title: California woman sentenced for attempted smuggling of illegal individual

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA – A California woman who attempted to smuggle a citizen of Great Britain into the United States was sentenced today to 6 months of probation, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of conspiracy to bring aliens into the United States at a location other than a designated port of entry. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that on April 1, 2025, a vehicle entered the United States through the Roosville, Montana Port of Entry. The vehicle was operated by the Lautenslager, a United States citizen. She was admitted to the United States and proceeded to the Swisher Lake area near Lake Koocanusa. The United States Border Patrol encountered her driving around the area. Around that same time, the Border Patrol was alerted to a lone male walking across the international boundary line from Canada to the United States. They responded and searched for the man but were unable to locate him and believed he returned to Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) apprehended the man after they found him walking around and seemingly lost. They escorted him to the Roosville, British Columbia (BC) Port of Entry to be identified and processed. The man, Lautenslager’s husband, was identified as a citizen of Great Britain who does not have any lawful status in the United States. On suspicions of smuggling, Lautenslager was denied entry back to Canada and returned to the United States, where she was interviewed by law enforcement. She disclosed she and her husband planned to circumvent the immigration process and avoid the point of entry because he did not have legal status in the United States. She said the plan was to drop him off at a location on the Canadian side of the border, drive into the United States, and then pick him up. She admitted what she attempted to do was wrong. Lautenslager’s cellular phone was collected and searched. The phone contained text messages between her and her husband discussing logistics as the conspiracy was unfolding. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Stack prosecuted the case. The U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation. 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. XXX


title: Somali National Sentenced After Impersonating Deceased Mother to Obtain Over $25,000 in Social Security Funds

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Muna Abdi, 36, a Somali national living in Millcreek, Utah, was sentenced today to 12 months’ probation and ordered to pay $25,638.61 in restitution. She was sentenced for impersonating her deceased mother in order to keep Social Security benefits flowing to her mother’s account, even though her mother died in 2021 and was no longer entitled to Social Security benefits. The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, comes after Abdi pleaded guilty to conversion of government funds on September 29, 2025. According to court documents, from November 1, 2021, to about June 30, 2024, Abdi converted funds from the United States Social Security Administration (SSA) for her own benefit. The SSA, who was not aware of Abdi’s mother’s death, continued to disperse funds to her Social Security account, to which Abdi had access. For over three years, Abdi fraudulently withdrew at least $25,638.61 in government funds. She admitted to withdrawing the funds regularly through cash-back purchases and ATM withdrawals. She further admitted to impersonating her deceased mother in correspondences with the SSA and in person at the SSA field office. “For years, Ms. Abdi stole funds intended for qualifying disabled and retired individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to ensure justice is done when individuals defraud government programs putting critical benefit funds at risk.” “Ms. Abdi wrongfully converted her late mother’s Supplemental Security Income payments from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for personal gain,” said John McLeod, Special Agent-in-Charge of the SSA Office of the Inspector General, Cooperative Disability Investigations – Western Field Division. “I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their collaboration in holding her accountable and reinforcing that Social Security fraud will not be tolerated.” The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit (SSA-CDIU) in Salt Lake City. Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko J. Jepson of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.


title: Bigfork man sentenced to over 3 years in prison for cyberstalking

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MISSOULA – A Bigfork man who threatened and harassed his victim through text messages was sentenced today to 46 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Jeremiah Daniel Starr, 25, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of cyberstalking. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. “Protecting victims from harassment and stalking in this highly technical age is a growing concern, particularly in cases like this, where the defendant caused emotional distress to the victim for many years and even discharged a firearm at one point as part of his elaborate ruse. I want to thank the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff in our office, and our partners at the FBI, for their hard work on this case.” U.S. Attorney Alme said. “The defendant exploited the anonymity of the internet to harass and intimidate the victim, inflicting lasting fear and emotional harm,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Gerken of the FBI Billings Field Office. “This case reflects the FBI’s extensive and persistent investigative efforts to protect the victim and hold the offender fully accountable.” The government alleged in court documents that Jane Doe received threatening and harassing text messages from an unknown sender for almost three years. The culprit was not a stranger. Rather, it was Jane Doe’s “best friend,” Jeremiah Starr. When sending the messages by his cellular telephone, Starr masked his identity by using more than 50 unique phone numbers and a NordVPN, which required the FBI to analyze over 1,100 distinct IP addresses. On February 9, 2025, Starr used a firearm during the offense. Jane Doe was sleeping, and Starr pretended to “return” fire at individuals Starr alleged shot into Jane Doe’s apartment. None of that was true. Instead, Starr used a firearm to shoot rounds into the apartment and shot rounds outside the apartment as well. Starr lied about the shooting to harass Jane Doe and make her continue to think she was in danger. Jane Doe told investigators Starr’s harassment was unbearable and caused her significant emotional distress. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyndee Peterson prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: District Man Sentenced to 16-Year Prison Term for Firing into Crowd with His Three Accomplices

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – James Outland, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for gunning down a crowd of people in Washington DC, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Outland pleaded guilty to one count of murder in the second degree while armed in April 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Judge Danya Dayson ordered Outland to serve the prison term on January 6, 2026. Co-defendant Bobby Gupton was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison for the same incident. According to the government’s evidence, on June 28, 2023, in the vicinity of 748 19th Street NE, Washington D.C., co-defendants Bobby Gupton and James Outland, along with two other individuals, ran, in unison, towards a crowd located at a nearby intersection and each began discharging their firearms into the crowd. After discharging their respective firearms, all shooters fled the scene together. An innocent bystander, Ms. Tavonayna Glenn, sustained one gunshot wound to the chest, causing her death. Outland was arrested almost one year after the homicide and was in possession of a rifle-like firearm with 47 rounds of ammunition at the time of his arrest. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Alyssa Schroeder, and Victim/Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. Finally, she commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shauna Payyappilly and Daniel Seidel who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro Addresses Successful Results in the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative

