title: Laredo man admits to having child sexual assault material on phone

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas –A 25-year-old Laredo resident has entered a guilty plea to receiving and possessing child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Eduardo Rosas admitted to receiving and possessing numerous images and video files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his iPhone. The investigation began after authorities learned someone had uploaded CSAM onto a Kik account. Rosas was the owner of that account. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, at which time they seized several electronic devices including an Apple iPhone 11. Rosas admitted to owning the Kik account and the phone. Forensic analysis revealed 43 images, 99 videos files and 85 thumbnail files, all depicting CSAM. Some of the material depicted bondage, infants, bestiality and sadistic material. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Rosas faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Former Hapeville Police Officer Charged with Excessively Tasing Detainee

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ATLANTA - Shevoy Brown, a former officer with the Hapeville (GA) Police Department, has been arraigned on charges of using unreasonable force by repeatedly tasing a handcuffed detainee who had been arrested for trespassing. “Our local law enforcement partners employ dedicated officers who risk their lives and safety every day to help make our district safer. This indictment alleges conduct by a former officer that runs counter to the culture of professionalism and public service that epitomizes the work performed by police officers in and outside our district,” said Acting United States Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “People being held under arrest have the right to be treated humanely,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to protect the civil rights of the public and ensure those who abuse their power are held responsible.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the indictment, information provided in court, and other publicly available information: On June 3, 2024, Hapeville, Georgia Police Department officers arrested a man for trespassing and transported him to the department’s headquarters. The man was placed alone in a small holding cell and handcuffed to a stationary bench. Although the detainee was a threat to no one, former Hapeville Police Officer Shevoy Brown allegedly tased him at least six times without any legal justification. The repeated tasing injured the detainee and required medical attention. Following the tasing, Brown allegedly wrote a false use of force report to cover up his conduct. So in addition to the offense of excessive force, Brown is also charged with obstruction of justice. Shevoy Brown, of Hampton, Georgia, was arraigned before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 12, 2025. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent, and it will be the government’s burden to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Bret R. Hobson are prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Illegal alien felon imprisoned for unlawfully reentering the U.S.

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 30-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally entering the county without authorization for the fourth time, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jesus Alberto Castro-Garza pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now imposed a 106-month-term of imprisonment for Castro-Garza. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to again face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. Castro-Garza has prior felony convictions for injury to a child, assault family violence impeding breath, evading with a vehicle and human smuggling. He was removed from the country first in 2019 and illegally returned three times. He was last removed Nov. 21, 2023. Then on Dec. 24, 2023, authorities discovered him again in the United States in custody at a local jail. Castro-Garza will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the cases.


title: Illegal alien sentenced for exporting firearm parts

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 55-year-old Mexican citizen has been sentenced for exporting firearm parts from the United States into Mexico, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Oscar Daniel Ramirez Gonzalez pleaded guilty Dec. 12, 2024. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has how sentenced Ramirez Gonzalez to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence. On Nov. 9, 2024, Ramirez Gonzalez attempted to exit the United States and enter Mexico through the Pharr Port of Entry. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection where they conducted a search of the vehicle and found a firearm upper receiver, lower receiver, four bottles of gun powder and several thousand rounds of ammunition cartridges in various calibers. Ramirez Gonzalez did not possess a license to export the items from the United States. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda McColgan prosecuted the case.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Convictions

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Shannon Ivory, 43, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on February 27, 2025, to 125 months’ imprisonment. Ivory pled guilty July 31, 2024, in federal court, to four counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Evidence at the sentencing hearing showed that on March 20, 2023, Ivory was arrested by federal agents as a fugitive on State of Iowa charges. During the arrest, multiple types of illegal drugs in separate packaging for distribution were found on Ivory, including over 26 grams of pure methamphetamine; over 15 grams of crack cocaine; over 4 grams of powder cocaine; and 25 morphine pills. Ivory admitted to possessing the drugs and his intent to distribute them to other persons. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ivory was sentenced to 125 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Ivory is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service, the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-4038. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Fort Dodge, Iowa Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearm

body_text: Lennox Vanvacter, 32, was convicted by a jury on October 10, 2024, after a three-day trial in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The verdict was returned following about 7 hours of jury deliberations. The evidence at trial and sentencing showed that on July 30, 2023, Fort Dodge/Webster County law enforcement officers observed Vanvacter operating a motor vehicle. Based on their observations and the fact Vanvacter had an active arrest warrant for a previous eluding charge, officers attempted to initiate a traffic stop and apprehend him. When emergency lights/sirens were activated, Vanvacter engaged in a high-speed driving-based attempt (approximately 30 minutes in duration) to elude law enforcement, including speeds of 70 mph or more in Fort Dodge and 100 mph or more outside city limits in Webster County. Two sets of spike strips were deployed by officers and ultimately helped stop the vehicle. Once stopped, Vanvacter attempted to flee from the officers on foot but was captured a short distance later. Officers located a firearm, a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol, near the end of the vehicle’s flight path. Later, officers determined by review of patrol car camera video, that the firearm was thrown from the vehicle by Vanvacter. Vanvacter had a history of leading law enforcement on high-speed driving pursuits. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand Vanvacter was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment and must serve a three-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Vanvacter remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa DCI Laboratory, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, as well as assisted by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office, the Sioux City Police Department, the Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Hamilton County Attorney’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3037. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Donna man sentenced for smuggling 49 illegal aliens

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old South Texan has been ordered to federal prison for illegally smuggling dozens of people into the United States on two separate occasions, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Joe Adam Escobedo pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2024. U.S. District Judge David Morales has now ordered him to serve 57 months in each case to run concurrently. He was also ordered to serve an additional 12 months to run consecutively for a total of 69 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the fact that Escobedo committed the second offense with 42 aliens and it was the very thing for which he had been on bond and imposed the consecutive sentence. “The Southern District of Texas will vigorously pursue alien smuggling cases, given the risk they pose both to the persons smuggled as well as the public at large,” said Ganjei. “Tractor trailer smuggling can be especially hazardous, given the confined space and the unpredictable Texas weather. All it would have taken is a refrigeration malfunction for this smuggling scheme to have turned deadly.” On April 12, 2024, Escobedo approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint driving a tractor-trailer. He claimed he was heading to Michigan and was hauling pineapples in the trailer. Authorities referred him to secondary inspection after a K-9 alerted to the tractor where they ultimately found seven illegal aliens from El Salvador and Mexico hidden in the sleeper area of the tractor. He was charged with alien smuggling but permitted release upon posting bond. Then again, on June 11, 2024, Escobedo drive a refrigerated tractor trailer to the came checkpoint. During primary inspection, law enforcement noticed Escobedo gripping the steering wheel firmly and displaying signs of nervousness and referred him again to secondary inspection. Agents scanned the trailer and observed several anomalies in the trailer. They then discovered a total of 42 additional people from the countries of Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. All were found to be illegally in the United States. Escobedo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmine K. Tucker prosecuted the case.


