson is still pending a supervised release violation hearing based on the above methamphetamine sales which could result in an additional term of imprisonment. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case. ###


title: Harrisburg Man Sentenced To Prison For Selling Cocaine

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on March 5, 2026, Xavier Melendez-Hernandez, age 41, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiring with others to distribute cocaine. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Melendez-Hernandez conspired with Victor Colon-Rosario, Hector Rayann Santos-Carasquillo, and Joseph Fontanez-Machuca to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine in the greater Harrisburg area in 2021 and 2022. Each of the defendants was indicted and later pleaded guilty. In 2024, Judge Wilson sentenced Colon-Rosario to 24 months in prison and Santos-Carasquillo to 60 months in prison. In February 2026, Judge Wilson sentenced Fontanez-Machuca to time served after he had spent nearly two years in pretrial and presentence detention. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christian T. Haugsby prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Nebraska Woman to Federal Prison for Iowa Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Wenona Oropeza, 48, from Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced March 5, 2026, to over ten years in federal prison. Oropeza pled guilty on October 22, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that a number of times over one year in 2024-2025, Oropeza would have other persons drive her from Omaha, Nebraska to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with several ounces of methamphetamine to distribute in Sioux Falls where she could double and triple her profits selling the methamphetamine. On March 2, 2025, a vehicle Oropeza was a passenger in was stopped for traffic violations near Sioux City. Law enforcement seized over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine that Oropeza admitted she planned to sell in Sioux Falls. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Oropeza to 130 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Oropeza is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4019. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Texas Man to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography While in Iowa

body_text: Fred Grell, 64, from Angleton, Texas, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 8 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty on October 17, 2025, to receipt of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between about March 1, 2022, and September 19, 2023, Grell received and possessed child pornography. On June 24, 2023, law enforcement received a report of a missing runaway foster child. In July 2023, Grell dropped a minor victim off at the Ida County Sheriff’s Office and left the scene without contacting deputies. During further investigation of Grell regarding this incident, a search of Grell’s phone records revealed two videos and six pictures of child pornography of the minor victim. The minor victim told officers Grell sexually assaulted her, that they had intercourse multiple times in Grell’s semi-truck and home before and after the minor victim’s sixteenth birthday. The victim also told law enforcement that Grell would routinely call her and told her to “keep things off texts” to avoid detection and thwart later investigations. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Grell to 96 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Grell was also ordered to pay $10,00 in fines and assessments to support victims of child pornography offenses. Grell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and Ida County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4027. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Mason City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Ammunition

body_text: Luke Braniff, 26, from Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty on March 3, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to felon in possession of ammunition. Braniff was previously convicted of two counts of Lascivious Acts with a Child in 2017, and Sex Offender Registry Violations, in 2018, 2023, and 2025, all convictions were in Iowa. These convictions prohibit Braniff from possessing any firearms or ammunition. At the plea hearing, Braniff admitted to possessing ammunition knowing he was prohibited from doing so due to his previous convictions. Law enforcement became aware of Braniff’s illegal possession of ammunition during an investigation regarding reports of Braniff sending vulgar sexual messages on Snapchat to a minor female and requesting nude images of the child. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Braniff remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Braniff faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3039. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Illegal Immigrant from the Dominican Republic Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: HELENA-WEST HELENA—Angel Lazala-Soto, who has a previous federal conviction for attempted re-entry by a previously deported alien, will spend the next 70 months in federal prison after being convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down Thursday, March 5, 2026, by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller. On March 6, 2025, Lazala-Soto, 60, of Bani, Dominican Republic, but residing in New York, New York, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a one-count Indictment for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On October 23, 2025, Lazala-Soto pleaded guilty to Count One. Judge Miller also sentenced Lazala-Soto to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. An investigation revealed that on August 29, 2024, troopers with the Arkansas State Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle that was following too closely to the vehicle in front of it. The trooper made contact with the driver, identified as Lazala-Soto, and observed him behaving nervously and shaking. Because of language barrier issues, the trooper communicated with Lazala-Soto in Spanish with Lazala-Soto telling the trooper that he had driven from New Jersey the day before to see his son for lunch. However, through the use of investigative tools, the trooper was able to determine that Lazala-Soto had actually been in Austin, Texas, the prior day and had returned. After Lazala-Soto gave consent to search his vehicle, the trooper located some large duffle bags in the rear of the vehicle. After removing the duffle bags, the trooper observed seven kilo-like bundles on top of the spare tire. During an interview at the police department, Lazala-Soto admitted he was transporting cocaine and had driven from New York to Austin and met someone at a gas station. Lazala-Soto’s criminal history includes a February 5, 2009, federal conviction for attempted re-entry by a previously deported alien where he received a sentence of 30 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Lazala-Soto also has felony convictions for criminal mischief – second degree, grand larceny, possession to distribute cocaine, assault and beat with dangerous weapon, and two convictions for possession of stolen property. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacy Williams. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Former Abbeville Resident and Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Child Sex Offenses