body_text: WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro gave remarks at a press conference on the success of President Trump’s federal surge to bringdown crime rates in the District. In her remarks, U.S. Attorney Pirro reflected on the remarkable progress her office made towards fighting crime in the nation’s capital. She thanked President Donald J. Trump for his unwavering commitment to law and order by implementing a surge in federal law enforcement resources, which bolstered our teams with additional agents, advanced tools and a no-nonsense mandate, and helped to create a renewed focus to crack down on violent offenders, dismantle criminal networks and restore safety to our streets. “When President Trump assigned me to this Office in May of last year, we knew there was a lot of work to do in fighting crime here in D.C., said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The crime rate here is one of the worst in the country and we needed to work swiftly and aggressively to turn things around for the better. Because of the President’s push and my Office’s intentional efforts, we have now seen a huge downturn in the crime statistics in just a short period of time. There is a lot of work to do but we are up to the task and making tremendous progress.” She re-iterated her Office’s tough stance on crime by highlighting key successes in 2025 resulting from President Trump’s Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Initiative. In 2025, there were 8,406 arrests and 856 illegal guns taken off the streets. As a result of the surge starting in August, homicides are down 60%, robberies are down 49%, carjackings are down 68% and overall crime is down 32% compared to the same time in 2024. Going forward, U.S. Attorney Pirro explained that the safety of the residents of D.C. remains her office’s top priority, and they are taking major steps to combat crime.


title: Jury Convicts Seven Defendants in 2023 Carjacking Spree

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jaelen Jordan, 20, and Warren Montgomery, 21, both of Washington, D.C., and Bryon Gillum, 20, Isaiah Flowers, 20, Jahkai Goff, 21, Taj Giles, 20, and Irshaad Ellis-Bey, 20, all of Prince George’s County, MD, were found guilty today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges pertaining to three armed carjackings on February 27, 2023, April 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The jury deliberated for approximately four days before finding the defendants guilty of multiple charges including armed carjacking. “Stop lusting over other people’s cars and keep your hands to yourself unless you want to spend the next 15 years eating cold sandwiches in a correctional facility with likeminded lusters,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Specifically, the jury found Goff guilty of armed carjacking, armed robbery, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, armed carjacking. The jury found Flowers guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, receiving stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, for his role in the February 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, armed carjackings. The jury found Ellis-Bey guilty of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, armed carjacking, armed robbery, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, armed carjacking. The jury found Montgomery guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in the April 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, armed carjackings. The jury found Giles guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle during a crime of violence, receiving stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robbery, and two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his role in the February 27, 2023, and April 27, 2023, armed carjackings. The jury found Jordan guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robberies, four counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and three counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, April 27, 2023, and May 16, 2023, armed carjackings. The jury found Gillum guilty of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, trafficking in stolen property, two counts of armed carjacking, two counts of armed robberies, and two counts of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle for his role in the February 27, 2023, and April 27, 2023, armed carjackings. The jury also found that the May 16, 2023, carjacking was committed against a senior citizen. According to the government’s evidence, on February 27, 2023, Goff, Flowers, Ellis-Bey, Giles, and Gillum carjacked the victim at gunpoint in the Dupont Circle area. The defendants used a Dodge Charger, carjacked in Maryland the day before, to commit this carjacking. After the carjacking, the victim’s vehicle, a 2013 Porsche Cayenne was brought to an apartment building parking garage in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Jordan subsequently sold the victim’s Porsche from that parking garage on March 1, 2023. On April 27, 2023, Montgomery, Giles, Jordan, and Gillum carjacked another victim at gunpoint at the intersection of 8 th and K Street NE. After the carjacking, the victim’s vehicle, a BMW X6, was brought back to the same apartment building parking garage in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Jordan subsequently sold the victim’s BMW to undercover police officers on April 27, 2023. Finally, on May 16, 2023, Flowers, Montgomery, and Jordan carjacked a senior citizen at gunpoint in his driveway in the 600 block of Butternut Street NW. After the carjacking, the victim’s vehicle, a Porsche Cayenne GTS, was brought back to the same apartment building parking garage in the 1300 block of Florida Avenue NE. Jordan subsequently offered to sell the victim’s Porsche to undercover police officers on May 17, 2023. Jordan was arrested on May 17, 2023, and the remaining defendants were arrested between October and December of 2023 as law enforcement identified them. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Marshals Service (USMS), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). She also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the Prince George’s County Police Department. She also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Evans and Emily Clarke who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Brian Cole Jr. Charged in Indictment in Planting Explosive Devices Outside the RNC and DNC on Jan. 5, 2021

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

body_text: WASHINGTON – Brian J. Cole, Jr., 30, of Woodbridge, Virginia, was charged in a federal indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in the planting of two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on January 5, 2021, at the headquarters of both the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee in Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The federal indictment, which supersedes a prior federal indictment returned during the holidays by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury, charges Cole with interstate transportation of explosives and with malicious attempt to use explosives. Joining in the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, FBI Director Kash Patel, ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Washington Field Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. “Given that Cole crossed state lines and targeted the political leadership of both parties for which there is an inherent crime of federal jurisdiction, handling this in federal court is most proper,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The FBI and my office worked around the clock to ensure that this defendant is charged with the right crimes for his dangerous acts.” On January 6, 2021, law enforcement discovered the IEDs near the DNC and RNC headquarters in Washington, D.C., both in close proximity to the U.S. Capitol. The same day Congress convened to certify the results of the 2020 election, and U.S. lawmakers were assembled nearby to carry out that constitutional duty. Neither device detonated, and the U.S. Capitol Police were able to carry out a “render safe procedure” on the IEDs without incident. According to a complaint filed on Dec. 3, 2025, Cole purchased multiple components consistent with those used to manufacture the two IEDs during 2019 and 2020, at several retailers in northern Virginia. At approximately 1 p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021, multiple law enforcement agencies received reports of a suspected IEDs near the headquarters of the RNC in Washington, D.C. About 1:15 p.m. the same day, a second suspected IED was reported just a few blocks away near the headquarters of the DNC. Video surveillance determined that the same individual placed the devices on the evening of January 5, 2021. The suspect had been wearing dark pants, a grey hooded sweatshirt, dark gloves, Nike Air Max Speed Turf shoes, and a facemask that obscured the person’s face. The video showed the individual adjusting eyeglasses and carrying a backpack. On January 5, 2021, about 7:10 p.m., Cole’s Nissan Sentra was observed driving past a License Plate Reader at the South Capitol Street exit from I-395 South, which is less than one-half mile from the location where the individual who placed the devices was first observed on foot near North Carolina and New Jersey Avenues, SE. Cell phone records further show that Cole’s cell phone communicated with cell towers in the area of the RNC and DNC on January 5, 2021, between 7:39 p.m. and 8:24 p.m. The FBI’s Cellular Analysis and Survey Team determined that the location of Cole’s cell phone during this period corresponded with the path of the suspect identified by the FBI through analysis of video from that day. This investigation is being conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office, the U.S. Capitol Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 26cr1 coleb_indictment_26cr1_20260106pdf.pdf