title: Key member of drug distribution ring linked to Aryan prison gangs sentenced to 14 years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A key member of a drug distribution ring selling fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, and heroin throughout the Puget Sound region was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 14 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy and for possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Michael Slocumb, 46, attempted to evade law enforcement and helped move the drug ring activities to Arizona after the Shelton, Washington, stash house he and his partners operated was raided in December 2022. When law enforcement moved in on the multi-faceted drug conspiracy in March 2023, Slocumb was arrested in his new home in Arizona. At today’s sentencing hearing Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said about fentanyl pills, “People become addicted to these drugs . . . they end up taking a bad dose and that ends their time on this Earth.” Remarking on Slocumb’s guns, Judge Estudillo said, “The firearms involved here are extremely serious and the types of firearms make me wonder what they may have been used for.” According to records filed in the case, in the fall of 2022, Slocumb made multiple trips to Arizona to pick up and transport narcotics to the Shelton stash house. Slocumb used the stash house to manufacture fentanyl pills using two different pill presses. When the stash house property was searched on December 9, 2022, law enforcement seized more than 640,000 pills containing fentanyl, as well as a kilogram of fentanyl powder and 12 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with more than $81,000 in cash proceeds from drug trafficking. Slocumb was a key partner for the leader of the drug conspiracy. The stash house property also contained 23 firearms, including a shotgun kept where the drugs were stored, and the pills manufactured. In his car, Slocumb kept several firearms including a loaded .40 caliber pistol behind the front seat. In a suitcase in the trunk were a 9mm handgun with a high-capacity magazine and an AR-15 type rifle with a folding shoulder stock and a loaded 115-round drum magazine. Also in the suitcase was a 9mm firearm silencer. During this conspiracy, law enforcement intercepted Slocumb and the ringleader Bryson Gill discussing kidnapping a rival drug dealer. Slocumb was surveilling the target’s apartment when law enforcement made a show of being in the vicinity to get Slocumb to leave and ward off any violence. Following the stash house raid, Slocumb was heard on the wiretap discussing his plan to move drug operations to Arizona. Slocumb and Gill continued their drug trafficking in Arizona until they were arrested in March 2023. When law enforcement searched the Arizona property, they seized approximately 70 firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Slocumb pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In asking for a 15-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Slocumb’s conduct in the drug conspiracy involved massive numbers of firearms, as well as ammunition, firearms accessories, large capacity magazines, and a firearm silencer. It is clear that he played a trusted role in partnership with Gill in not just distributing drugs but acting as an enforcer—he took direction from Gill in picking up guns following a trip to get drugs from the stash house, and on another occasion, he conspired with Gill to kidnap a co-conspirator who was a drug redistributor.” Bryson Gill entered a guilty plea February 7, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, and is scheduled for sentencing on May 9, 2025. Law enforcemen t made two dozen arrests on federal charges on March 22, 2023. The coordinated takedown involved ten swat teams and more than 350 law enforcement officers. On that day law enforcement seized 177 firearms, more than ten kilos of methamphetamine, 11 kilos of fentanyl pills and more than a kilo of fentanyl powder, three kilos of heroin, and more than $330,000 in cash from eighteen locations in Washington and Arizona. Earlier in the investigation law enforcement seized 830,000 fentanyl pills, 5.5 pounds of fentanyl powder, 223 pounds of methamphetamine, 3.5 pounds of heroin, 5 pounds of cocaine, $388,000 in cash, and 48 firearms. The top-level leader of the drug trafficking ring, Jesse Bailey, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 16, 2025, and his wife and co-conspirator Candace Bailey, is scheduled for sentencing on June 13, 2025. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.


title: Hayes Appointed Interim U.S. Attorney for The District of Maryland

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, Kelly O. Hayes was appointed and sworn in as Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Chief of the Southern Division for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland since 2021. Ms. Hayes began serving the District of Maryland in 2013 as an Assistant United States Attorney. Additionally, she served as Principal Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, and Deputy Appellate Chief for the District. As Chief of the Southern Division, Ms. Hayes oversaw all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Southern Division, including prosecutions related to MS-13, violent crime and illegal firearm possession and trafficking offenses, human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, and illegal immigration offenses. “I have spent over a decade witnessing the incredible and impactful work my colleagues do every day, and I am beyond honored to lead this Office as we continue to serve and protect the people of Maryland and the United States,” Interim U.S. Attorney Hayes said. “In cooperation with our federal, state, and local partners, I am confident that the outstanding men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work tirelessly and zealously to combat criminal activity that harms the people of the United States and to steadfastly represent the interests of the United States. I thank the President and the Attorney General for placing their confidence in me. It is the honor of a lifetime to serve in this role.” Raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Ms. Hayes completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland at College Park. She then earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Following law school, Ms. Hayes clerked for the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino in the Southern District of California. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Parents of Former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Plead Guilty to Evading Financial Reporting Requirements

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 66, both of Foster, pleaded guilty today to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. According to court documents and statements made in court, starting on or about November 7, 2023, through on or about November 28, 2023, the Barkers made or caused to be made 11 cash deposits to their bank accounts in amounts ranging from $8,000 to $9,500 and totaling $97,215. The Barkers admitted that these transactions were specifically designed to avoid currency reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement. The Barkers furthered admitted that they used the $97,215, a $30,000 bank loan, and $50,000 provided by their son, former Boone County Schools Maintenance Director Michael David Barker, to purchase property in Foster. Michael P. Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2025, and Lana Barker is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2025. Each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a forfeiture money judgment. Today’s guilty pleas result from an investigation that led to the indictment of Michael David Barker, 47, of Foster, by a federal grand jury on December 10, 2024. The 18-count indictment alleges that Michael David Barker entered into a scheme to defraud the Boone County Board of Education out of approximately $3,400,000 while serving as maintenance director. The charges against Michael David Barker are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Jesse Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, pleaded guilty on February 27, 2025, to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Marks was the sole owner and operator of Rush Enterprises when Michael David Barker contacted him in November 2019 about Rush Enterprises selling custodial and janitorial supplies to Boone County Schools. Marks admitted that he and Barker entered into the overbilling scheme at that time. Marks is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price is prosecuting the cases. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 2:25-cr-4 (Michael P. Barker) and 2:25-cr-5 (Lana Barker). ###


title: Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced to 210 Months for Drug Distribution Conspiracy

