title: District of Arizona Charges 197 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Mar. 7 through Mar. 13, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 197 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 132 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 59 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 6 cases against 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 (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the 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. Marcos Antonio Arguelles-Miranda. On Mar. 6, 2026, Marcos Antonio Arguelles Miranda was charged by criminal complaint with Bringing in Illegal Aliens. According to the complaint, Horse Patrol Unit (HPU) agents were called that day to assist Field Training Units in tracking three sets of footprints near Gila Bend, Arizona. HPU agents ultimately located three individuals, including Arguelles-Miranda, under a tree. The two other individuals in the group identified Arguelles-Miranda as their foot guide and stated that Arguelles-Miranda had abandoned another illegal alien traveling with them because he could no longer walk. Immigration checks confirmed that all three subjects are citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-3083] United States v. Saul Rodriguez-Vazquez. Saul Rodriguez-Vazquez was charged by criminal complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Placing in Jeopardy the Life of Any Person. On Mar. 10, 2026, Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) attempted to stop a driver suspected of alien smuggling. The driver, Rodriguez-Vazquez, failed to yield to BPAs and a pursuit ensued. At one point, someone opened the passenger side door and a female subject jumped from the moving vehicle. Several BPAs disengaged from the vehicle pursuit to apprehend her while other BPAs continued to pursue the vehicle. Agents finally arrested Rodriguez-Vazquez after a vehicle immobilization device was deployed as he drove through an immigration checkpoint. In an interview with the female subject who had jumped from Rodriguez-Vazquez’s vehicle, she admitted to being a citizen of Guatemala, illegally present in the United States. She stated that when BPAs started chasing Rodriguez-Vazquez, he told her to jump out. She refused because the vehicle was still moving, but he argued with her and became aggressive. Rodriguez-Vazquez told her, "salta a la verga," so when the vehicle slowed down, she jumped out even though it was still moving. [Case Number: 26-MJ-5900] These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). 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: 2026-048_March 13, 2026 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS DENHAM SPRINGS MAN OF ASSAULTING A POSTAL EMPLOYEE

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced the conviction of Cody Gaspard, age 27, of Denham Springs, Louisiana. After a three-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson, the jury unanimously convicted Gaspard of assaulting a postal employee. As the evidence at trial demonstrated, Gaspard approached a United States Postal Service worker who was delivering mail at an apartment complex in Livingston Parish and began using aggressive and racially charged language. Gaspard’s conduct interfered with the postal worker’s duties and quickly rose to intimidation, assault, and a physical confrontation, which caused bodily injury to the postal worker. As a result of his conviction, Gaspard now faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 and supervised release. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jamie L. Flowers, Jr. and Ellison C. Travis.


title: Greer Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering related to Cares Act Fraud

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. – Jonathan Wade Sumter, 54, of Greer, has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering related to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) programs of over $1.8 million. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that between June 2020 and January 2022, Jonathan Wade Sumter, his twin brother Jason Elijah Sumter, and Gerothia McCullough devised a scheme to defraud the PPP and EIDL programs by applying for funds on behalf of sham or defunct companies. Jonathan Sumter and the others submitted applications containing phony company expenses, employee wage statements, and other false documents on behalf of the sham companies Living Water Outreach, High Consulting, Lyons Transport, GSM Home Care, Challenge Consulting, and Omni Holdings. Using these fraudulent applications, they obtained over $1.8 million of EIDL and PPP payments. Jonathan Sumter was the ringleader and submitted the applications on behalf of and with the permission of the others. When the loans were funded, the three split the proceeds. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Johathan Sumter to 80 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Jonathan Sumter’s sentence will run concurrent with a 92-month sentence he was already serving for a 2023 federal conviction for health care fraud. Jason Elijah Sumter was recently sentenced to three years for his role in the fraud and Gerothia McCullough was sentenced to 12 months for her role. To recover ill-gotten gains from the defendants, Jonathan Wade Sumter was ordered to pay $1,802,741 in restitution. Jason Elijah Sumter was ordered to pay $739,786 in restitution and he was ordered to forfeit a parcel of real property in Orangeburg County. Gerothia McCullough was ordered to pay $478,366 in restitution and she was ordered to forfeit a 2018 GMC Canyon. This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney T. DeWayne Pearson prosecuted the case. ###


title: Adobe Agrees to $150 Million Settlement and Injunction to Resolve Alleged Violations of the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act

component: Civil Division

body_text: Note, the release has been updated to include a quote from U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a proposed stipulated order that, if entered by the court, will resolve a case against software company Adobe Inc. and two of its employees, Maninder Sawhney and David Wadhwani. The proposed order requires Adobe to pay $75 million in civil penalties and offer customers $75 million in free services to resolve allegations that the company’s subscription practices violated the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA). ROSCA generally requires companies offering online subscriptions to clearly disclose important subscription information and to provide subscribers with simple ways to cancel. In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the government alleged that Adobe violated ROSCA by using fine print and inconspicuous hyperlinks to hide important information about Adobe’s subscription plans, including information about a hefty Early Termination Fee that customers may be charged when they cancel their subscriptions. The government also alleged that Adobe thwarted subscribers’ attempts to cancel, subjecting them to convoluted and inefficient cancellation processes filled with unnecessary steps, delays, unsolicited offers, and warnings. “American consumers deserve the right to make informed choices when deciding where to spend their hard-earned money,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will strongly oppose any attempt to harm Americans with deceptive and unfair business practices.” “Consumers should not have to navigate a digital maze to cancel a subscription,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “We will continue to hold responsible any company that uses deceptive business practices to harm the consumer.” In addition to civil penalties and free services, the stipulated order provides strong protections for American consumers going forward. Adobe will be required to clearly disclose any Early Termination Fee and how the fee is calculated before enrolling customers in subscriptions. For any free trial lasting longer than seven days, Adobe must also remind customers before converting them into a paid subscription with an Early Termination Fee. Furthermore, Adobe will be required to provide its subscribers with easy ways to cancel their subscriptions. The United States is represented in this action by Trial Attorneys Francisco L. Unger and Zachary L. Cowan and Assistant Director Zachary A. Dietert, from the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Savith S. Iyengar for the Northern District of California, in coordination with staff at the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection. For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch .


title: Former U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence Analyst Charged  With Willful Transmission of National Defense Information