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAFAYETTE– On February 26, 2026, David Fail, a 43-year-old former Abbeville resident, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after his August 2025 conviction by a federal jury for transporting and possessing child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”). “Recidivist child sex predators are among the most dangerous people in our society, seeking out and victimizing our children to satisfy their own sick desires,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “This case shows that law enforcement will find these predators in the dark corners of the Internet where they hide and that their crimes will land them behind bars for decades when they’re caught.” Evidence presented at trial showed that Fail, who had been convicted for possessing and receiving child pornography in 2006 and for sexually exploiting a minor in 2013, was the subject of a cybertip provided by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that he maintained an online, cloud-based storage account where he had uploaded more than 100 files containing CSAM. Law enforcement agents were able to identify Fail through his use of unique internet protocol addresses as well as information known to law enforcement through the State of Louisiana’s State Sex Offender and Child Predator Registry. U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement. The United States Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigations, and the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with assistance and cooperation from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Bordelon II and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Luke Walker with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle. You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer , under Case Number 6:24-CR-00050-001. ### Public Affairs United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Louisiana USALAW-News@usdoj.gov www.justice.gov/usao-wdla Twitter @USAO_WDLA


title: Wilmington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Offense

component: USAO - Delaware

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A Wilmington man with prior felony convictions pleaded guilty on March 3, 2026, to illegally possessing a loaded firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm. F. Connolly accepted the plea. According to court records, Mustafa Darien Wescott, 24, was approached by Wilmington Police Department officers while walking in Wilmington’s Brandywine Village neighborhood on September 29, 2024. After officers instructed him to stop, Wescott fled on foot. During a brief pursuit, Wescott pulled a loaded Ruger EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his pants pocket and threw it away before surrendering to the police. At the time of the incident, Wescott was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions. Wescott pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2026. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wilmington Police Department are investigating the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-116.


title: Non-Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Voting in Numerous Elections

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Mexican national was arrested and appeared in federal court this week after he was charged with violating Alabama law by voting in multiple elections as a non-citizen, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby. A complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges that Homero Ramos, 51, is a lawful permanent resident who lives in Marion County but has never obtained U.S. citizenship. Nevertheless, Ramos registered to vote and voted – even though he knew that only U.S. citizens are permitted to do so under Alabama law. According to records maintained by the Alabama Secretary of State and the Probate Court of Marion County, Ramos voted in the 2022 and 2024 general elections. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty for the offense charged is 5 years in prison. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Mexican National Sentenced To More Than Three Years In Federal Prison For Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Carmelo Nolasco-Carbajal (42, Mexico) was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara to three years and one month in federal prison for illegal reentry by an aggravated felon. Nolasco-Carbajal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Nolasco-Carbajal is a citizen and national of Mexico. In February 2025, Nolasco-Carbajal was found by immigration authorities after an arrest for possession of cocaine in Hillsborough County, for which he was later convicted. Prior to being found, Nolasco-Carbajal had been removed from the United States on three prior occasions and had not received permission to reenter the United States. Nolasco-Carbajal had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated battery with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault, and illegal reentry. This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Indiana Youth Minister Linked to Imprisoned Kentucky School Superintendent Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: EVANSVILLE- Aaron Paul Lockman, 24, of Corydon, Indiana, has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to nine counts of possessing sexually explicit material involving minors. He was also ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution. According to court documents, the investigation began on March 11, 2024, when FBI agents arrested Matthew D. Constant, then‑Superintendent of Owensboro Public Schools in Kentucky, for attempting to solicit sexual acts from minors. During that investigation, agents uncovered WhatsApp conversations between Constant and Lockman in which the two discussed their shared sexual interest in children and exchanged illegal images of child sexual abuse. Further investigation revealed that Lockman was employed as a youth minister at a church in Jasper, Indiana. In that role, he was entrusted with supervising young boys and frequently took them on one‑on‑one outings, including trips to local restaurants. Agents later searched Lockman’s church‑issued computer and cell phone, where they found multiple videos depicting minors under the age of 12, including material involving abusive conduct. “This sick individual placed himself in daily proximity to children and exploited his position as a minister to cultivate special relationships with vulnerable boys,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “This office will continue to pursue anyone who preys on children, no matter their title, position, or community standing. Thanks to the swift work of our federal partners, he can no longer endanger the children he targeted and manipulated.” “This sentence sends a clear message that anyone who exploits children - especially those who abuse positions of trust within their communities - will be held fully accountable,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “Protecting children from predators is one of the FBI’s highest priorities. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to identify offenders, support victims, and ensure justice is served.” The FBI and the Evansville Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Matthew P. Brookman. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Wheatley, who prosecuted this case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood , a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. If you are a victim of child sexual exploitation, please contact your local police department. Resources for victims of child exploitation can be found on our website at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdin/project-safe-childhood ###