title: Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has been sentenced for committing child sexual exploitation crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. U.S. District Court Judge Annemarie Axon sentenced Benjamin Ross Norris, 44, of Pinson, Alabama, to 240 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Norris was also ordered to pay $30,500 in restitution to the child victims of his crimes. Norris previously pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography and possession of child pornography. According to the plea agreement, on May 28, 2022, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency received four CyberTipline Reports (CyberTips) from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding two internet accounts that were being used to transmit child sexual abuse material. Both accounts were associated with Norris. On July 22, 2022, state search warrants were obtained for Norris’s residence in Pinson, Alabama, and another location associated with Norris in Trussville, Alabama. Multiple electronic devices were seized from the properties. The two internet accounts listed in the CyberTips were found on Norris’s cell phone. The forensic examination of his electronic devices revealed a total of 179 files of child pornography. At the time of this investigation, Norris had a prior conviction for possession of child pornography. FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency and Homewood Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Leann White and Lee Gilmer prosecuted the case. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Charles Robinson, 44, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison, after a September 2, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Between at least May 2023 and continuing through September 2024, Robinson was involved in an ongoing methamphetamine distribution conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa, where law enforcement documented Robinson actively engaged in drug trafficking. Robinson has an extensive criminal history, including numerous assault and domestic abuse-related convictions. Robinson was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Robinson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by Cerro Gordo County, Iowa Sheriff’s Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3032. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Spiro Resident Sentenced For Distributing Methamphetamine

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jessica Marie Campbell, age 44, of Spiro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office. On May 8, 2025, Campbell pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 7, 2023, Campbell sold a baggie containing approximately 117 grams of a crystalline substance which later tested positive for methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Campbell will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan W. Howanitz and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.


title: Broken Bow Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Firearm

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jerry Wayne Shomo, a/k/a Jerry Wayne Shomo, Jr., a/k/a Jerry Wayne Shomo, Junior, age 47, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. On May 5, 2025, Shomo pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 9, 2024, a trooper conducting a routine traffic stop pulled Shomo over in Broken Bow. Shomo ran from his vehicle, was apprehended following a short foot chase, and confessed to having an AR-15 in the vehicle. At the time of the traffic stop, Shomo had been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of more than one year in prison. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Shomo will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ersy Gregorio Umanzor Lopez, a/k/a Ersy Gregorio Umanzor, a/k/a Ersy G. Umanzor, age 33, a Honduran national unlawfully present in Bryan County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The Indictment alleged that on November 17, 2025, Lopez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on October 20, 2017, on September 8, 2017, and on January 12, 2018. 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 Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Lopez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.


title: Seminole County Resident Sentenced To 51 Months For Arson

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robby Dewayne Tiger, age 41, of Seminole County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 51 months in prison for one count of Arson in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Seminole Lighthorse Police, and the Seminole Police Department. On June 4, 2025, Tiger pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 7, 2024, Tiger purposefully lit a fire in a Seminole residence, lit a second fire when the first fire burned out, then exited the residence to watch it burn. Law enforcement arriving on the scene discovered the house engulfed in flames and Tiger watching from nearby with a lighter in his pocket. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Tiger will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Coal County Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kevin Carter Kieckhefer, age 36, of Tupelo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to46 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Coal County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On June 30, 2025, Kieckhefer pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 19, 2023, deputies discovered Kieckhefer knowingly in possession of 25 rounds of .223 ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Kieckhefer will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.


title: Bryan County Resident Sentenced For Illegally Possessing Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Vernon Hardage, Jr., age 47, of Kenefic, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On July 1, 2025, Hardage pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 11, 2024, law enforcement discovered Hardage knowingly in possession of one round of 12-gauge ammunition and 17 rounds of .300 Blackout caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. Hardage also possessed an unregistered 12-gauge, break open shotgun. 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. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Hardage will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Attempted Arson In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Johnny Lee Vann, age 48, was sentenced to 83 months in prison for one count of Attempted Arson in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On July 1, 2025, Vann pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 4, 2025, Vann positioned a haybale beneath a neighbor’s trailer and ignited the bale. One of the residents smelled smoke, chased Vann away, and removed and extinguished the bale. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Vann will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Update on Investigation into Brown University and Brookline Shootings

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The Department of Justice, alongside our law enforcement partners, has been actively investigating the facts and circumstances surrounding the mass shooting at Brown University and the homicide of an MIT professor in Brookline, Mass. The investigation into these horrific acts remains ongoing. As part of the investigation on Dec. 18, 2025, investigators executed a federal search warrant at a storage facility used by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the Portuguese national responsible for the senseless murders. During the search of the storage facility, the FBI recovered an electronic device containing a series of short videos made by Neves Valente after the shootings. Today, the Department of Justice is releasing the transcripts of these videos, which have been translated from Portuguese to English. In these videos, Neves Valente admitted that he had been planning the Brown University shooting for a long time. Although Neves Valente stated that Brown University was his intended target, based on initial review of the evidence collected, he did not provide a motive for targeting students at Brown University or the professor at MIT. Neves Valente showed no remorse during the recordings; on the contrary, he exposed his true nature when he blamed innocent, unarmed children for their deaths at his hand and grumbled about a self-inflicted injury he suffered when he shot the MIT professor at close range. Our investigation into the motives behind Neves Valente’s heinous acts will continue. Based on the evidence seized and analyzed to date, authorities do not believe there are any ongoing public safety threats associated with the shootings. Additional updates will be provided as further information is developed and following appropriate victim notification. neves-valente_tanscript.pdf


title: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST MAN FOR ATTEMPTED SEX TRAFFICKING OF A MINOR IN PENSACOLA