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Texas County, Mo., man has been indicted with two counts of willful transmission of national defense information. The indictment was returned by a Springfield grand jury under seal and was made public today after the arrest and initial appearance of the defendant. Seth Chambers, 35, a former United States Marine Corps. Intelligence Analyst, was employed as a civilian contractor and stationed in Iraq during the time frame alleged in the indictment. The indictment goes on state that, as part of his duties, he held a security clearance that authorized him to view classified material up to a TOP SECRET level and therefore had access to national defense and classified information. According to court documents, on two separate occasions, the defendant willfully transmitted SECRET level documents to two separate individuals who were not entitled or authorized to receive it. The first transmission occurred on Dec. 10, 2022, when the defendant transmitted a white paper containing verbatim and near verbatim excerpts from classified U.S. government documents and was sent to an individual in Maryland. The second transmission of a document containing verbatim and near verbatim excerpts from classified U.S. government documents occurred on April 20, 2023, and was sent to an individual believed to be in the People’s Republic of China. The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence. If convicted, under federal statutes, Chambers is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole on each count. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Kelleher and Trial Attorneys Nicolas Hunter and Sean O’Dowd of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. It was investigated by FBI Kansas City Field Office.


title: Lame Deer man sentenced to 12 years in prison for assaulting federal officers on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS – A Lame Deer man who assaulted federal officers on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 150 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Caleb Raymond Carter, 40, was found guilty at a December 2025 trial of two counts of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and one count of use of a firearm during or in relation to a crime of violence. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents and at trial that John Does 1 and 2 are federal law enforcement officers employed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. On May 2, 2025, John Doe 1 responded to a 911 call in Lame Deer. The caller, Jane Doe, advised Carter was drunk and was yelling at her mother, causing her to fear for her mother’s safety. By the time Doe 1 responded, the disturbance had subsided. Doe 1 contacted Jane Doe and her brother and confirmed they were safe. He instructed Jane Doe to call 911 again if there were any other issues. He cleared the residence. Later the same day, Jane Doe called 911 again to report Carter had woken up and was “yelling around.” Again, Jane Doe expressed concern for her family’s physical safety. She also advised Carter may be armed with a firearm. John Does 1 and 2 responded to the residence in separate, marked patrol vehicles. Both officers activated their emergency lights and parked at the northeast corner of the property. They approached a camper trailer on the property Carter had been using as a bedroom but no one responded to their knock on the door or their announcement that they were BIA police. John Doe 1 proceeded to the nearby residence and was greeted at the door by Jane Doe’s brother. As he was speaking with the brother, Doe 1 heard a loud bang that he immediately recognized as a gunshot. Both Doe 1 and Doe 2 drew their duty weapons and retreated from the door. They advised dispatch that shots had been fired and commanded the occupants of the camper to exit. Eventually, Carter and his wife emerged from the trailer with their hands raised and both were taken into custody. Law enforcement searched and photographed the camper trailer, noting a hole in the door consistent with a gun shot. They seized a 20-gauge shotgun in an overheard cabinet across from the door of the camper and observed a spent shell casing stuck inside the chamber. They also located and seized a box of 20-gauge ammunition from a kitchen cabinet. During an interview with law enforcement, Carter claimed he had had “issues” with law enforcement entering onto the property in the past, and had posted a “No Trespassing” sign on the gate in an effort to deter them from doing so. He admitted he watched John Doe 1 access the property the first time and said he locked a gate after the officer left. An FBI analyst examined the firearm and determined it functioned normally and would not have discharged accidentally. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Yerger prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the BIA. XXX


title: U.S. Arrests Alleged Tren de Aragua Leader Charged in Chile with Criminal Association, Extortion, and Kidnapping Resulting in Death

component: Criminal - Office of International Affairs

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Venezuelan national and illegal alien has been arrested at the request of the Government of Chile so that he may be prosecuted on seven charges stemming from his alleged role as a leader of “Los Piratas,” the primary Chilean cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA), the Justice Department announced today. Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas, 40, who was finishing serving a federal prison sentence in San Bernardino County, was arrested by the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and was transferred to USMS custody in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Chile accuses Gámez Salas of directing multiple extortions and kidnappings on behalf of TdA, one of which resulted in the highly publicized murder of a former Venezuelan military officer. This arrest brings Gámez Salas, who also has criminal convictions in the United States for human smuggling and illegal reentry after deportation, one step closer to facing justice in Chile after illegally attempting to seek refuge in the United States. “Our country must never become a refuge for criminal illegal aliens who are senior members of foreign terrorist organizations,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “We will continue to work closely with our overseas law enforcement partners to ensure this defendant will face justice in a Chilean courtroom.” “This illegal alien from Venezuela is an alleged leader of the foreign terrorist organization TdA,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “While in the United States, he was convicted of human smuggling and is accused by Chile of heinous violent crimes. This man is a clear public safety threat and should never have been in this country but reentered the United States illegally under the Biden Administration. The Justice Department, along with our federal and international partners, will continue to put safety and security first.” “Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas’s arrest for purposes of extradition is evidence of the strong and ongoing cooperation between the United States and our foreign partners to combat transnational crime, dismantle foreign terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua and hold members accountable for their heinous criminal acts,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The United States is not a safe haven for dangerous criminal aliens. Thanks to the Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs, which worked extensively with Chilean authorities over the last year to obtain the facts and evidence necessary to initiate these extradition proceedings.” Gámez Salas, also known as “Adrian Rafael Gámez Finol” and “Turko,” is accused of overseeing the criminal activities of Los Piratas in Chile. According to Chilean authorities, he planned and coordinated kidnappings, homicides, extortions and other offenses on behalf of the TdA affiliate, which included instructing subordinates to obtain necessary resources to execute the offenses, and ensuring that financial resources generated for Los Piratas were transferred abroad. Chile is seeking Gámez Salas’s extradition so that he may stand trial for one count of criminal association, two counts of extortion, two counts of unjustified firearm discharge, one count of kidnapping resulting in homicide and one count of kidnapping for extortion, arising from separate crimes against multiple victims. As set forth in the United States’ complaint for provisional arrest with a view toward extradition, Chile alleges, among other things, that Gámez Salas, acting under the supervision of senior TdA leadership, directed and planned the February 2024 kidnapping and murder in Santiago, Chile, of a former Lieutenant in the Venezuelan military. According to Chile, members of Los Piratas arrived at the victim’s apartment building in the middle of the night armed with firearms and in a car equipped with a blue light in an apparent attempt to impersonate officers of the Chilean Investigative Police. After using a battering ram to force entry into the victim’s apartment, the perpetrators handcuffed the victim and forcibly removed him from the building and into a car. Around one week later, in response to a tip from a witness, authorities discovered the victim’s body by drilling into the concrete floor of a makeshift dwelling in a housing development elsewhere in Santiago. The victim’s body was found covered in lime, concealed inside a suitcase, buried in concrete more than three feet deep and sealed beneath a concrete slab. An autopsy determined that the victim’s cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging, and the victim’s body showed signs of suspension by the upper extremities, lesions consistent with torture and partial postmortem dismemberment. Testimony obtained in the Chilean investigation revealed that the victim’s kidnapping and murder was allegedly ordered by leaders of TdA and directed to be paid for from outside of Chile. Additionally, in an intercepted conversation, Gámez Salas allegedly told other Los Piratas members that he had been assigned “from above” the task of coordinating and executing the crime. In support of its other charges against Gámez Salas, Chile also alleges that he played a leading role in an April 2024 deadly armed confrontation that killed a Chilean police officer; February and June 2024 kidnappings for extortion; and a March 2024 attempted kidnapping, among other offenses. In 2023, Gámez Salas was removed from the United States to Venezuela for having entered the United States illegally. He subsequently illegally reentered the United States – where he was found in December 2024 – and was prosecuted for human smuggling by the Val Verde County District Attorney’s Office in Texas. He was convicted in February 2025, after which he was indicted in the Southern District of Texas for illegally reentering the United States. He pleaded guilty to the illegal reentry charge in April 2025 and was serving his prison sentence in the Central District of California when he was arrested on the extradition warrant. Gámez Salas is also subject to an order of removal to Venezuela, which does not extradite its own nationals. On Wednesday, the United States Marshals Service executed the provisional arrest warrant by transferring Gámez Salas from Federal Bureau of Prisons custody to its custody in the Central District of California. He made his initial appearance on Wednesday for his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick in Los Angeles and was remanded into federal custody. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Lulejian of the Criminal Division and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Reena T. Mittelman and Ruxandra Barbulescu of the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs are handling the Gámez Salas extradition matter. Previously, in September 2025, the United States extradited to Chile another alleged TdA member, Edgar Javier Benitez Rubio, who was charged in Chile with multiple offenses arising from this same kidnapping and murder of the former Venezuelan Lieutenant. That extradition matter was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.