title: Tampa Man Indicted for Attempted Production, Receipt, and Transfer of Obscene Material to A Minor

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Tavaris Marvidis Johnson (43, Tampa) has been charged by indictment with attempted production and receipt of child sex abuse material and transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to the indictment, between August 2 and August 9, 2025, Johnson attempted to use, persuade, and induce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. During the same time period, Johnson knowingly attempted to receive a visual depiction involving the sexual abuse of a minor. Between August 8 and August 9, 2025, Johnson knowingly transferred obscene material to an individual who he knew was under the age of 16 years. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Trumbull Man Admits Defrauding Amazon of More Than $3.5 Million

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AMEER NASIR, 25, of Trumbull, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to an offense related to his defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) of more than $3.5 million. According to court documents and statements made in court, Amazon Logistics, an Amazon subsidiary, contracts with various interstate trucking businesses to transport both empty trailers and trailers containing heavy loads of freight between cities and between warehouses and fulfillment centers operated by Amazon. Nasir registered 23 trucking businesses with Amazon Logistics. One of the accounts was created in the name of Nasir’s business, Pak Express Transport, LLC, and others were created under false names or by fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without the knowledge of the operators of those companies. Between approximately December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 transportation assignments with Amazon Logistics, manipulated information in Amazon Logistics’ transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were subsequently paid. Through this scheme, Nasir defrauded Amazon of more than $3.5 million. Nasir was arrested on May 8, 2025. Nasir pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has also agreed to pay restitution of $3,547,090.93. Nasir is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 29. This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.


title: Billings woman pleads guilty to carjacking resulting in death

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings woman accused of facilitating a carjacking resulting in death admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. The defendant, Violet Jeanee Littlelight, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking resulting in death. Littlelight faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Littlelight was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that on May 16, 2025, Littlelight arranged for John Doe to pick her up at her residence in Billings. Prior to meeting Doe, Littlelight and co-defendants planned to rob Doe and take his truck. Once they took Doe’s truck, they planned to give it to a drug dealer in Hardin in exchange for drugs or money. When Littlelight and her co-defendants arrived at the rendezvous point, Doe was suspicious. Littlelight vouched for the co-defendants and told Doe they just needed a ride. Based on her assurances, Doe let all three defendants into his truck. When they arrived in an alley, Doe was directed to stop when he was stabbed approximately 20 times in his neck, chest, and stomach with a knife. The defendants removed Doe from the driver’s seat and left him in the alley, where he subsequently died from the stab wounds. The defendants then drove Doe’s truck to Hardin. They changed their clothes and placed the bloody clothes in the truck. They then drove to a house on the Crow reservation. When they arrived, they decided they needed to clean the truck, so they used cleaning products they obtained from the owner of the house and threw their clothes and other incriminating evidence into a burn pit. As they were cleaning the truck, law enforcement officers arrived. The defendants fled, leaving the truck behind. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colin Rubich and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI, Billings Police Department, and BIA conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Alien Guilty of Using False Claim of Citizenship to Illegally Vote