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Christopher W. Glover, 47, of Simms, Alabama, has been indicted in federal court on charges of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor, Attempted Enticement of a Minor, and Traveling in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. At a detention hearing in federal court in Pensacola, evidence was presented that Glover communicated with who he believed to be a 14-year-old female and offered to pay her hundreds of dollars in return for sexual acts. It is alleged that Glover then traveled from Alabama, where he worked for the Baldwin County School District, to Pensacola to meet with the minor. The purported minor, however, was an undercover law enforcement officer. When Glover reached Pensacola to engage in the sexual acts with the minor, he was taken into custody. Glover remains detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending trial. Glover is scheduled for trial before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on February 17, 2026. If convicted, Glover faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ up to life imprisonment to be followed by supervised release and registration as a sexual offender. The case is being jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton. 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 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: OCALA MAN SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jean-Marie Lubin Celestin, 31, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced to serve eight years and six months in prison, followed by a 10-year term of supervised release, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners are committed to eradicating drug traffickers from our communities, and my office will continue to back up excellent investigations like this one with successful prosecutions to send these peddlers of poisonous drugs to federal prison. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe streets and drug-free communities, and that is exactly what we will deliver.” According to court records, the defendant previously supplied pounds of methamphetamine to a drug trafficker operating in the area of Crawfordville, Florida. Law enforcement conducted an investigation wherein the defendant delivered approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, resulting in both his arrest and seizure of the narcotics. The defendant had prior state convictions in Florida, Georgia, and Missouri, and had only been released from the Florida Department of Corrections 15 months prior to his arrest in this case. “This sentence sends a clear message that drug trafficking will not be tolerated in Wakulla County,” said Sheriff Jared F. Miller. “Methamphetamine destroys lives, families, and entire communities. I commend our Deputies and our federal partners for their hard work on this case and thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for holding this offender accountable. Working together, we will continue to target those who bring dangerous drugs into our community and do everything possible to keep Wakulla County safe.” “Methamphetamine is a poison that destroys lives and tears at the fabric of our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingengo. “This recidivist criminal repeatedly chose personal gain and profit by pushing these dangerous narcotics into our neighborhoods, putting countless lives at risk, and contributing to the cycle of addiction and crime. Alongside our partners, we’re committed to protecting the public and holding those who traffic in these deadly substances accountable.” The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason R. Coody and Former Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Cleveland Man Charged in Postal Worker Robbery

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – A Cuyahoga County man has been charged by criminal complaint with robbing a United States Postal Service (USPS) carrier while on her route. According to the allegations in the criminal complaint and affidavit, on Dec. 29, a USPS letter carrier was robbed at gunpoint while delivering mail on West Long Street in Akron. The victim reported that several individuals wearing dark clothing and masks approached her and—under the threat of violence—demanded that she give them the postal keys. The assailants then stole several items, including her USPS satchel, multiple pieces of mail, and the postal vehicle keys before fleeing in a getaway car. Later that afternoon, the getaway car was traced by police to a location on Kinsman Road in Cleveland, where a traffic stop was attempted. The driver, later identified as Delshawn Durval Legg, 19, of Cleveland, drove away from police at a high rate of speed and then fled on foot. Legg was subsequently apprehended following the deployment of a K9 unit. A second unidentified individual who was inside the car, remains at large. Investigators later learned that the getaway car was reported stolen from the Great Lakes Honda dealership in Akron earlier that day. If convicted, Legg faces up to 10 years in prison for robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States; and using or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Cleveland Field Office with assistance from the Akron Police Department, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cleveland Division of Police. The prosecution is being led by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Rolph for the Northern District of Ohio. The USPIS is the federal law enforcement arm of the postal service with jurisdiction for investigating crimes against postal carriers and crimes involving the U.S. Mail. Anyone having information about blue collection box thefts, or thefts or attempted thefts of mail carriers or mail, should contact USPIS at 1-877-876-2455. All information will be kept confidential. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Natrona Heights Felon Charged with Unlawful Possession of Firearms and Ammunition

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The one-count Indictment named Myles Daryl Johnson, 44, as the sole defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about December 11, 2025, Johnson, as a convicted felon, possessed firearms and ammunition. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tarentum Borough Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment. 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. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Teledyne Electronic Safety Products Agrees to Pay $1.5M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Involving the Sale of Non-Conforming Parts to the Department of Defense

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department announced that Teledyne RISI Inc., also known as Teledyne Electronic Safety Products (Teledyne ESP), an aerospace and defense electronics company based in Chatsworth, California, has agreed to pay $1.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by supplying aircraft parts to the military that did not meet contract specifications. The settlement resolves allegations that Teledyne ESP, as a subcontractor for U.S. Navy contracts, knowingly caused false claims to be submitted to the U.S. Navy in connection with its manufacture of Digital Recovery Sequencer (DRS) units containing a microelectronic part that did not conform with the specifications reviewed and approved by the Navy. DRS units were a component of ejection seat systems used by various types of military aircraft. Teledyne ESP allegedly obtained the non-conforming parts from a third-party broker that was neither an Original Equipment Manufacturer nor an authorized re-seller of the part. The DRS units with the alleged non-conforming part were delivered to the Navy between November 2011 and June 2012 and installed as part of ejection seat systems in military aircraft. “Our military aviators rely on defense supply chains to provide them with equipment that they can depend on, even in the most difficult conditions,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to hold accountable those who supply equipment to the U.S. military that does not conform to the contract specifications.” “Our military should not only expect the correct, conforming parts for the equipment they need to serve and defend our country, they deserve that proper equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to support this multi-agency investigation to protect our servicemembers from risks introduced by non-conforming parts in our military supply chains.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General (OIG), remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD supply chain,” said Special Agent-in-Charge John E. Helsing of the DoD-OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “Non-conforming parts in the DoD supply chain presents a risk to our warfighters and threaten our Nation’s security . ” “The Air Force Office of Special Investigations remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the warfighter by rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in the defense supply chain,” said Special Agent in Charge Derrell Freeman of Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Southeast Field Office. “Today’s $1.5 million settlement demonstrates that AFOSI, working shoulder-to-shoulder with our Department of Justice, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and Air Force Materiel Command partners, will aggressively pursue and hold accountable any contractor that fails to meet contract requirements that protect the safety and readiness of U.S. military personnel.” In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Teledyne ESP took a number of significant steps entitling them to credit for cooperation with the government’s investigation, including identifying witnesses and facilitating their interviews; and providing investigative updates to the United States and other customers, including through the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program. Teledyne ESP received credit under the Department of Justice’s guidelines in Justice Manual § 4-4.112 for taking cooperation into account in cases involving False Claims Act allegations. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina, DCIS, AF OSI, and the Air Force Materiel Command Law Office, Procurement Fraud Division. This matter was handled by Fraud Section attorney Richard W. Hagner and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Leventis for the District of South Carolina. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: District of Arizona Charges 135 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Dec. 27 through Jan. 2, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 135 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 75 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 52 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 8 cases against 8 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Nolberto Erasmo Bojorquez-Chaparro. Bojorquez-Chaparro was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien, Dec. 29, 2025. According to the complaint, a Border Patrol agent received coordinates from an air unit of what appeared to be footprints for a group of five individuals. The Border Patrol agent located the footprints traveling south from the coordinates and followed the footprints to five subjects concealed in bushes and wearing camouflage clothing and carpet booties. Immigration checks confirmed that the five individuals were citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. Agents determined Bojorquez-Chaparro was guiding the group through the desert. 25-02214MJ, Phoenix. United States v. Omar Luna-Silva. Luna-Silva was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 1, 2026. Luna-Silva was previously removed from the United States on May 16, 2013, after being convicted of Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale, a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Luna-Silva was sentenced to three years of probation. 26-3000MJ, Phoenix. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-001_January 5 Immigration Enforcement # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