title: Murder investigation leads to federal drug trafficking and firearms charges

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 49-year-old Houston resident is now facing federal charges for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Johna Robinson has now been taken into federal custody. He is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan March 16. According to allegations in the criminal complaint filed under seal Feb. 27 and unsealed upon the arrest of Robinson, authorities were conducting a murder investigation Feb. 24 at a Houston apartment complex where a victim was found shot to death. Per the criminal complaint, a vehicle linked to Robinson had been used in the shooting. Law enforcement located Robinson at a nearby residence and observed him entering and exiting the location several times before departing in a different vehicle, according to the complaint. Court documents show authorities conducted a stop after Robinson committed a traffic violation. At that time, they allegedly discovered a loaded Taurus .38-caliber revolver in his waistband. The criminal complaint further alleges Robinson has prior federal convictions for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in the Northern District of Florida and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine in the Southern District of Texas. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law, according to court documents. The investigation also revealed law enforcement had allegedly encountered Robinson during a traffic stop in July 2025. Robinson fled the scene, but authorities soon took him into custody, according to the charging document. A search of his vehicle allegedly yielded a plastic bag in the rear passenger floorboard area containing 972.8 grams of methamphetamine. The criminal complaint states that the drugs were intended to be used to press pills, a method commonly associated with the manufacture of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Authorities also allegedly discovered communications involving Robinson related to drug trafficking. If convicted, Robinson faces up to life in federal prison if convicted of the drug offense with a mandatory minimum of 25 years and a possible $20 million maximum fine. He could also receive up to 15 years and a possible $250,000 maximum fine on the firearm charge. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Houston Police Department; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Byron H. Black is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 133 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 133 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On March 9, Yu Zou, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Zou applied for admission to the U.S. in the vehicle lanes of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry by presenting false immigration documents on behalf of his passenger. Zou was taken into custody after Customs and Border Protection officers determined the passenger was a citizen of China who was unauthorized to enter the U.S. On March 10, Carlos David Lizarraga Santos, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 41 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the dash and gas tank of the defendant’s vehicle as he applied for admission to the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. On March 10, Johan Estuardo Garcia-Grajeda, a citizen of Guatemala, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. The unauthorized immigrant was arrested by Border Patrol agents in the U.S., about five miles west of the Tecate Port of Entry. He was previously deported in October 2025. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, 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), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Virginia Man Charged with Illegally Selling the Firearm Used in the Campus Shooting at Old Dominion University

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, Virginia, appeared in federal court today and was charged by criminal complaint with dealing in firearms without a license in connection with the March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU), and with three counts of making false statements during purchases of firearms. View complaint here . View affidavit here . “The Biden Department of Justice declined to prosecute this man and let him off easy with a warning,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Left-wing soft-on-crime policies cost lives — but this Department of Justice doesn’t tolerate crime, we punish it.” “Chapman allegedly stole a firearm and illegally sold it to a convicted terrorist, who murdered a decorated American veteran, and he will finally face the full weight of justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated ATF and FBI agents, in partnership with state and local law enforcement officers, we have arrested and charged this safety threat and removed him from the community.” “If you steal firearms, lie on federal forms, and put weapons in the hands of convicted terrorists, this FBI will find you,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “I want to thank our Norfolk Field Office and partners who continue to work 24/7 to bring to justice those responsible for yesterday’s attack. In the meantime, we continue to keep the victims, their families, and the entire Old Dominion community in our prayers.” On March 12, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, committed a shooting at ODU in Norfolk during an Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corp (ROTC) class, killing one victim and wounding two more. Today, law enforcement searched Chapman’s residence and located ammunition consistent with the firearm recovered from the ODU shooting. Chapman allegedly stole the firearm from a vehicle in Newport News one year before the ODU shooting and sold it to Jalloh days before the ODU shooting. Jalloh was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. As a previously convicted felon, Jalloh could not legally purchase or possess firearms or ammunition. In addition, according to court documents, in 2021, Chapman allegedly purchased three firearms that were recovered from crime scenes shortly afterward. Two were recovered from the scene of a homicide and another recovered from a drunk in public incident. If convicted, Chapman faces a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Bresnahan and Rebecca Gantt for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Chapman Complaint.pdf Chapman Affidavit.pdf


title: Drug trafficking leader to serve 25 years for multi-state fentanyl and methamphetamine operation