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Canadian alien pleaded guilty to two counts of making false claims certifying that he was a United States citizen on North Carolina voter registration applications in 2022 and 2024 to vote in the 2022 elections and 2024 presidential election. According to court documents, Denis Bouchard, 70, falsely claimed to be a United States citizen to vote. Bouchard lived in the United States since the 1960’s, but he never obtained United States citizenship. “This shows that our elections remain under attack from aliens. We will not tolerate noncitizens lying to illegally vote here in North Carolina. Every eligible citizen should have confidence that an alien voting illegally will get sniffed out and prosecuted. As seen as recently as Tuesday, every single vote counts because the difference between winning and losing can come down to two votes. Every ineligible vote cancels out a legal vote. We especially want to thank the vigilance of our N.C. State Board of Elections, who ferreted out this illegal voter.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. "Election security is one of the FBI’s top priorities. Americans expect fair elections and democracy requires it. This case is a testament to the FBI’s commitment to working with our partners in North Carolina to arrest and prosecute anyone who illegally participates in our democratic process, and the FBI will fully investigate any individual who attempts to subvert our upcoming 2026 elections,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “This conviction exemplifies our strong committed partnerships with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office to enforce our election laws and to safeguard our electoral system. An American citizen’s right to vote is sacred, and we must do everything possible to protect that individual right and the opportunity to exercise it.” said State Board Executive Director Sam Hayes. “The State Board will continue to actively investigate all credible allegations of voter fraud by individuals and organizations with the goal of bolstering confidence in North Carolina’s electoral process.” When sentenced, he faces a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment on each count. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after the Honorable Robert T. Numbers, II, U.S. Magistrate Judge, accepted the plea. The FBI is investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-00083-D.


title: Three Individuals Sentenced for Attempted Armed Robbery

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, the third and last defendant was sentenced for the attempted armed robbery of an employee of JC Jewelers Inc., a company doing business as Oro Centro, a commercial entity that operated pawn shops and jewelry stores in Puerto Rico. According to court documents, on July 13, 2015, at approximately 6:50 p.m., the victim, an employee for Oro Centro Pawn Shops, was transporting gold from the pawnshops in the company van which was to be delivered for transport in interstate commerce to the continental United States. While driving on Highway 22 near the exit for Luis Muñoz Rivera in Santurce, Puerto Rico, close to the Minillas Tunnel, a white car crashed into the victim’s van. The van’s occupants began shooting at the victim. The victim was struck multiple times by gunshots fired by the assailants. The victim shot back injuring another assailant. The assailants fled without completing the robbery. The assailants were: Josué Pilarte-Suárez: arrested on July 17, 2015, plead guilty on June 20, 2017, and was sentenced on May 19, 2025. He served approximately nine years in prison. Luis Resto-Cruz: arrested on October 19, 2018, plead guilty on December 1, 2025, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026. He served approximately eight and a half years in prison. Rafael Hernández-Maldonado: arrested on December 14, 2021, plead guilty on December 15, 2025, and was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to serve seven and 1/2 years (78 months) in prison. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Alum prosecuted the case. ###


title: Lead Defendant in Significant Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization in Lubbock Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A Lubbock man responsible for trafficking thousands of pounds of methamphetamine into the Lubbock area was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, of Lubbock, Texas, was indicted in August 2025 and pled guilty in November 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to 360 months in federal prison by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix. According to court documents, on July 22, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at multiple locations in the Lubbock area Arguijo used to traffic drugs. They located several pounds of methamphetamine and items associated with large scale drug trafficking, some of which is depicted below: Court records reflect that Arguijo was located near one of the search locations. He attempted to flee using a vehicle and then on foot, but was quickly captured and placed under arrest. At the sentencing hearing, the court noted the staggering amount of drugs involved. Over a 12-month period, Arguijo was responsible for trafficking more than 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine, or 100 pounds per month. Five other individuals charged along with Arguijo have all pled guilty for their roles in methamphetamine trafficking. Adam Casas, Jr. was sentenced in February 2026 to 97 months by Judge Hendrix. The remaining codefendants will be sentenced in the coming weeks. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long prosecuted the case. This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting, the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: Inmate Sentenced for Running Drug Conspiracy in Prison

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A man serving time in prison for assaulting a detention officer was sentenced today for knowingly conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Today, Quinton Andrew Perry, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell after pleading guilty in September for Drug Conspiracy. He was ordered to serve 236 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. According to the indictment, Perry was a “captain” of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood, a known white supremacist prison gang. From mid-2023 through September 2024, Perry used contraband cellphones, encrypted messaging applications and social media to communicate with co-conspirators outside of prison. He coordinated the delivery of kilogram quantities of methamphetamine directly from a transnational criminal organization. Perry relied on his co-conspirators to distribute the methamphetamine and received payment through mobile banking applications. Court dockets show that Perry’s latest conviction was in 2021 for assaulting a detention officer while serving time for grand larceny, possessing stolen property, and possessing a firearm. His history shows that he was previously convicted of two separate second-degree burglaries. Perry will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Field Office, the North Texas Criminal Interdiction Unit, and Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Interdiction Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar prosecuted the case.