body_text: Dominican Drug Supplier Operating from Abroad Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy CONCORD – A Dominican man pleaded guilty today in federal court to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Starlin Alexander Valdez De Los Santos, 35, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to one count of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for April 16, 2026. According to the charging documents, pleadings and statements made in court, during the course of the conspiracy, the defendant operated a significant drug distribution network, which involved coordination of suppliers and local distributors over an extended period and utilized sophisticated communication methods to avoid detection, all while residing outside the United States. The years-long investigation into the defendant’s activities resulted in the total seizure of more than 750 grams of fentanyl during eight undercover purchase operations in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl carries a sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years’ incarceration, not less than 4 years of supervised release, and a fine up to $5,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Hudson Police Department provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and law enforcement partners in the Dominican Republic assisted in securing the arrest and extradition of Valdez De Los Santos from the Dominican Republic. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega is prosecuting the case. 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: Justice Department Sues to Revoke Naturalized Citizenship of Individual Facing a War Crimes Arrest Warrant in Bosnia

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Sead Miljkovic also known as Sead Dukic, who hid his true identity to come to the United States in 1996 and, ultimately, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen in 2007. Among other facts, Miljkovic failed to disclose to immigration authorities that he had used more than one name and had listed more than one date and place of birth, more than one name for his father, and more than one woman as his wife in his various applications. Miljkovic is a former member of the security forces of the short-lived Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB), who was subject to an arrest warrant issued by a court in Bosnia for war crimes against civilians when the U.S. Government granted him naturalized citizenship. “This Administration will not permit aliens to come to this country and hide their past to acquire the precious gift of U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Decades might pass, but when we find you, we will take action.” The warrant, issued on Jan. 23, 2007, led to an INTERPOL Red Notice alleging that, on June 18, 1994, and while acting as a member of the APZB security forces, Miljkovic physically mistreated civilians who were opposed to the APZB government. According to the Red Notice, Miljkovic and accomplices beat twelve civilians with wooden bats and locked them in a morgue for five days without access to light or water. Miljkovic has not yet appeared before a Bosnian court on these charges. This case is being civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, after investigation by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Observes National Human Trafficking Awareness Month

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: In recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Wyoming affirms its continued commitment to work with federal, state, and local partners to combat human trafficking, protecting vulnerable victims, supporting survivors, and preventing the proliferation of these horrific crimes. “Whether it’s forced labor, domestic servitude, or sex trafficking, human trafficking is the exploitation of human beings for profit, and it has no place in today’s society,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith “We remain dedicated to investigating and prosecuting traffickers within the borders of Wyoming.” The Department of Justice remains steadfast in its commitment to bringing human traffickers to justice, dismantling human trafficking enterprises, and protecting human trafficking survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month serves as an annual reminder of the importance of the fight against the abhorrent crime of human trafficking, but the Justice Department’s work continues every day of the year to combat this vicious crime, bring human traffickers to justice, and protect those at risk of falling prey to these unconscionable crimes of cruelty, exploitation, and greed. Since passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, nearly a quarter of a century ago, the Department of Justice has served on the front lines of our nation’s fight against human trafficking in all its forms. Today, we commemorate National Human Trafficking Prevention Month by redoubling our commitment to continue that fight. Anyone who has information about a potential human trafficking situation or a person who may be experiencing human trafficking should contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. Information on the Justice Department’s work to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking


title: Charlotte Man Sentenced To Prison For Possession Of Stolen Mail

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Dominique Dunlap, 30, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release today for conspiracy to commit bank fraud and possession of stolen mail, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison sentence, Dunlap was ordered to pay $1,650,921.70 as restitution. Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) which oversees North Carolina, Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which overseas Charlotte, and Chief Estella Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. Dunlap’s wife and co-conspirator, Kiara Padgett, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and is awaiting sentencing. Dunlap’s other co-conspirator, Terrell Alexander Hager, Jr., was sentenced to three years in prison in connection to the scheme. “I am sick and tired of checks being stolen from the mail,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson, “particularly where it is done internally by an employee. We will aggressively prosecute these cases to put an end to this crime.” According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from August 2021 to November 2022, Dunlap conspired with Padgett, Hager, and others to execute a scheme involving stolen checks. Padgett was employed by the U.S. Postal Service and used her position as a postal carrier to steal incoming and outgoing checks of businesses and individuals. Acting as an intermediary, Dunlap sold the stolen checks to Hager and other individuals. Court documents show that the total face value of checks stolen from Padgett’s postal routes was over $8.8 million. On September 15, 2023, Dunlap pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of possession of stolen mail. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD for their investigation of the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Final Defendant Sentenced in Case Related to Seizure of Over 12 Pounds of Methamphetamine in Kalamazoo