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Rodolfo Benjamin Silva, a prolific cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl trafficker who called himself the “King of Coke,” was sentenced in federal court today to 17.5 years in prison for distributing large quantities of illicit drugs in the U.S. and for facilitating the movement of cartel hitmen into the United States. At today’s hearing, prosecutors described Silva as a long-time San Diego-based drug distributor who worked directly with Mexican counterparts to receive narcotic shipments from Mexico. According to his plea agreement, in October 2022, Silva provided a drug courier with 114 pounds of methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl for transport to Indianapolis, but it was interdicted in Oklahoma. Silva also admitted in his plea agreement to threatening, directing or using violence as part of his drug trafficking activities. Prosecutors told the court today that Silva assisted in bringing assassins known as “sicarios” from Mexico into the San Diego area for cartel enforcement operations. On one occasion, Silva hired a sicario from Mexico to come to San Diego where that individual attempted to fatally shoot one of Silva’s rivals, prosecutors said. This investigation was led by FBI and DEA in San Diego with integral assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Indiana and FBI’s Indianapolis Field Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Goff. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. DEFENDANT Case Number 23CR02513-WQH Rodolfo Benjamin Silva, aka “Rudy” Age: 44 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 841(a)(1) and 846 Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life in prison, $10 million fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation Drug Enforcement Administration


title: Final Defendant Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jermaine Antoine Johnson, 34, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl as well as cocaine base, also known as “crack,” in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson participated in the DTO conspiracy in April and May 2024. Johnson admitted to supplying others with controlled substances that they distributed. Johnson further admitted that he spoke to co-conspirators about obtaining and distributing fentanyl during May 2024 phone calls that were intercepted by law enforcement. During a May 15, 2024, phone call, Johnson told a co-conspirator about a supplier prepared to sell controlled substances to them, and the two discussed providing $6,000 to this supplier for drugs they planned to distribute in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Johnson admitted that he was picked up by the co-conspirator on May 20, 2024, and the two traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, where they purchased approximately $6,000 worth of fentanyl. Johnson further admitted that he and his co-conspirator returned to West Virginia the next day and discussed increasing the volume of the purchased fentanyl by adding such cutting agents as sugar and brown sugar. Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 3, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Johnson is among 12 individuals indicted on charges alleging the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. All 12 have pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate charges in lieu of the offenses alleged in the indictment. “Today’s guilty plea marks a major milestone in this case, which has disrupted a significant drug trafficking operation in the Beckley area,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “The fact that all 12 defendants have pleaded guilty is also a testament to the teamwork of our law enforcement partners and this office and to our shared dedication to protecting our communities.” Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department. United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over today’s hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell is prosecuting the case. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-90. ###


title: Greenbrier County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, was sentenced today to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number. Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019. Jordan has a long criminal history that also includes numerous other convictions for such offenses as grand larceny, domestic battery, DUI, and possession of controlled substances. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-29. ###


title: Timothy Courchaine Appointed Interim United States Attorney for the District of Arizona

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-028_Timothy Courchaine

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Timothy Courchaine was sworn in today as the Interim United States Attorney for the District of Arizona. United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine was appointed to the position by Attorney General Pam Bondi on February 28, 2025. As Interim United States Attorney, Mr. Courchaine supervises the prosecution of all federal crimes and the litigation of all civil matters in the District of Arizona in which the United States has an interest. He leads a staff of approximately 350 prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel across Arizona. The District of Arizona serves over seven million residents. Mr. Courchaine began his service to the District of Arizona in 2020 as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. During his time with the office, Mr. Courchaine has handled numerous criminal cases related to border crimes and the predatory actions of Mexican-based cartels in the Southwest Border and OCDETF sections. Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Mr. Courchaine served in the United States Marine Corps as a Judge Advocate and left the service as a Captain. He then served as a law clerk to the Honorable William G. Montgomery on the Arizona Supreme Court from 2019 to 2020. Mr. Courchaine received his J.D., from the University of Alabama in 2014 and his B.A. from California State University, Long Beach, in 2011. RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-028_Timothy Courchaine # # # 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: Joseph Sanberg, Co-Founder of Aspiration Partners, Arrested for Conspiring to Defraud an Investment Fund of at Least $145 Million