body_text: HOUSTON – A 43-year-old Conroe man has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in operating a fentanyl-laced pill distribution network, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Johnny Quoc Tran pleaded guilty Oct. 19, 2023. Senior U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Tran to serve 300 months in federal prison, to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence detailing Tran’s leadership role in a drug trafficking organization responsible for manufacturing and distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine-laced pills. Tran distributed the narcotics through members of the organization, including Devon Williams who acted as a courier. In imposing the sentence, Judge Lake determined Tran led a large, well-organized drug trafficking organization and was involved at every level of the operation. The court also noted Tran distributed thousands of fentanyl pills and emphasized fentanyl is a deadly poison. The investigation began in March 2019 when authorities identified a Houston-based drug trafficking organization with additional operations in Dallas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Authorities determined Tran led the organization and operated a pill press laboratory out of an auto repair shop. His wife, Amber Logston, assisted him by maintaining drug ledgers and concealing drug trafficking proceeds through financial transactions. On Nov. 21, 2019, authorities executed a search warrant at Tran’s residence and auto shop. They seized approximately 180 kilograms of fentanyl-laced pills and fentanyl powder, more than 90 kilograms of methamphetamine laced pills, four pill press machines and other equipment used to manufacture and distribute narcotics. Williams, 46, Houston, and Logston, 44, Conroe, also pleaded guilty for their roles in the case and have now been sentenced to federal prison. Tran has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Houston Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation and Harris County Constable’s Office Precinct 4 conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case. This investigation and prosecution is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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 Houston comprises agents and officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security investigations; DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.


title: Another week of border enforcement results in 461 people charged

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 459 cases have been filed in immigration and related matters from March 6-12, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. The Southern District filed 193 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 235 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felony convictions, including narcotics offenses, violent crimes, and immigration-related offenses. The cases also include charges against 26 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. The remaining seven cases filed this week involve other immigration crimes. Among the new cases are three men from distinct countries, all charged with felony reentry after removal. Authorities allegedly found El Salvadoran national Josue Alberto Villalobos-Bonilla and Honduran national Brayan Arman Hernandez-Mendez near La Grulla without legal authorization to be in the United States. According to the criminal complaints, both had previously been removed July 25 and July 26, 2025, respectively. Villalobos-Bonilla has a prior conviction for sexual solicitation of a minor, while Hernandez-Mendez has prior convictions for illegal reentry and evading arrest. Law enforcement also allegedly discovered Mexican national Juan Barrientos-Soto near San Juan after he had been removed Dec. 24, 2025. Court records reflect prior convictions for illegal reentry, theft of property and assault. Another defendant charged in a separate case is Mexican national Jordan Velasco-Martinez. The criminal complaint alleges he attempted to unlawfully reenter the United States within two months of his most recent removal. According to the complaint, authorities removed him Feb. 1. The charges also allege Velasco-Martinez has prior convictions for felony driving while intoxicated and illegal reentry. Law enforcement allegedly discovered him near Roma without legal authorization to be in the United States. All face up to 20 years in prison, if convicted. In addition to the new cases, in Corpus Christi the ringleader of a human smuggling organization received a 36-month federal prison sentence. From October 2024 to May 2025, Hugo Jimenez Jr. oversaw numerous alien smuggling operations throughout South Texas. He conspired with others to transport illegal aliens further into the United States and recruited local drivers to conceal them in vehicle cargo areas areas to circumvent Border Patrol checkpoints. Jimenez also scouted checkpoints in advance and coordinated rendezvous points north of inspection sites. At times, he personally transported the illegal aliens to San Antonio and Houston. Several others also received federal prison sentences in Houston for illegal reentry, including Mexican nationals Edgar Jaramillo-Escobar, Jose Guadalupe Mendoza-Cabrera and Faustino Rosales-Hernandez. Each has prior felony convictions including illegal reentry, driving under the influence of alcohol, family violence assault and assault causing bodily injury. Mexican national Jose Mario Cervantes-Luna was also ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country. He has prior convictions for illegal reentry, driving while intoxicated and sexual assault of a minor. Authorities previously removed him in 2004, 2011 and three times in 2012. In another case, Sergio Benavides-Melgar pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after law enforcement discovered him illegally present in the United States after being removed. According to court records, he has prior convictions for illegal reentry as well as aggravated sexual assault of a child and indecency with a child. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Former Boston Teacher Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former science teacher at Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for coercing and enticing at least one underage female to engage in sexual conversations online and requesting that she produce and send child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of herself. Defendant, who also previously worked at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and the Brookline Public Schools, possessed CSAM depicting rape of both female and male minors, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old. John Magee Gavin, 35, of Brookline, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2025 , Gavin pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of receipt of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography. Gavin was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025 , and remains in federal custody. According to court filings , Gavin is a former teacher at the Josiah Quincy Upper School in Boston. Prior to that, he was a 6th grade teacher at the Academy of the Pacific Rim Charter Public School in Hyde Park and was a paraprofessional with the Brookline Public Schools. In January 2025, Gavin was identified as the owner of a Discord account who messaged at least 20 underage females between the ages of 12 and 17 years old located throughout the country, including Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, as well as the United Kingdom and Canada. In these chats, Gavin disclosed that he was a teacher, engaged in sexual conversations and often asked the minors to send him pictures of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct – knowing that the children were underaged. He was arrested by local authorities in February 2025 and charged in Brookline District Court with enticing a child under 16, possession of child pornography and other offenses. A forensic review of evidence seized from Gavin’s Brookline residence revealed approximately 147 files (94 images and 53 videos) on his iPhone depicting CSAM. The CSAM depicted rape of both female and male minors, ranging in age from approximately five to 17 years old. Further analysis of Gavin’s Discord account identified numerous chats with underage females in which he engaged in online masturbation sessions with the minors; solicitated images from and exchanged images with the minors; and engaged in sexualized conversations with the minors while he was at school. The chats also included conversations in which Gavin expressed his sexual interest in certain students at Josiah Quincy. In one conversation, Gavin discussed his sexual interest in a freshman student at the school where he was employed as a teacher and fantasied about having sex with her. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline Police Department; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations; and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit, prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Smithfield man charged with illegally selling the firearm used in the campus shooting at Old Dominion University