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Brandon Lemar Baines, 36, from Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over 12 pounds of methamphetamine. According to court records, on January 23, 2025, officers with the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET), a multijurisdictional narcotics enforcement team working in the Kalamazoo County area, stopped a van carrying over 12 pounds of methamphetamine as it returned from Detroit to Kalamazoo. The van was driven by Baines and investigators found the methamphetamine on the front passenger seat floorboard where co-defendant, Kerriem Ishmael Steveson, Jr., 30, from Kalamazoo, was sitting. On December 8, 2025, Stevenson was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy. KVET investigators had been monitoring Baines’ and Stevenson’s drug trafficking for months prior to the traffic stop. In the early morning of January 23, 2025, investigators also executed warrants at two Kalamazoo residences associated with the defendants and seized over 200 grams of fentanyl, a firearm, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. At the time of the traffic stop, Baines was on parole with the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) after serving a 54-month sentence for methamphetamine trafficking and a firearm offense and was released from prison less than a year before being caught with over 12 pounds of methamphetamine and over 200 grams of fentanyl. A third defendant, Johnnie Montico McAllister, 30, from Kalamazoo, was also in the van at the time of the traffic stop. In his waistband, McAllister, a felon, possessed a loaded Glock 9mm pistol. He too was on parole with MDOC at the time of the offense after serving a seven-year sentence for armed robbery. McAllister was charged and convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentenced to nearly three years in prison. “Armed drug traffickers are destroying our communities,” stated U.S. Attorney VerHey. “My office will focus its resources on combatting those who threaten public safety by flooding our streets with guns and drugs.” “Those who have not learned their lessons from the state criminal justice system will face significant consequences in federal court as we continue to work closely with our exceptional state and local partners including KVET.” “The DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, will be unwavering and relentless in our mission to dismantle the violent drug trafficking organizations that are poisoning our communities and threatening the safety of the American people. We will pursue them wherever they operate and bring every available resource to bear until these networks are dismantled,” said Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent in Charge Joseph O. Dixon. “The distribution of drugs continues to devastate our community by fueling addiction, crime, and long-term harm to families and neighborhoods. This investigation and conviction is just one example of how the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety continues to prioritize our community’s safety. I am thankful for the continued collaboration between our department and our federal law enforcement partners, who work to disrupt trafficking networks, protect residents, and stop the spread of this dangerous substance,” said Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety Assistant Chief David Juday This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and KVET. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vito S. Solitro. 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: Cuban National Charged with  Assaulting Federal Officers with a Dangerous Weapon

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero, age 54, has been charged by indictment with two counts of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon and one count of Assault on a Federal Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. On the morning of December 21, 2025, ICE deportation officers attempted to arrest Juan Carlos Rodriguez Romero in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rodriguez Romero is a citizen of Cuba and subject to removal. Uniformed ICE agents initiated a traffic stop of Rodriguez. Rodriguez refused to obey commands and attempted to flee in his car. While fleeing, Rodriguez accelerated his car towards ICE officers who were on foot. Rodriguez sped away but soon hit two parked cars and lost control of his vehicle. ICE officers attempted to apprehend Rodriguez Romero a second time. Rodriguez Romero again accelerated his car towards officers, one of whom fired his weapon towards Rodriguez Romero. Rodriguez Romero struck one officer while trying to flee during this second attempt. When ICE officers apprehended Rodriguez Romero, he bit one of the officers, drawing blood. Two ICE officers were transported to the hospital, suffering from bruised ribs, a dislocated finger, and a bite wound. Rodriguez Romero is detained pending a detention hearing. If convicted, he faces up to twenty years in prison on the charge of Assault on a Federal Officer with a Dangerous Weapon. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Syngen Kanassatega is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Adam L. Mildred Sworn In As U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: FORT WAYNE – Today, the Hon. Adam L. Mildred was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady. U.S. Attorney Mildred was nominated by President Donald J. Trump and then confirmed by the Senate on December 18, 2025. U.S. Attorney (USA) Mildred is a native of Fort Wayne and a life-long Hoosier. After graduating from Concordia Lutheran High School, he earned his bachelor’s degree from Ball State University and his Juris Doctor from IU’s Maurer School of Law. Mr. Mildred then spent his entire career as a professional prosecutor. Over 28 years of service in Allen and Noble Counties, he prosecuted and tried over 200 cases, including homicides, armed robberies, drug crimes, and other serious felonies. He also served in several leadership roles, including two years of service as Chief Deputy of the Noble County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Over his decades of service, USA Mildred has lent his talents to numerous other institutions in Fort Wayne and beyond. Until recently, he served as an Executive Board Member on the Indiana Association of Certified Accident Investigators. He has served as an Adjunct Criminal Law and Procedure Instructor at the Fort Wayne Police Department and Northeast Indiana Public Safety Academy. And he has long served in leadership roles in various civic groups. “It is an honor to assume the leadership of the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said USA Mildred. “During my time as a state prosecutor, I saw firsthand the kind of devastation that crime can cause our communities. I am humbled that President Trump and the U.S. Senate have placed their trust in me to use the powers of federal law enforcement to bring to justice anyone who would prey on our fellow Hoosiers. During my watch, this office will work closely with its state, local, and federal partners to prosecute any and all cartel members, terrorists, drug dealers, child sexual predators, immigration offenders, or violent criminals who violate federal law. I am confident that our efforts will protect the public safety, uphold the rule of law, and ensure that all citizens’ civil rights are safeguarded. My thanks go out to everyone who worked to give me this opportunity, and especially my family.” ###


title: Former Doctor Sentenced for Stealing Identity to Apply for Medical Jobs

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Monday sentenced a former doctor who sought medical employment using a stolen identity to 10 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Angela K. Boston sought employment on the medical staff of the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority in Oklahoma in April of 2023 by stealing the identity of a St. Louis doctor. Boston submitted forged diplomas with the doctor’s name and a forged State of Missouri medical license with her application. The victim then discovered that Boston had sought employment elsewhere using her name and personal information. Boston was indicted as Angela Williams but has since married. In a sentencing memorandum, Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll wrote that the doctor victimized by Boston was the same doctor whose identity she had previously misused to illegally obtain controlled substances. Carroll said Boston spent years victimizing someone who has done nothing wrong. Boston, now 40 and living in Kansas, pleaded guilty in 2020 to a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery. She admitted using her own prescription pad to write and sign numerous prescriptions for controlled substances using other persons’ names, including prescriptions for the painkillers hydrocodone and oxycodone. Williams then posed as a patient to fill the prescriptions. She also fraudulently used another doctor’s prescription pad, name, and Drug Enforcement Administration number to write herself additional controlled substance prescriptions. “When a fraudster steals the identity of a physician to secure medical employment, the integrity of our health care system and the safety and well-being of patients are put at risk,” stated Special Agent in Charge Linda T. Hanley of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to thoroughly investigate health care fraud to protect taxpayer-funded health care programs and the many millions of Americans who depend on them.” Williams pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in October to one count of identity theft. The HHS-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case.