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – Joseph Neal Sanberg, 45, of Orange, the co-founder and largest shareholder of the financial and sustainability services company Aspiration Partners, Inc., was arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging that he conspired to defraud two investor funds of at least $145 million. Sanberg’s coconspirator, Ibrahim Ameen AlHusseini, 51, of Venice, pleaded guilty today to an information charging him with wire fraud for falsifying documents and information to assist Sanberg. According to his plea agreement, signed on February 7, 2025, and unsealed today, AlHusseini personally received approximately $12.3 million in payments from the scheme. AlHusseini is scheduled for sentencing on September 29, 2025. Sanberg is scheduled to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana. AlHusseini was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 7, 2024, and has been released on bond since November 13, 2024. That criminal complaint was previously dismissed against AlHusseini to facilitate his cooperation in the prosecution of others, including Sanberg. “Our prosecutors and law enforcement partners have worked methodically to secure a guilty plea from one of the main offenders in this case and have now charged another member of the conspiracy,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “We will continue to ensure that markets and businesses receive an honest and level playing field in which to operate.” According to the complaint against Sanberg and AlHusseini’s plea agreement, Sanberg obtained $145 million in loans secured by AlHusseini, who Sanberg knew did not have sufficient financial assets to cover those loans if Sanberg defaulted. Sanberg hid this fact from investors, then defaulted on the loans, which resulted in at least a $145 million in losses. In January 2020, Sanberg began negotiating a $55 million loan from Investor Fund A to Sanberg, in which Sanberg pledged 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock as collateral. Because Aspiration Partners was a non-public company without a liquid market to sell its stock, Investor Fund A required Sanberg to find a buyer for the 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock as a hedge against the risk that the shares could not be sold on the open market. To secure the $55 million loan, Sanberg recruited AlHusseini, who served on Aspiration Partners’ board of directors, to enter into a put option agreement with Investor Fund A that obligated AlHusseini to buy the 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock in the event of Sanberg’s default. A put option is an investment contract in which the option buyer has the right to require the option seller to buy an asset from the option buyer at a pre-determined price. Under the option, AlHusseini was obligated to purchase the 10.3 million shares in Aspiration Partners for $55 million from Investor Fund A. Aware that AlHusseini lacked sufficient assets to cover the put option obligation, as required by the deal, Sanberg and AlHusseini hid that fact and lied to Investor Fund A, court documents state. Among other things, Sanberg and AlHusseini enlisted a graphic designer in Lebanon to create fake brokerage account and bank account statements that falsely inflated AlHusseini’s financial assets by between approximately $80 million and $200 million. Unaware of the fraud, Investor Fund A extended the $55 million loan to Sanberg and purchased the put option from AlHusseini. AlHusseini received approximately $6 million of the $55 million loan at the time of the loan’s execution as consideration (also known as a “premium payment”) for guaranteeing Sanberg’s repayment of the loan. Unsealed court documents also state that, in November 2021, Sanberg refinanced the $55 million loan against his 10.3 million shares of Aspiration Partners stock with Investor Fund B. Investor Fund B loaned $145 million to Sanberg against the same 10.3 million shares of stock as collateral. Investor Fund B and AlHusseini agreed to a new put option agreement in which AlHusseini was obligated to pay $65 million to Investor Fund B if Sanberg defaulted on the $145 million loan. The terms of the agreement required AlHusseini to have sufficient assets to pay $65 million in the event of Sanberg’s default. Because AlHusseini lacked sufficient assets to cover his obligation, Sanberg and AlHusseini again submitted falsified brokerage account and bank account statements to Investor Fund B to secure the $145 million loan. AlHusseini received a premium payment of approximately $6.3 million as consideration for guaranteeing Sanberg’s repayment of the refinanced loan. Sanberg thereafter defaulted on the $145 million loan in November 2022 and again in the spring of 2023. Investor Fund B exercised its put option requiring AlHusseini to buy the pledged shares of Aspiration Partners stock, which he has not done. As a result of Sanberg and AlHusseini’s fraud, Investor Fund B has suffered at least $145 million in losses. Investor Fund A and Investor Fund B are investment funds that loaned investors’ capital to high-net-worth borrowers. A criminal complaint contains allegations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of the charge in the complaint, Sanberg would face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. AlHusseini faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Brett A. Sagel, Nisha Chandran, and Jenna Williams of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, along with Theodore M. Kneller and Adam L.D. Stempel for the Fraud Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, are prosecuting this case.


title: Former Gladwyne Entrepreneur Pleads Guilty to Bilking Dozens of Investors, Employees, and Business Partners Out of Millions of Dollars

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Josh S. Verne, 47, formerly of Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, now a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Court Judge John F. Murphy to three counts of securities fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft, charges arising from a series of schemes through which the defendant defrauded dozens of investors, prospective investors, employees, and business partners out of millions of dollars. Verne was charged by indictment in August of last year with carrying out the schemes, which took place from in or about 2017 to 2020. As detailed in the indictment and admitted by the defendant during today’s guilty plea hearing, Verne held himself out as a wealthy and successful businessman, entrepreneur, and investor, carrying out his fraudulent activities through a series of limited liability companies, of which he was the chief executive and over which he maintained control. Among other things, Verne falsely represented his prior business successes, falsely represented his personal net worth, falsely represented his own investments, and falsely represented the financial health of his companies and investments, in order to induce others to invest in or provide loans to him or his companies. For instance, Verne admitted to providing an investor with a forged Goldman Sachs statement that showed family investment holdings for Verne of more than $50 million, when, in fact, Verne did not have an investment account at Goldman Sachs in his own name or in his family’s names, much less an account with a market value of more than $50 million. Verne also misused business and investor funds to repay prior debts and to finance an affluent lifestyle he could not afford, such as personal expenses related to renovations to his showcase vacation property on the Jersey shore, travel on private jets, contributions to political candidates, personal charitable contributions, and country club payments. The defendant admitted that, in order to delay and prevent discovery by law enforcement of his own misconduct, he later sent bank and FedEx confirmations purporting to confirm delivery of funds to investors to whom he had promised repayment; the bank and FedEx confirmations were false and fraudulent. Further, Verne stole the identity of a former employee from his company, forging the employee’s signature on a sales agreement to disguise an unauthorized sale of the employee’s shares of stock. Verne obtained $150,000 from the unauthorized sale and used those funds to make payments to himself and to a prior investor. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on June 13 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 242 years’ imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of two years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $17,500,000 fine, and a $1,300 special assessment. Full restitution also shall be ordered. The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Paul G. Shapiro and Jerome M. Maiatico. The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Philadelphia Regional Office investigated civil securities fraud charges against Verne, which are pending.


title: Los Angeles County Resident Sentenced To Prison For Forging Over $1.2 Million In Money Orders

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Lancaster, California, man was sentenced today by Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for depositing over $1.2 million in forged money orders into bank accounts then withdrawing cash from the accounts. According to court documents, from July 31, 2013 to February 13, 2019, Sterlyn Lee Smith Jr., 49, and dozens of others executed a scheme to deposit altered money orders into bank accounts in other people’s names and then withdrawing the funds before the banks discovered the money orders were forged. As part of the scheme, Smith and others purchased money orders at United States Post Offices in California and Nevada. Then, they fraudulently altered the money orders to high dollar amount money orders. Smith and others then deposited the fraudulent money orders into bank accounts at two banks in Nevada and California and made cash withdrawals from the accounts. Over the course of this six-year bank fraud scheme, Smith and others deposited and attempted to deposit more than 1,200 forged money orders totaling more than $1.2 million dollars. Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud, one count for each of the banks Smith victimized. In addition to imprisonment, Smith was ordered to pay $432,482.63 in restitution. Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson of the United States Postal Inspections Service (USPIS), Phoenix Division made the announcement. The case was investigated by the USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Frayn and Justin Washburne prosecuted the case. To report a fraud complaint, call the U.S. Postal Service Fraud Complaint Hotline at 1-800-372-8347 or visit the USPIS website at www.usps.com/postalinspectors . ###


title: Fleeing alien smuggler sent to federal prison

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 27-year-old Los Fresnos man has been ordered to prison for attempting to smuggle an illegal alien further into the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Carlos Del Angel Bocanegra pleaded guilty Nov. 25, 2024. U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered him to serve 24 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence describing how Bocanegra had fled from law enforcement with four children in his vehicle. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the potential danger Bocanegra’s conduct posed the public and his passengers. “Alien smuggling is an incredibly dangerous practice, both for the people smuggled and for innocent bystanders,” said Ganjei. “Fortunately, nobody was killed by Bocanegra’s actions, but the facts of this case could have easily turned tragic. I commend law enforcement for their excellent work in this case.” On Aug. 27, 2024, Bocanegra approached the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville driving a Chevy Tahoe with an adult passenger and four juveniles visibly present. Upon initial inspection, he denied having any contraband or unlawful people in his vehicle. However, authorities soon discovered an illegal alien concealed under a passenger row seat. Bocanegra then immediately fled the checkpoint and led law enforcement on a chase down the highway. Authorities were able to end the pursuit quickly and took him into custody. He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Border Patrol conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Lamont prosecuted the case.