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – Kenya Mcchell Chapman, 32, of Smithfield, appeared in federal court today and was charged by criminal complaint with dealing in firearms without a license in connection with the March 12 shooting at Old Dominion University, and with three counts of making false statements during purchases of firearms. View complaint here . View affidavit here . On March 12, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, 36, committed a shooting at Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk during an Army Reserve Officer’s Training Corp (ROTC) class, killing one victim and wounding two more. Today, law enforcement searched Chapman’s residence and located ammunition consistent with the firearm recovered from the ODU shooting. Chapman allegedly stole the firearm from a vehicle in Newport News one year before the ODU shooting and sold it to Jalloh days before the ODU shooting. Jalloh was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia in 2016 of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. As a previously convicted felon, Jalloh could not legally purchase or possess firearms or ammunition. In addition, according to court documents, in 2021, Chapman allegedly purchased three firearms that were recovered from crime scenes shortly afterward. Two were recovered from the scene of a homicide and another recovered from a drunk in public incident. If convicted, Chapman faces up to 35 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division are investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Luke Bresnahan and Rebecca Gantt are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-mj-74. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: Fitchburg Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Kavant Smith, 25, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 2 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Smith pleaded guilty to this charge on December 15, 2025. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. On January 27, 2025, Smith was the sole occupant and driver of a vehicle stopped by Fitchburg police. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 9 Shield 9mm handgun with a partially obliterated serial number under the passenger seat. While Smith denied knowing anything about the gun, a later DNA analysis concluded that Smith’s DNA was on swabs taken from the trigger, handle, and slide of the handgun. Smith is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior felony convictions. At sentencing, Judge Peterson remarked that Smith’s criminal history was an aggravating factor as he had two other gun related offenses. Smith was on state probation for a felon in possession conviction at the time of the federal offense. Smith also has a prior felony conviction that involved him committing a robbery with another suspect who was armed. The charge against Smith was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF as well as state and local agents throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case. Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, 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: Man Federally Charged with Assaulting Officers at Dallas Love Field Security Checkpoint

body_text: A man has been federally charged with assaulting a federal officer at Dallas Love Field Airport after he punched two TSA officers and seriously injured a Dallas police officer while attempting to proceed through security without identification, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. According to a federal complaint filed on Wednesday this week, Idress Vinay Solomon, 33, of Oakland, California, was ticketed for a Southwest Airlines flight to the Oakland International Airport in California on March 10, 2026. Solomon approached the security checkpoint at Dallas Love Field Airport without any identification. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer directed Solomon to a different lane so that TSA could attempt to properly identify Solomon using TSA’s ConfirmID process. When the process failed to verify Solomon’s identity, Solomon allegedly became verbally disruptive and aggressive. “Violent conduct perpetrated against TSA and law enforcement officers will never be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will prosecute such offenses to the fullest extent to seek justice for the victims here and to deter others from resorting to aggressive attacks against officers responsible for ensuring the public’s safety while traveling.” The complaint alleges that after the TSA officer called for a supervisor because of Solomon’s escalating behavior, Solomon punched him in the back of the neck. Dallas Police Department officers were present in the main lobby and responded to the disturbance to assist TSA. Solomon then allegedly punched one of the Dallas Police Department officers multiple times in the face, causing a serious orbital blowout fracture to his left eye that required him to seek treatment from an ophthalmologist at Parkland Hospital. As alleged in the complaint, Solomon next punched a second TSA officer multiple times before additional Dallas Police Department officers subdued Solomon. Surveillance video at Dallas Love Field captured Solomon’s alleged assaults of the officers, as depicted below in still shots from the video: Solomon was eventually handcuffed and arrested. As a uniformed Dallas Police Department officer attempted to put Solomon into a police vehicle, Solomon deliberately spit saliva onto the officer’s right arm, according to the complaint. Throughout the incident, Solomon allegedly refused to follow lawful verbal commands and continued to yell and pull away from officers even after he was handcuffed. If convicted, Solomon faces a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison for the charge of forcibly assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury. Solomon remains in custody pending further court proceedings. TSA, the FBI, and DPD conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Kansas City Man Sentenced to 5 1/2 Years  for Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for illegally possessing a stolen Taurus 9mm handgun. Zyair J. Taylor, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips, to sixty-six months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm. On May 21, 2025, officers conducted surveillance of a residence in the 400 block of Lawn Avenue, Kansas City, Mo., to arrest Taylor for his outstanding warrants. When Taylor exited the residence and saw officers, he fled on foot. During the foot chase, Taylor retrieved from his jacket a black handgun with a large drum magazine. Despite commands from officers to drop the gun, Taylor threw the handgun over his head as he continued to run. Thereafter, Taylor was physically combative with officers as they attempted to place him under arrest. Following arrest, officers retrieved the handgun, a Taurus, Model G3c 9mm handgun that was loaded with one round in the chamber and 49 rounds in the drum magazine. The firearm had been reported stolen in 2023 from Columbia, Mo. Taylor, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of five prior felony offenses before yesterday’s hearing. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Sex offender sentenced to prison after found in possession of child pornography

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: TOPEKA, KAN. – A previously convicted sex offender was sentenced to 137 months in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while he was on supervised release for similar offenses. According to court documents, Michael Pinkerton, 48, of Topeka pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – possession of child pornography. In September 2010, a U.S. District Court judge in the Western District of Missouri sentenced Pinkerton to 120 months in prison followed by 60 months of supervised release after convictions for attempted receipt of child pornography and attempted possession of child of pornography. In April 2024, while Pinkerton was living in Kansas on supervised release, two U.S Probation Office officers went to his home in Topeka. They observed Pinkerton attempting to hide something and asked him what it was. Pinkerton admitted to having an unauthorized smartphone that contained saved images of CSAM. Investigators later confirmed the phone contained CSAM. “After child sex offenders complete their prison sentences, tools like supervised release and registries are used to monitor them and try to keep our communities safe from deviant behavior. These mechanisms worked in this case thanks to the proactive work of our probation officers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Probation Office, and Topeka Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Walton prosecuted the case. Project Safe Childhood This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Federal Jury Convicts Three Women For Conspiracy To Commit Wire Fraud Related To Rocky Hill Pharmacy

body_text: KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On March 13, 2026, following a 15-day trial, a jury convicted Tiffany Haney, 43, Anne Warren, 45, and Tina Roper, 40, all of Knoxville, of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1349. The jury also convicted Haney and Warren of committing specific acts of wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, submitting false statements relating to health care matters in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1035, and aggravated identity theft in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1028A. The defendants remain on pre-trial release until sentencing, which will be scheduled at a later date in front of the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. At trial, six healthcare providers testified that alterations made to their prescriptions were not authorized. Three other healthcare providers testified that prescriptions that were submitted by the pharmacy using their names were unauthorized. Witnesses also testified that Medicare, TennCare, and other health benefit payors would not have paid for the fabricated and altered prescriptions if they had been aware that the prescriptions were not authorized. The evidence presented at trial established that the defendants conspired to defraud various health benefit programs, including Medicare and TennCare, by altering healthcare provider prescriptions without authorization and then submitting claims for payment for the added medications. The evidence also established that defendants Haney and Warren submitted false statements and used the identity of a healthcare provider without authorization. United States Attorney Francis M. (Trey) Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Nashville Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon, of Health and Human Services OIG (HHS-OIG), made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy S. Dykes and Brian P. Samuelson prosecuted the case. This case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. ###


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced to 10 Years for Seventh Illegal Reentry Conviction

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national was sentenced to 10 years in prison following her seventh conviction for re-entry of a removed alien. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, on October 11, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered Elena Ernestina Pedroza , 60, a Mexican national, in Doña Ana County, New Mexico. Records revealed that Pedroza had previously been convicted of re-entry of a removed alien and deported to Mexico six times, most recently in August 2025. Pedroza was previously sentenced to a total of 88 months (7 years, 3 months) for all her prior reentry convictions combined. The United States requested a longer sentence for deterrence. Pedroza subsequently pled guilty to re-entry of a removed alien and was sentenced to 120 months in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Chief Patrol Agent Jesse D. Muñoz of the U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector made the announcement today. The U.S. Border Patrol El Paso Sector investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Delgado prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican illegal alien and convicted felon both face federal charges after Norcross drug busts

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Benjamin Alberto Lozoya, a convicted felon, and Arturo Carreno-Rivera, an illegal alien from Mexico, face federal charges after law enforcement seized at least 30 pounds of fentanyl, 10 pounds of methamphetamine, and two loaded firearms in drug trafficking operations in Norcross, Georgia this week. “The defendants conducted their alleged narcotics trafficking in public with no fear of being caught,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “These arrests and charges send yet another strong message to the methamphetamine and fentanyl traffickers operating in our communities: we work in lockstep with our law enforcement partners to take your deadly drugs off the street and prosecute you in federal court.” “Fentanyl and methamphetamine destroy lives, and those who traffic these drugs while carrying firearms put entire communities at risk,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Through the DEA’s Fentanyl Free America Campaign, we will continue to pursue and dismantle the networks responsible for distributing these deadly substances.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On the afternoon of March 11, 2026, DEA agents observed Benjamin Alberto Lozoya allegedly sell over four pounds of methamphetamine to an individual in a Norcross, Georgia parking lot. Agents then followed Lozoya to a trailer residence a short distance away. While watching the area, agents observed Lozoya exit a nearby shed, walk to another suspected drug transaction, and deliver approximately $11,000 in cash to a waiting vehicle. Agents quickly arrested Lozoya and found a stolen loaded handgun in his pocket and approximately six pounds of methamphetamine in his backpack. Agents searched the shed and found over 18 pounds of fentanyl in the form of purple bricks, as well as about 25 pounds of a white crystalline substance that was consistent in appearance with methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that Lozoya was previously convicted in DeKalb County Superior Court in April 2023 of drug distribution, possessing a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, and evidence tampering. That same afternoon, DEA agents observed Arturo Carreno-Rivera allegedly conduct a suspected drug transaction with an individual at a Norcross gas station. A short time later, a Georgia State Patrol trooper conducted a traffic stop of Carreno-Rivera’s car on Buford Highway in Norcross. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement found over a pound of fentanyl. DEA agents subsequently executed a search warrant atCarreno-Rivera’s Norcross residence, where they located an additional 11 pounds of fentanyl and a loaded semi-automatic handgun. The investigation revealed that Carreno-Rivera is a Mexican national with no legal status in the United States. Benjamin Alberto Lozoya, 27, of Chamblee, Georgia, and Arturo Carreno-Rivera, 45, of Mexico, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath earlier today on criminal complaints charging them with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine (Lozoya) and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl (Carreno-Rivera). Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaints only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gwinnett County Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth, III, Johnny Baer, and Bernard Eyth are prosecuting the cases. 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. These prosecutions are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Former Navy servicemember sentenced to two years in prison for defrauding a pandemic relief program

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A former Navy service member and Navy reservist was sentenced yesterday to two years in prison and $128,844 in restitution for wire fraud relating to a fraudulent loan received through a pandemic-era relief program. According to court documents, on June 26, 2020, Tiara Jenee Bryant, then known as Tiara Washington, 36, incorporated the company Jovialistic-Spaces, LLC. On June 29, 2020, Bryant opened a business checking account in the name of the company, listing herself as the member and manager. On July 6, 2020, Bryant applied to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a loan under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, intended to enable small businesses to meet financial obligations and operating expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bryant fraudulently stated on the application that the alleged maid and cleaning service consisted of 11 employees and had gross revenues in 2019 of $250,000. There was no record of her alleged business prior to June of 2020. On July 23, 2020, the SBA funded Bryant’s EIDL application for $115,000 and transferred the funds, minus a filing fee, to the Jovialistic-Spaces business checking account. On Aug. 28, 2020, Bryant wrote a check from the Jovialistic-Spaces business checking account for $119,395.03, made out to “cash,” and on Aug. 31, 2020, transferred the remaining money in the account to her credit union checking account, leaving a zero balance. On Feb. 17, 2022, Bryant applied to the SBA for loan modification requesting the principal amount of the loan to be increased to $428,600. This application was declined by the SBA and flagged for suspected EIDL fraud. After being denied the loan modification, Bryant requested relief due to “financial hardship”, which was also subsequently denied. As of Mar. 5, 2026, the total amount owed, including principal and accrued interest, was $128,844.56. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Norfolk Field Office investigated the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-119.


title: Antifa Cell Members Convicted in Prairieland ICE Detention Center Shooting

body_text: Nine North Texas Antifa Cell operatives were convicted today by a federal jury in Fort Worth, Texas for their roles in rioting, using weapons and explosives, providing material support to terrorists, obstruction, and attempted murder of an Alvarado police officer and unarmed correctional officers at the Prairieland ICE Detention Center on July 4, 2025, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. In a 12-day trial that began on February 23, 2026, jurors heard testimony from more than 45 witnesses and considered over 210 exhibits supporting the charges against nine indicted defendants: Cameron Arnold, a/k/a Autunm Hill, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, a/k/a Meagan Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto, and Daniel Rolando Sanchez-Estrada. Seven others, Seth Sikes, Nathan Baumann, Joy Gibson, Susan Kent, Rebecca Morgan, Lynette Sharp, and John Thomas, pled guilty last year to one count of providing material support to terrorists. “Antifa is a domestic terrorist organization that has been allowed to flourish in Democrat-led cities — not under President Trump,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s verdict on terrorism charges will not be the last as the Trump administration systematically dismantles Antifa and finally halts their violence on America’s streets.” “These guilty verdicts and convictions rightly reflect the vicious, armed attack that these Antifa cell members planned and executed against law enforcement and detention center officers on the night of July 4 last year,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Their terrorist acts, attempted murder, vandalism, and explosives launched at a detention facility were a far cry from some peaceful protest or First Amendment expression. Because of the prompt action of first responders that night and tenacious work of our law enforcement partners in tandem with the prosecutors in my office, sixteen people have been brought to justice for these violent acts and their attempts to conceal them. We will continue in this mission to hold others accountable who perpetrate such violence and fund these ANTIFA groups in the Northern District of Texas.” “Today’s verdict shows the FBI remains committed to identifying, locating, and dismantling Antifa and its funding networks across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Acts of violence against our law enforcement partners will not be tolerated, and we continue our work to protect communities across the country from domestic terrorism.” “The calculated, violent attack at ICE’s Prairieland facility was an abhorrent way for antifa terrorists to ‘protest’ the way this agency enforces the law — but these verdicts make clear that those who choose violence over lawful expression will face the full force of the American justice system,” said ICE Director Todd M. Lyons. “The men and women who serve at these facilities deserve to do their jobs without facing intimidation or violence. Let today’s outcome serve as a warning: Those who target federal officers with intimidation, ambush tactics or political violence will be investigated, prosecuted and held accountable.” “The coordinated attack on the Prairieland Detention Center required a whole of government approach from the initial response throughout the investigation and trial. The FBI’s JTTF led this collective effort resulting in convictions and guilty pleas by those who committed violent acts against our law enforcement partners,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “I want to thank all the law enforcement agencies that collaborated with us on this investigation. Our collective goal remains to ensure the safety and security of our communities in North Texas.” “This case marks a historic moment as it represents the nation’s initial federal indictment targeting a coordinated group of Antifa cell members engaged in violent criminal activity,” said HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard. “The charges demonstrate our unwavering commitment to confronting domestic terrorism and protecting our communities from organized threats.” Testimony and other evidence at trial established that the defendants were members of a North Texas Antifa Cell, part of a larger militant enterprise made up of networks of individuals and small groups primarily ascribing to an ideology that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States Government, law enforcement authorities, and the system of law. An expert testifying in the government’s case told the jury that Antifa’s coordinated efforts involve obstructing Federal law through organized riots, violent assaults, and armed confrontations with law enforcement officers, increasingly targeting agents and facilities related to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement in opposition to the agency’s deportation actions. Evidence at trial revealed that most of the Antifa Cell involved in the Prairieland attack looked to Benjamin Song as a leader. Song acquired firearms that he distributed to co-defendants and recruited members at gun ranges and combat sessions he conducted, as well as from various ideologically aligned groups. For example, defendants Ines Soto, Elizabeth Soto, and Savanna Batten were part of a group that created and distributed insurrectionary materials called “zines,” according to trial evidence. Trial testimony reflected that, late at night on July 4, at least eleven of the defendants rioted and attacked the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, which the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was using to house illegal aliens awaiting deportation. The defendants dressed in “black bloc”—dark clothing with head and face coverings that concealed their identities—designed to hide each individual’s identity but also to aid and abet those members engaged in illegal acts by making members indistinguishable from one another to law enforcement. Evidence introduced at trial revealed that the defendants brought eleven firearms, body armor, and eleven military-grade first aid kits with tourniquets and other items for gunshot wounds to the scene of the attack. Many of these items were introduced by the government as exhibits. Additionally, fingerprint evidence linked many of the defendants to the items at the scene, and evidence obtained on phone locations supported that those who participated in the attack all turned off their phones or placed them in Faraday bags to prevent tracking on the night of the attack. After Antifa Cell members arrived at Prairieland, they began shooting off and throwing fireworks (explosives) at the facility and vandalizing vehicles and a guard shack on Prairieland property: Witnesses testified that an Alvarado police officer responded to the scene after correctional officers called 911. When the officer began issuing commands to defendant Nathan Baumann, Benjamin Song can be heard on police bodycam video yelling, “get to the rifles!” and then he opened fire on the officers, striking the Alvarado police officer in the neck as the unarmed correctional officers ducked and ran for cover. Police arrested most of the Antifa Cell shortly after the attack, many near the scene. Benjamin Song escaped and remained at large with the help of others until his capture on July 15, 2025. Trial evidence demonstrated that collectively, the Antifa Cell acquired over 50 firearms in the Fort Worth/Dallas area prior to July 4. During trial, the government introduced numerous chats of the members, who used an encrypted messaging app to coordinate with each other that had auto-delete functions, permanently deleting some Antifa Cell members’ communications. They also used monikers in group chats to hide their identities, and some of the planning chats included only trusted participants. The chats introduced at trial revealed that members in this limited group conducted reconnaissance and discussed what to bring to the riot, including firearms, medical kits, and fireworks: Witnesses who testified during the government’s case included the Alvarado police officer who was shot in the neck by Song, detention officers present that night who also took cover from rapid fire, multiple additional responding officers, numerous investigative agents, and cooperating codefendants, including Baumann, Sharp, Thomas, and Kent. Among other things, Kent testified that the night before the attack at a “gear check,” Song proposed to free the detainees at Prairieland and told the group that they should wear black bloc and bring rifles, because he (Song) wasn’t going to be arrested. Evidence at trial also revealed that some of the defendants attended a peaceful daytime protest at Prairieland on July 4—without the gear they brought that night—and that they reported back to other defendants details regarding security at the facility: The jury convicted the nine defendants of the following offenses: Riot (Count 1), with the intent to commit an act of violence, involving conduct such as shooting and throwing fireworks and explosives, slashing tires on a government vehicle, spraying graffiti on property and vehicles, destroying a closed circuit camera, shooting at officers, and dressing in black bloc. Defendants convicted: Cameron Arnold, Zachary Evetts, Benjamin Song, Savanna Batten, Bradford Morris, Maricela Rueda, Elizabeth Soto, Ines Soto Providing Material Support to Terrorists (Count 2), including property, services, training, communications equipment, weapons, explosives, personnel (including themselves), and transportation. Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto Conspiracy to Use and Carry an Explosive (Count 3), and Using and Carrying an Explosive (Count 4), during a riot. Defendants convicted: Arnold, Evetts, Song, Batten, Morris, Rueda, E. Soto, and I. Soto Attempted Murder of Officers and Employees of the United States (Count 7), involving the unlawful attempt to kill with malice aforethought the Alvarado Police Officer. Defendant convicted: Song Discharging a Firearm During, and in Relation to, and in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence (Counts 8, 9, and 10), i.e., the attempted murder of two correctional officers and an Alvarado Police Officer. Defendant convicted: Song Corruptly Concealing a Document or Record (Count 11), by transporting a box containing numerous Antifa materials, such as insurrection planning, anti-law enforcement, anti-government, and anti-immigration enforcement documents and propaganda from Sanchez Estrada’s residence to a location in Denton, Texas, intending to conceal the box’s contents and impair its availability for use in a federal grand jury and federal criminal proceeding. Defendant convicted: Daniel Rolando Sanchez Estrada Conspiracy to Conceal Documents (Count 12) and other objects that would implicate Maricela Rueda in the riot and shooting at the Prairieland facility. Defendants convicted: Sanchez Estrada and Maricela Rueda Song faces a minimum penalty of 20 years and a maximum of life imprisonment. Arnold, Evetts, Morris, Rueda, Batten, Elizabeth Soto, and Ines Soto each face a sentence ranging from a minimum of ten years up to sixty years in federal prison. Sanchez Estrada faces up to 40 years in federal prison. The sole count of providing material support to terrorists to which Baumann, Gibson, Kent, Morgan, Sharp, Thomas, and Sikes pled guilty, mirrors the material support offense in the charges presented to the jury at trial. Each of these defendants face a sentence of up to fifteen years in federal prison. Sentencing hearings for the sixteen defendants are pending in front of United States District Judge Mark Pittman, who oversaw the trial. The investigation was conducted by the FBI—Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ATF, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Alvarado Police Department, and the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Gatto, Shawn Smith, and Matt Capoccia prosecuted the case.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending March 13, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 75 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 31 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 73 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for aggravated assault, narcotics trafficking, theft, aggravated DUI, and prior immigration offenses. In a significant case, during a vehicle stop, a Homeland Security Investigations task force officer located 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, 100 grams of fentanyl, and a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol in a vehicle driven by Jesus Meza Lopez , a Mexican citizen. Lopez was charged with illegal reentry, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. He will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 16, 2026. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Teen Gets 10 Years in Prison for October 2024 Armed Carjacking

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Eric Woods, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for an armed carjacking of a man in October 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Woods, who was 17 years old when he committed the carjacking and who was charged as an adult pursuant to Title 16, pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to one count of armed carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. The Honorable Judge Robert Salerno sentenced Woods to 10 years in prison for the armed carjacking followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a concurrent sentence of 5 years in prison for the possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Salerno denied Woods’ request to be sentenced pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act. According to the government’s evidence, at 1:33 a.m. on October 11, 2024, Woods and a second suspect were driving a black sedan near Hanover Place and North Capitol Street NW when they spotted the victim sitting inside a Hyundai Elantra. Woods drove in front of the victim’s car and exited the black sedan to approach the victim with an assault rifle-style firearm. Woods demanded the victim get out of the car, removed a garage remote from the victim’s pockets, and got into the victim’s car. Woods drove away in the victim’s vehicle while the second suspect drove away in the black sedan. The victim and a relative were able to track the vehicle shortly thereafter and called 911. Members of Metropolitan Police Department’s 6 th and 7 th Districts, with the assistance of MPD’s Air Support Unit, were able to track the vehicle, which had stopped in front of 2719 Jasper Street SE. Woods and another individual bailed out of the stolen vehicle and fled on foot. After bailing out of the vehicle, Defendant Woods threw what was ultimately determined to be a loaded black .22 caliber Smith & Wesson M&P Sport 15-22 semi-automatic rifle into a nearby trash can. Officers located Woods and found him in possession of a black balaclava mask, black beanie, a Dodge car key, and a Hyundai car key, which belonged to the victim. Woods was arrested the same day and has been in custody since. Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll thanked those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Goldstein, who prosecuted the case.


title: New Orleans Lawyer Indicted  For Defrauding Client’s Family

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On Friday, March 13, 2026, a Federal Grand Jury indicted TANZANIKA RUFFIN (“RUFFIN”) , age 48, for wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the indictment, RUFFIN defrauded approximately $250,000 from her clients’ family. RUFFIN made numerous misrepresentations to the family regarding the $250,000. RUFFIN falsely told her client and his family that they had to compensate a New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) officer for various fictitious injuries and harms that the officer had allegedly suffered. RUFFIN also falsely represented that she had confected a “Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement” (“NDA”) with the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office and the NOPD officer. According to RUFFIN , this fabricated NDA required her client’s family to keep confidential any discussions about a financial settlement. In truth and in fact, no such NDA existed. Instead, RUFFIN spent all the money on personal and unauthorized expenditures and did not give any funds to the NOPD officer. If convicted, RUFFIN faces a maximum penalty of twenty (20) years of imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney David I. Courcelle of the Eastern District of Louisiana and Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carboni of the Public Integrity Unit are in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Man With History of Violence Who Threated Two People with a Loaded Firearm Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Capri Rogers, age 37, from Alexandria Virginia, was sentenced today to more than 7 years in federal prison, after pleading guilty on October 1, 2025, to possession of a firearm by a felon. Evidence in the case revealed on July 4, 2025, law enforcement responded to a report of harassment and that the subject had a firearm. Rogers had approached two women who were riding bicycles and threatened them with the firearm. Later in the day, law enforcement located Rogers. Rogers denied any knowledge of the incident and fled on foot from the officer, dropping a firearm in the street as he ran. A child was within feet of the weapon when it struck the pavement. Rogers was taken into custody. Rogers’ criminal history includes two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon in 2022, an assault and battery of a family member in 2016, the use of a firearm in a robbery in 2008, and a robbery in 2008. At the sentencing hearing, evidence showed that during the 2022 firearm offense Rogers had actually used the firearm to subject a live-in girlfriend to prolonged abuse. Rogers was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 90 months’ imprisonment. Judge Strand described Rodgers’ conduct relating to the 2022 firearms offense as “sadistic.” Rogers must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. 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. Rogers is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4043. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.