title: La Motte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sending Threatening Text Messages and Possessing an Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifle and Silencer

body_text: A man who sent multiple threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend and who possessed an unregistered short-barreled rifle and silencer was sentenced today to five years in federal prison. Steven Michael Conroy, age 34, from La Motte, Iowa, received the prison term after a June 9, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of transmitting a threatening communication in interstate commerce. In a plea agreement, Conroy admitted that, following a child support hearing on July 19, 2024, he sent threatening text messages to his ex-girlfriend. In some of the messages, Conroy said that he wanted to “pay the child support in lead and flesh,” he told her that her “days are numbered,” and he threatened to shoot her if he ever saw her again. In another text message, Conroy sent her a photograph of himself with a gun. Later that same day, as Conroy was driving towards his ex‑girlfriend’s home in Minnesota, Conroy sent additional threatening text messages to her, including that he would be seeing her and her “bodyguard police officer very soon” and asking if the officer’s “plates are rated for level 4.” On July 22, 2024, officers searched Conroy’s home in La Motte, Iowa. During the search, officers found multiple firearms, including a short-barreled rifle that was not properly registered to Conroy. An unregistered homemade silencer was attached to the short‑barreled rifle. Conroy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Conroy was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. Conroy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Jackson County, Iowa, Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol, the Sabula, Iowa, Police Department, and the Winona County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-1036. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Littleton Man Indicted for Filing $3 Million In False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER - The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Anthony Dattilo, 34, of Littleton, was indicted by a federal grand jury on three counts of wire fraud, three counts of false claims, and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. According to the indictment, Dattilo devised a scheme to defraud and obtain money from the United States Department of Treasury, namely the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), by making false statements on tax returns which he filed with the IRS. Those false returns caused the IRS to refund Dattilo more than $3 million. The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. The investigation is being conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Tim Neff. Case Number: 25-cr-00345-SKC


title: Dallas man sentenced for violent convenience store robberies

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Dallas man has been sentenced to federal prison for a violent crime spree in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Victor Heredia, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on January 5, 2026. According to information presented in court, on November 6, 2023, Heredia robbed a 7-Eleven convenience store on N. Josey Lane in Carrollton. During the robbery, Heredia discharged a firearm into the ceiling of the store. The next day, Heredia robbed a 7-Eleven on E. Rosemead Parkway in Carrollton at gunpoint. 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 FBI and the Carrollton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson. ###


title: Man charged federally for vandalizing Vice President Vance’s Cincinnati home, assaulting federal officer

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – The man who allegedly vandalized Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home now faces several federal charges related to the incident. William D. DeFoor, 26, is charged by criminal complaint with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers. According to an affidavit filed this afternoon in support of the criminal complaint, around midnight, United States Secret Service (USSS) agents observed DeFoor running along the front fence of the protected residence. DeFoor allegedly breached the property line at the driveway and attempted to break the driver’s side window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle blocking the driveway entrance. DeFoor was armed with a hammer. DeFoor allegedly refused law enforcement commands to stop and drop the weapon. Charging documents state DeFoor ignored all commands and began to use the hammer to break glass windows across the front of the protected residence. DeFoor’s hammer strikes also caused damage to the enhanced security assets on each window owned by the United States government and valued at more than $28,000. The defendant allegedly attempted to flee on foot and was detained by USSS agents and Cincinnati police officers. Causing more than $1,000 in damage to United States property and engaging in physical violence against any person or property in a restricted building or grounds are each federal crimes punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Rees, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, and Cincinnati Police Acting Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges. Executive Assistant United States Attorney Christy L. Muncy is representing the United States in this case. A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Pilot Mountain Woman Sentenced for Bank Embezzlement

component: USAO - North Carolina, Middle

body_text: GREENSBORO, N.C. – A Pilot Mountain woman was sentenced today to 21 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for bank embezzlement, announced Dan Bishop, United States Attorney for the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC). Sarah Wilson, aka Sarah Cannoy, age 28, pleaded guilty on August 4, 2025, to three counts of embezzlement by a bank employee. In addition to prison time and supervised release, Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. also ordered Wilson to pay restitution totaling $150,450. According to court documents, Wilson was a teller at the Pilot Mountain branch of First Citizens Bank when, from December 2023 through May 2024, she stole $150,450 in cash from her teller drawer. To hide her theft, she entered numerous fraudulent transactions into the Bank’s computer system – fraudulent buy/sell transactions associated with the bank’s vault and fraudulent withdrawal transactions from the accounts of two elderly customers, then 89-years old and 90-years old, with whom Wilson was familiar. When the 89-year-old customer asked Wilson about the suspicious account activity, she told him the account looked fine. By then, Wilson’s fraudulent entries had effectively depleted his savings and certificate of deposit accounts by $59,700. She moved on to the 90-year-old customer’s certificate of deposit account, effectively depleting it by $42,650. An audit in late May 2024 revealed an imbalance with Wilson’s teller drawer. The bank launched an investigation and discovered the extent of Wilson’s criminal conduct. The bank terminated Wilson and made the customers whole. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General investigated the case, and it was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Jeanne Dildine. ###


title: Research Company To Pay $1 Million To Resolve Alleged Violations Of The Controlled Substances Act