title: Former Executive Director Of Non-Profit Serving Oakland Youth Charged With Embezzling Funds, Evading Taxes

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Howard Solomon, 38, of Oakland, has been charged with mail fraud and tax evasion in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud his former employer, the East Oakland Boxing Association, a non-profit organization that provides internship, mentoring, programming, and services, including boxing lessons and coaching, to children in East Oakland. Solomon made an initial appearance in federal district court in Oakland this morning. According to the criminal information filed on Feb. 26, 2025, Solomon was employed as the executive director of the East Oakland Boxing Association from approximately 2017 until April 2021. As the Executive Director, Solomon’s responsibilities included managing daily operations, soliciting contributions and fundraising, managing program and staff, overseeing budget and finances, and community outreach. Solomon was a signatory to the non-profit’s bank accounts and had unfettered access to its bank accounts and debit cards directly linked to those accounts. During his tenure as executive director, Solomon allegedly engaged in a scheme to embezzle money and property from the non-profit to pay for items for personal use, including Amazon purchases, a vacation rental property, and a Ford Explorer. The information also charges Solomon with embezzling and depositing into a personal account a $50,000 donation made to the East Oakland Boxing Association in connection with a December 2019 appearance by Stephen Curry and Ayesha Curry on the Ellen DeGeneres Show for a segment known as “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways,” during which the Currys delivered gifts and a $50,000 donation check to the non-profit. The information also charges Solomon with owing more federal income tax than was declared due on his federal income tax returns and filing false and fraudulent income tax returns for tax years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Solomon is charged with one count of mail fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1341 and four counts of tax evasion under 26 U.S.C. § 7201. At his initial appearance this morning, Solomon agreed to waive indictment by a grand jury. He is next scheduled to appear on April 9, 2025, for a status hearing before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. A criminal information merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transactions for the count of mail fraud and five years in prison and a fine of $100,000 for each count of tax evasion. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Acting United States Attorney Patrick D. Robbins and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent in Charge of the Oakland Field Office Linda Nguyen made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Green is prosecuting this case with the assistance of Amala James. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI. Howard Solomon Information


title: Crisp County Resident Sentenced for Stealing 62 Firearms from Macon Pawn Shop

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia resident with a criminal past who broke into a Macon pawn shop and stole 62 firearms was sentenced to serve nine years in federal prison for his crime. Rontavious Jamal Jackson, 34, of Cordele, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on Feb. 27. Jackson previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on Aug. 13, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system. “This case demonstrates the collaboration between our local and federal law enforcement partners to bring criminal gun traffickers to justice,” said Acting U.S. Attorney C. Shanelle Booker. “Law enforcement at every level is committed to preventing illegal firearms from getting into the hands of criminals.” “We take this crime very seriously," said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “There were 62 firearms on the street, with the strong potential of being sold to or used by other criminals. Stealing firearms is a serious offense which results in significant federal prison time for all those responsible.” “We can hope this case sends a clear message to convicted felons of the serious consequences of the possession of firearms. I am grateful for the relationship between the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office and our federal partners to continue to remove these potentially dangerous individuals from our streets,” said Bibb County Sheriff David J. Davis. "I am incredibly proud of our agency's efforts and the successful collaboration between our local and federal partners. These stolen weapons could have been used to take innocent lives. Our commitment to protecting our community remains unwavering, and this case is a testament to what we can achieve when we work together," said Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock. According to court documents and statements made in court, surveillance footage filmed two individuals, including one believed to be Jackson, entering Howard’s Pawn & Jewelry—a federally licensed firearms dealer—at 3:00 a.m. on April 5, 2023, and collect 62 firearms into garbage bags. Pieces of concrete blocks were on the floor from a large hole smashed in from outside the store. On April 12, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office investigators learned from three sources that Jackson had stolen weapons at his Cordele residence. Agents executed a search warrant that same day and recovered 32 firearms. The firearms matched the serial numbers of the stolen guns. Price tags for nine guns were found, along with assorted ammunition, firearm parts and accessories, including ten magazines. Jackson has a prior felony conviction; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm. The case was investigated by the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Crisp County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Department of Community Supervision (DCS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty To Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dewayne Tyree Miller, a/k/a Dejuan Tyree Miller, age 28, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Indictment alleged that on July 17, 2024, Miller knowingly and intentionally possessed a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Muskogee Police Department. The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Miller will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Parker represented the United States.


title: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Access to Places of Worship in Connection with Pico-Robertson Incident

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The Department of Justice announced today that it has filed a statement of interest in federal court to promote the correct and uniform interpretation of federal law protecting access to places of religious worship. The case involves allegations that a violent mob used violence, intimidation, and threats to prevent congregants from accessing the Adas Torah Synagogue. The statement of interest is part of the Department’s nationwide efforts to promote freedom of religious worship and combat antisemitism in all its forms. “Members of our Jewish community should not have to think about their safety when they go to worship,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally. “We make clear today that federal law prohibits people from obstructing access to places of worship.” “Every person should be free to worship and attend religious services without fear of violence, threats, or intimidation,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mac Warner. “The Civil Rights Division is working vigorously to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.” The Department of Justice recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. Private plaintiffs sued CodePink Women for Peace, CodePink Action Fund, WESPAC Foundation, Honor the Earth, Courtney Lenna Schirf, Remo Ibrahim, d/b/a Palestinian Youth Movement, and various unnamed individuals. These plaintiffs allege that on June 23, 2024, these organizations and individuals violated provisions of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) that protect access to places of religious worship. To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt , and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at (800) 253-3931.


title: Jury Convicts South Carolina Man Of Attempted Extortion, Stalking, And Wire Fraud

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: KALAMAZOO – Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Andrew Birge today announced that a federal jury convicted Glenn Daeward Boyd, 36, of Kershaw, South Carolina, of attempted extortion, stalking, and five counts of wire fraud. Boyd is scheduled to be sentenced on a date determined by the court. At sentencing, Boyd faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for attempted extortion, 5 years in prison for stalking, and 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud. “Perpetrators like Mr. Boyd who attempt to extort people online using sexual exploitation will be held accountable, and cannot hide behind their cell phones and computers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Birge. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute these crimes that often result in tragedy.” According to the evidence from a two-day jury trial in Kalamazoo, while in prison in South Carolina for unrelated criminal convictions, Boyd purported to be “Jad,” an 18-year-old girl from Grand Rapids, Michigan on the “Plenty of Fish” dating application, and communicated with B.G. beginning on August 2, 2023. Two days later, Boyd, continuing to pose as “Jad,” told B.G. he was a 15-year-old girl. Boyd then assumed the identity of “Jad’s grandparents,” threatening B.G. that “they” would contact police and B.G.’s family to report B.G. as a pedophile if B.G. did not send Boyd money. Boyd also used a Facebook profile to post on an account related to B.G.: “He is a pedophile I have all the evidence if anyone wants to see it.” In response, and on the same day of the threats, B.G. reported Boyd’s extortion and scheme to police, and then committed suicide. B.G. was 22 years old. “Glenn Boyd's conviction sends a clear and powerful message: individuals who engage in online exploitation and financial crimes will be held fully accountable under the law,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “This case involved a financially driven sextortionist who specifically targeted and manipulated the victim for personal gain. The investigation was a collaborative effort, involving the Wyoming (Michigan) Police Department, South Carolina Department of Corrections-Office of Inspector General, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Newaygo County Sheriff's Office, Van Buren County Sheriff's Office, FBI Charlotte, FBI Columbia, and FBI Omaha. If you or someone you know is a victim of sextortion, we strongly urge you to contact local law enforcement or reach out to the FBI directly at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Wyoming Police Department, South Carolina Department of Corrections, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Department, and Van Buren County Sheriff’s Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Constance R. Turnbull and Jonathan Roth are prosecuting it. The FBI provides the following tips on how people can protect themselves from online sextortion schemes: Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers. Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims. Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform. Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next. Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help. If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov . More FBI sextortion resources are available here . # # #


title: Columbia Man Returns to Federal Prison Following Gun Charge

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Daisean Montez Skeeters, 31, of Columbia, has been sentenced to a total of 57 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, which violated both federal criminal law and his federal supervised release from a previous conviction. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 17, 2024, Columbia Police Department officers responded to a domestic violence call at Skeeters’ home. After arriving, police learned there might be firearms in the home. Because Skeeters was already on federal supervised release for a previous weapons conviction, agents also spoke to his U.S. Probation Officer, who said that he was also advised of firearms in the home. Agents obtained a search warrant for the residence and located two firearms. Agents obtained a second search warrant for Skeeters’ DNA to compare to swabs taken from those firearms. DNA testing confirmed an extremely high probability that Skeeters’ DNA was present on one of the firearms. Skeeters entered a guilty plea to knowingly possessing that particular firearm as a convicted felon. Skeeters was already on federal supervised release following a previous conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm, this conviction was also a violation of the terms of that supervised release. Skeeters was also a high-ranking member of a violent street gang in Columbia. United States District Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Skeeters to a total of 57 months’ imprisonment, which was comprised of a 24-month revocation of his supervised release and a consecutive term of 33 months’ imprisonment for the new criminal charge, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott Daniels and Matthew Sanford are prosecuting the case. ###


title: North Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Carjacking of Off-Duty South Carolina Police Detective

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Shia Lee, 35, of Burlington, North Carolina has pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm in connection with a violent crime for the armed carjacking of an off-duty South Carolina police detective and his wife. According to evidence presented in court, on Dec. 19, 2020, the detective and his wife were travelling on Interstate 26 passing through the Orangeburg area when they stopped to switch drivers. Their car was parked with the detective in the passenger seat and his wife in the drivers before they exited the vehicle. Lee walked up to the driver’s side, demanded the car, and the victim driver fought back and resisted. Lee then brandished a firearm at the victim and ordered her out of the vehicle. With the firearm pointed at her, she complied. Lee entered the car, saw the officer in the passenger seat, and pointed the firearm at the second victim, which the officer recognized to be a 9mm or a .380 caliber pistol. The second victim exited the vehicle, and Lee took control of the car. Lee then drove the victims’ Jeep Cherokee away from the rest stop along with the police detective’s duty weapon and police badge. One day later, 911 dispatch received a call for service associated with a separate alleged vehicle theft from a gas station in Branchville while the victim was inside. Lee was arrested in that car after the Denmark Police Department pursued Lee in a chase and deployed stop sticks. The off-duty officer’s car was found abandoned on a local road, and Lee’s car was found by the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office at the rest stop with another firearm inside, along with Lee’s identifying documents. The carjacking victims identified Lee in a photo lineup, and Lee admitted his involvement to Orangeburg County deputies. A federal grand jury then indicted Lee on charges of carjacking and the brandish of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence. Lee faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison and a mandatory minimum of seven years. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution for any losses incurred by the victims, and five years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Lee after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, and the Denmark Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott B. Daniels is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism Announces Visits to 10 College Campuses that Experienced Incidents of Antisemitism

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Federal Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism announced that it will be visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic incidents since October 2023. Created pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order on Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism, the Task Force set as its first priority to eradicate antisemitic harassment in schools and on college campuses. Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell informed the 10 universities yesterday that the Task Force was aware of allegations that the schools may have failed to protect Jewish students and faculty members from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law. Mr. Terrell said he intends for the Task Force to meet with university leadership, impacted students and staff, local law enforcement, and community members as it gathers information about these incidents and considers whether remedial action is warranted. “The President, Attorney General Pamela Bondi, and the entire Administration are committed to ensuring that no one should feel unsafe or unwelcome on campus because of their religion,” said Mr. Terrell. “The Task Force’s mandate is to bring the full force of the federal government to bear in our effort to eradicate Anti-Semitism, particularly in schools. These visits are just one of many steps this Administration is taking to deliver on that commitment.” The 10 universities identified by the Task Force are: Columbia University; George Washington University; Harvard University; Johns Hopkins University; New York University; Northwestern University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Minnesota; and the University of Southern California. If you have been discriminated against, you can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division at civilrights.justice.gov . President Trump’s Executive Order can be found at www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/additional-measures-to-combat-anti-semitism/ .


title: Texas woman arrested for attempting to smuggle 9-year-old twins through Laredo checkpoint

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 31-year-old Dallas resident has been charged with conspiring to transport, attempting to transport and transporting two undocumented minors illegally in the United States for financial gain, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jovanna Netzay Diaz is expected to make her initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee Harris Toliver in Dallas at 10 a.m. She will then be expected in Laredo federal court shortly thereafter. A federal grand jury returned the three-count indictment Feb. 19 which was unsealed upon her arrest Feb. 27. The charges allege that on Oct. 26, 2024, Diaz arrived at the Border Patrol checkpoint in Laredo. Upon initial inspection, authorities allegedly observed a blanket moving between the second and third row of the vehicle. Law enforcement soon found one minor underneath the blanket and another concealed on the floorboard of the vehicle’s front passenger seat, according to the charges. The minors were allegedly determined to be nine-year-old twins, who were nationals and citizens of Mexico with no familial connection to Diaz. If convicted, Diaz faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a $250,000 maximum possible fine. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Lopez is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Federal Jury Finds Minneapolis Felon Guilty of Fentanyl and Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a Minneapolis man guilty of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to evidence presented at trial, on February 24, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants on Kevin Deandre Bennett, 46. Law enforcement officers recovered more than 1.2 kilograms of fentanyl, over $10,000 in cash, and a Glock model 19 9mm semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine from Bennet’s apartment, storage lockers, and on his person. Law enforcement also recovered drug related paraphernalia including a narcotics press, scale, and individual baggies containing smaller, distributable quantities of fentanyl. Following a three-day trial before Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz in U.S. District Court, a jury found Bennett guilty on two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew C. Murphy and Andrew Dunne tried the case.


title: Fraudster Receives Prison Sentence in Illegal Paycheck Protection Program Scheme

body_text: ATLANTA – Jerry Baptiste, the last of 20 defendants charged in a wide-ranging criminal scheme to steal Paycheck Protection Program funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been sentenced for his role in the scheme. “This defendant and his co-conspirators used an unprecedented global crisis to defraud the government and the American people,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Today’s tough, but fair, sentence sends the message that stealing from the government does not pay.” “This sentencing wraps up an exhaustive investigation into a fraud scheme that stole emergency funds from businesses and individuals that desperately needed them during the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will make every effort to ensure federal funds are used as intended and punish anyone who would steal from our government.” “The sentencings of the 20 defendants serves as a reminder to those who committed PPP fraud that investigations into their criminal acts have not ended,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue their diligent search for those who defrauded the American people during the COVID-19 pandemic.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the third superseding indictment, and other information presented in court: from April 2020 through May 2020, Jerry Baptiste conspired with Darrell Thomas, Denesseria Slaton, Amanda Christian, Charles Petty, Bern Benoit, and others to submit a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan application for Transportation Management Services Inc. (“Transportation Management”), a company that Benoit purported to own. The PPP loan application for Transportation Management falsely represented that it maintained 66 employees and an average monthly payroll of $332,167, and that it would use the PPP funds for payroll, lease payments or mortgage interest, and utilities. To support its payroll figures, Transportation Management submitted with its PPP loan application false IRS Form 941s, which are the Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return, for each quarter of 2019. Transportation Management also included with its PPP loan application a fraudulent bank statement. Through the Transportation Management PPP loan application, Baptiste and his co-conspirators fraudulently obtained $830,417. Baptiste also participated in preparing other fraudulent PPP loans. Jerry Baptiste, 47, of Miami, Florida was sentenced by U.S. District Judge J. P. Boulee to six and a half years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of$830,417. On October 29, 2024, Baptiste pleaded guilty to money laundering pursuant to a negotiated plea agreement. All the defendants in Baptiste’s case have now been convicted and sentenced, with punishments ranging from probation to 15 years’ imprisonment: Darrell Thomas . On June 16, 2021, Thomas pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud and money laundering. On May 9, 2022, Thomas was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $13,206,752.10 in restitution. Andre Lee Gaines . On June 17, 2021, Gaines pleaded guilty to the charge of making a false statement. On October 5, 2021, Gaines was sentenced to five years’ probation and ordered to pay $806,710 in restitution. Kahlil Gibran Green . On September 1, 2020, Green pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. On January 14, 2021, Green was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $830,000 in restitution. Bern Benoit . On March 11, 2021, Benoit pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. On September 8, 2021, Benoit was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,105,217 in restitution. Carla Jackson . On February 15, 2024, Jackson was found guilty of money laundering by jury verdict. On May 16, 2024, Jackson was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $335,238.22 in restitution. Ricky Dixon . On August 1, 2022, Dixon pleaded guilty to the charges of aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On January 25, 2023, Dixon was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $4,320,928.31 in restitution. Meghan Thomas . On July 27, 2022, Thomas pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 23, 2023, Thomas was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,381,760.35 in restitution. Jesika Blakely . On March 15, 2022, Blakely pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On February 8, 2023, Blakely was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $5,348,498.89 in restitution . Amanda Christian . On March 5, 2022, Christian pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On September 13, 2022, Christian was sentenced to 41 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $835,542 in restitution . Dwan Ashong . On June 29, 2022, Ashong pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering. On October 31, 2022, Ashong was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,604,807 in restitution. John Gaines . On January 31, 2024, Gaines pleaded guilty to the charge of money laundering. On June 26, 2024, Gaines was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $806,710 in restitution. Charles Petty . On November 2, 2021, Petty pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. On February 25, 2022, Petty was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $830,417 in restitution . Derek Parker . On April 14, 2022, Parker pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On August 31, 2022, Parker was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $163,620.40 in restitution . David Belgrave II . On May 25, 2022, Belgrave pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud. On August 25, 2022, Belgrave was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, with 18 months on home detention, and ordered to pay $877,000 in restitution . Charles Hill IV . On September 29, 2021, Hill pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On January 12, 2022, Hill was sentenced to five years’ probation, with 27 months on home detention, and ordered to pay $1,004,805 in restitution. Ryan Whittley . On May 25, 2022, Whittley pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On August 29, 2022, Whittley was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $797,275 in restitution. El Hadj Sall . On August 24, 2022, Sall pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On November 29, 2022, Sall was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $973,585 in restitution. Rick McDuffie . On April 27, 2022, McDuffie pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On August 23, 2022, McDuffie was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment followed by one year of supervised release, and ordered to pay $5,125 in restitution. Teldrin Foster . On February 15, 2024, Foster was found guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, making a false statement to a federally insured bank, and money laundering by jury verdict. On June 25, 2024, Foster was sentenced to 121 months’ imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $9,606,627.35 in restitution. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samir Kaushal and Nathan Kitchens, and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tal Chaiken and Norman Barnett, of the Northern District of Georgia, and Trial Attorney Siji Moore of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, prosecuted the case. The Department of Justice remains vigilant in detecting, investigating, and prosecuting wrongdoing related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (“NCDF”) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Thirteen Members of Houston Robbery Crew Charged in Robbery and Drug Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Three Crew Members Charged With Murder A grand jury in the Southern District of Texas returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging 13 Texas men for their roles in a robbery crew that engaged in robbery, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice, and murder, including the killing of two individuals in July 2023. The following 13 defendants, all of Houston, have been charged in the superseding indictment with one count of robbery conspiracy and one count of drug distribution conspiracy: Derrick Dewayne Butler, also known as Kutt and Kutt Throat, 28; Travon Maxwell, also known as Goonie, 29; Emmanuel Winnfield, also known as Pimp, 36; Herman Mitchell, also known as Boobie, 37; Tyrone Raymond Bolton, also known as Honeybee, 32; Joe Devon Champion, also known as Champ, 35; Jonta Allen Glover, 32; Dewayne Donnell Champion, also known as Wayne, 37; Cedric Lynn Andrews, also known as Ced, 50; Jermar Ballard Jones, also known as Mar, 37; Christian Xavier Rucker, also known as Gucci, 30; Samuel Lamonte Draper, 25; and Jeremy James Jenkins, 21. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the robbery conspiracy count and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison on the drug distribution conspiracy count. In addition, the defendants are each charged with one or more counts of attempt to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and Jones is charged with obstruction. Three of the defendants, Butler, Rucker, and Jones, were also charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, using a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of causing death through the use of a firearm relating to the killing of two men on July 19, 2023. If convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, Butler, Rucker, and Jones each face a mandatory minimum of life in prison or a maximum of the death penalty. Twelve of the defendants, Bolton, J. Champion, Glover, Winnfield, D. Champion, Mitchell, Andrews, Jones, Butler, Maxwell, Draper, and Jenkins, each face, if convicted, an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the Southern District of Texas, and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI Houston Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Houston Field Office and Houston Police Department investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is part of both the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Houston and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. Trial Attorneys Justin G. Bish, Ralph Paradiso, Ben Tonkin, and Jodi Anton of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Kelly Zenón-Matos for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The Houston VCI is conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and local, state, and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention, and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Justice Department’s OCDETF webpage . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Thirteen members of Houston robbery crew charged in robbery and drug conspiracy

body_text: HOUSTON – A grand jury in the Southern District of Texas has returned a superseding indictment charging 13 Texas men for their roles in a robbery crew that engaged in robbery, drug trafficking, obstruction of justice and murder, including the killing of two individuals in July 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Douglas A. Williams Jr. of the FBI. The following 13 men, all of Houston, have been charged in the superseding indictment with one count of robbery conspiracy and one count of drug distribution conspiracy: Derrick Dewayne Butler aka Kutt or Kutt Throat, 28 Travon Maxwel aka Goonie, 29 Emmanuel Winnfield aka Pimp, 36 Herman Mitchell aka Boobie, 37 Tyrone Raymond Bolton aka Honeybee, 32 Joe Devon Champion aka Champ, 35 Jonta Allen Glover, 32 Dewayne Donnell Champion aka Wayne, 37 Cedric Lynn Andrews aka as Ced, 50 Jermar Ballard Jones aka Mar, 37 Christian Xavier Rucker aka Gucci, 30 Samuel Lamonte Draper, 25 Jeremy James Jenkins, 21. If convicted, each faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the robbery conspiracy and a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life for the drug distribution conspiracy. In addition, all are charged with one or more counts of attempt to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Jones is also charged with obstruction. Butler, Rucker and Jones are also charged with two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, using a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, using a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of causing death through the use of a firearm relating to the killing of two men July 19, 2023. If convicted of murder in aid of racketeering, Butler, Rucker and Jones each face a mandatory minimum of life in prison or possibly the death penalty. Bolton, Joe Champion, Glover, Winnfield, Dewayne Champion, Mitchell, Andrews, Jones, Butler, Maxwell, Draper and Jenkins, each face an additional mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, upon conviction. “There is no place in our community for groups that terrorize their fellow citizens,” said Ganjei. “This superseding indictment alleges violent criminal acts and the tragic loss of two lives. The Southern District of Texas will continue to pursue justice for these victims as well as for the people of Houston.” The FBI and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation with the assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Texas Department of Public Safety. This case is part of both the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Houston and an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Byron H. Black and Kelly Zenón-Matos are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Justin G. Bish, Ralph Paradiso, Ben Tonkin and Jodi Anton of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. The Houston VCI is conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and local, state and federal law enforcement. The joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute gang members and associates in Houston. As part of the initiative, the Criminal Division has dedicated attorneys and other resources to prosecuting violent offenders and assisting intervention, prevention and reentry efforts to address the root causes of violent crime. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Justice Department’s OCDETF webpage . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Columbus man pleads guilty to sextorting minor females through social media, possessing child pornography

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jacob M. Rager, 21, of Columbus, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to sextorting at least two female victims and possessing child pornography. According to court documents, in April 2023, one of Rager’s victims contacted the FBI National Threat Operations Center to report the distribution of nude photos of her at age 17. The female had communicated with Rager on Instagram and sent nude photos of herself to Rager on two occasions in February and November 2022, including once for a $15 payment. In March 2023, Rager told the victim to send another nude photo of herself or he would send the prior photos of her to her friends. The victim did not comply, and Rager sent the nude images to a high school friend of the victim. In October 2023, Rager sent messages to the victim via a TikTok account saying, “I have your nudes still. Reply unless you want me to expose you to everyone you know…” During the course of their investigation, FBI agents became aware of a second victim whose nude images were also distributed to various individuals by Rager. Rager sent the second victim a link on her Instagram account in October 2023 that connected to a mega site containing 70 folders. The folders were named after girls who attended Ohio University, including a folder of the victim. The images of videos of the females appeared to have been saved from the Snapchat account of each person. Further, Rager created an Instagram account titled with the full name of the second victim and ending with the word “destruction.” He messaged the victim from this account saying, “i have your nudes still. unless you want me to show your friends, family and both your brothers i suggest you reply. im gonna make an example out of you if you don’t reply.” Even after being contacted by the FBI and learning of the federal investigation pending against him, Rager continued to contact the second victim from various accounts on TikTok and Instagram. When agents searched his cell phone, they discovered Rager possessed other child pornography of females ages approximately 10 to 15 years old. The images included minor females inserting objects like bottles and brushes into their vaginas. Possessing child pornography is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison and using interstate communications to extort carries a potential maximum sentence of up to two years in prison. Congress sets minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing. Kelly A. Norris, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and other members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.