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – Charles River Laboratories, Inc. (CRL), successor by merger to Explora Biolabs Holdings, Inc., has agreed to pay $1,000,000 to resolve allegations that Explora engaged in the unlawful manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances between 2019 and 2022 in violation of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). CRL also entered into a separate agreement with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) that contains provisions to ensure the company’s compliance with the CSA over the next three years. Explora, a provider of contract vivarium research services, was previously registered with the DEA for its facilities in South San Francisco and San Diego. Both facilities held Researcher registrations, which generally do not authorize the manufacture or distribution of controlled substances. The United States alleges that Explora nevertheless engaged in those activities at its South San Francisco and San Diego facilities without the appropriate registration. Based on its investigation, the United States contends that Explora unlawfully manufactured and distributed controlled substances in at least 178 instances, in violation of provisions of the CSA that closely regulate the manufacture, distribution, dispensation, importation, and exportation of controlled substances, and that Explora also violated multiple recordkeeping requirements of the CSA. The United States alleges that CRL has successor liability for Explora’s violations of the CSA, but does not allege that CRL itself violated the CSA. “Entities that exceed the scope of their DEA license can expect heightened investigative scrutiny and severe civil penalties,” said United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian. “This Office remains committed to working with the DEA to ensure that registrants who do not comply with the Controlled Substances Act are held accountable.” “We expect companies utilizing a DEA researcher registration to adhere to the parameters of its permitted practices. This case shows that we will aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who violate the scope of their lawful activities. Research is not an excuse to violate the law,” said San Francisco Division DEA Special Agent in Charge Bob P. Beris. “Explora’s violations of the Act were on over 150 separate occasions. The DEA is committed to protecting our communities and ensuring lawful scientific research.” “DEA registrants play a critical role in protecting the public and that responsibility starts with strict compliance to the Code of Federal Regulations,” said San Diego Division DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “When or if a company chooses to ignore these obligations, it puts communities at risk and undermines the safeguards designed to keep the public safe. DEA holds registrants accountable and in turn, expects them to keep the public safe.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pyle handled this matter for the government. The investigation and settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, and DEA Diversion Investigators in San Francisco and San Diego. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability .


title: Cleveland, MS Repeat Offender Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Aberdeen, MS – A Cleveland man was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for distribution of cocaine. According to court documents, Anthony Williams, a/k/a “Big Ant”, 45, of was convicted of sale and distribution of cocaine. Williams was sentenced as a career offender having been previously convicted of two prior felony drug trafficking crimes. Senior U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Williams to 151 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. “This defendant is a repeat offender who chose to continue to commit crimes in this district, and now he is paying the price,” stated U.S. Attorney Scott Leary. “We will continue to work with our partners to remove career criminals from our communities.” “The distribution of illegal drugs that poison and destroy our communities will not be tolerated in Mississippi,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Jackson Field Office Robert Eikhoff. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners remain committed to dismantling drug trafficking operations and holding offenders accountable. The FBI would like to thank the DEA and the Cleveland Police Department for their partnership and commitment in apprehending offenders. The message is clear: if you distribute drugs in our communities, you will be apprehended and brought to justice.” “Through the historic collaboration of the Homeland Security Task Force, we have removed a career drug trafficker from the streets of north Mississippi,” said Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, New Orleans Division. “This prosecution represents our unwavering commitment under Executive Order 14159 to protect our communities from the criminal elements that drive violence and exploit our borders.” The FBI, Cleveland Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad M. Doleac prosecuted the case. This operation and conviction is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating tin the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Jackson comprises agents and officers from FBI, DEA and Cleveland Police Department with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi.


title: Syrian Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Social Security

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Syrian man pleaded guilty today to a felony charge stemming from his theft of thousands of dollars of Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Rodriguez, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Samer Succar, a naturalized United States citizen who resides in his native country of Syria, entered a guilty plea this morning, before United States District Judge Gershwin A. Drain, to one count of Theft of Government Funds. According to court records, the monies were paid out by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to Succar in his capacity as Representative Payee for his mother’s SSI benefits. Under the provisions of the Social Security Act, Succar was required to notify the SSA of any changes that may affect his mother’s eligibility for SSI, including whether she left the United States for a full calendar month or 30 consecutive days. Instead, for more than twenty years, Succar knowingly and intentionally concealed from and made false statements to the SSA about his mother’s foreign travel and residency, in order to obtain her SSI benefits. Specifically, Succar provided that he and his mother resided together at homes located in Michigan, when in fact, neither he nor his mother had resided in the United States since at least September 2022 and September 2003, respectively. “This thief lied about himself and his mother so that he could live in Syria on the back of the hardworking American taxpayer. Americans fund Social Security for our benefit. And Americans are sick and tired of people like this ripping off our country,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. “By hiding his mother’s relocation outside the United States, Samer Succar knowingly continued to collect SSI benefits he was not entitled to receive,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Rodriguez, SSA OIG, Chicago Field Division. “This was a calculated deception, and those who abuse programs designed to support vulnerable individuals will be held accountable.” Succar entered into a plea agreement, as a part of which he agreed to pay restitution to the Social Security Administration in the amount of $190,825.00. A sentencing hearing has been set for April 22, 2026, at 11 am. This case was investigated by special agents of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Corinne M. Lambert.


title: ELEVEN INDICTMENTS RETURNED IN DECEMBER FOR PREVIOUSLY DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIENS IDENTIFIED IN RECENT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA and TALLAHASSEE – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that 11 previously deported illegal aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States. Juan Ramos Salgado, 49, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported in 2012. Trial is set for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Edgar Castaneda-Herrera, 45, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2006 and 2008. Plea and sentencing are set for January 14, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Erlin Adonay Hernandez-Navas, 37, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in November 2025, after previously being deported three times in 2008, 2009 and 2014. Carlos Sanchez-Mendez, 35, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported three times in 2010, 2014 and 2016. Plea and sentencing are set for January 14, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Allan Josue Sanchez-Lozano, 28, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in November 2025, after previously being deported in 2016. Trial is set for February 17, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Leobardo Gomez-Lopez, 41, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in November 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2016 and 2017. Plea and sentencing are set for January 22, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Jose Alberto Orozco-Sanchez, 45, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2019. Trial is set for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Nicolas Jorge-Garcia, 41, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in November 2025, after previously being deported five times, including in 2007, three times in 2012, and again in 2015. Trial is set for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Andres Martin Valdivia Moran, 43, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in December 2025, after previously being deported twice in 2017 and 2019. Trial is set for February 17, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Carlos H. Solorsano Castellanos, 35, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in December 2025, after previously being deported in 2014. Plea and sentencing are set for January 22, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Kevin A. Perez-Portillo, 31, of El Salvador, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Santa Rosa County in December 2025, after previously being deported in 2017. Trial is set for February 17, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Orozco-Sanchez and Valdivia Moran both face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine pursuant to allegations of prior convictions qualifying for an increased maximum sentence. The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations and Enforcement and Removal Operations with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Pensacola Police Department, the Valparaiso Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica S. Etherton, Christopher C. Patterson, Walter E. Narramore, Alicia H. Forbes and Brooke DiSalvo are prosecuting the cases. 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 in a court of law. 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .