title: Three Charged With Conspiring To Unlawfully Divert U.S. Artificial Intelligence Technology To China

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Roman Rozhavsky, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging YIH-SHYAN “Wally” LIAW, RUEI-TSANG “Steven” CHANG, and TING-WEI “Willy” SUN, for conspiring to divert high-performance computer servers assembled in the United States and integrating sophisticated U.S. artificial intelligence technology to China, in violation of U.S. export controls laws. LIAW, a U.S. citizen, and SUN, a citizen of Taiwan, were arrested today and presented in the Northern District of California. CHANG, a citizen of Taiwan, remains a fugitive. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos. “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants participated in a systematic scheme to divert massive quantities of U.S. artificial intelligence technology to customers in China,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They did so through a tangled web of lies, obfuscation, and concealment—all to drive sales and generate revenues in violation of U.S. law. Diversion schemes like those disrupted today generate billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains and pose a direct threat to U.S. national security. Crimes involving sensitive technology must be met with swift action otherwise the law is meaningless. I commend the women and men of our Office, the FBI, and the Department of Commerce for their swift action in identifying, charging, and stopping this brazen evasion of our laws that protect national security and U.S. competitiveness. We will continue to doggedly investigate and prosecute these illegal diversion schemes.” “The FBI’s investigation revealed that Liaw, Chang, and Sun allegedly conspired to sell billions of dollars’ worth of servers integrating sensitive, controlled graphic processing units to buyers in China, in violation of U.S. export control laws,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Controlling the export of sensitive U.S. artificial intelligence technology is essential to safeguarding our national security and defending the homeland. That’s why combating export violations is among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue working with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners to bring to justice all who take action to undermine U.S. national security.” “Yih-Shyan Liaw, Ruei-Tsang Chang, and Ting-Wei Sun allegedly defrauded the United States by conspiring to divert significant quantities of servers with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to Chinese customers,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “These defendants allegedly fabricated documents, staged bogus equipment to pass audit inventories, and used a pass-through company to conceal their misconduct and true clientele list. The FBI will hold accountable individuals who use American companies to provide export-controlled technology to our adversaries.” According to the allegations contained in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: [1] To protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the U.S. Department of Commerce has implemented license requirements for the export and reexport of artificial intelligence technologies to China and Hong Kong. In particular, the U.S. Department of Commerce has placed restrictions on the export and reexport of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential or nuclear proliferation of other nations or that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States. For these reasons, among others, advanced artificial intelligence accelerator chips, and servers incorporating such chips, are subject to export license requirements for transfers to China and Hong Kong. Those regulations reflect a formal determination that the computing capabilities in advanced artificial intelligence accelerator hardware are of sufficient strategic significance that their transfer to China poses an unacceptable risk to national security. LIAW is a co-founder, board member, and Senior Vice President of Business Development of a publicly traded U.S.-based manufacturer that designs and builds high-performance computer servers for artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications (the “U.S. Manufacturer”), including servers that integrate artificial intelligence graphics processing units (“GPUs”). CHANG is a general manager in the U.S. Manufacturer’s Taiwan office. SUN is a third-party broker and “fixer” who has worked with LIAW, CHANG, and others to divert U.S.-export controlled technology to China. Together, the defendants and others conspired to systematically divert the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers with certain GPUs to China without a license to do so from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The scheme operated as follows. LIAW and CHANG, who worked closely with third-party brokers with customers based in China, directed certain executives of a company based in Southeast Asia (“Company-1”) to place purchase orders with the U.S. Manufacturer for servers with certain GPUs, purportedly for Company-1. Those servers were often assembled in the United States and shipped to the U.S. Manufacturer’s facilities in Taiwan, then delivered to Company-1 elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Company-1, in consultation with the defendants, then used a shipping and logistics company to repackage the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers and place them in unmarked boxes to conceal their content prior to shipping them to their final destinations in China. To ensure that these server allocations were approved internally at the U.S. Manufacturer, the defendants and executives at Company-1 prepared false documents and records, and transmitted false communications, purporting to show that Company-1 was the end user of the servers. At the defendants’ direction, between 2024 and 2025, Company-1 purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of servers from the U.S. Manufacturer, many of which were assembled in the United States. The defendants’ scheme became more brazen over time and resulted in massive quantities of servers with controlled U.S. artificial intelligence technology being sent to China. Between late April 2025 and mid-May 2025 alone, at least approximately $510 million worth of the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers, assembled in the United States, were diverted to China in violation of U.S. export control laws as part of the defendants’ scheme. The defendants and their co-conspirators took extensive measures to conceal their scheme. As just one example, to deceive the U.S. Manufacturer’s compliance team, responsible for ensuring adherence to U.S. export control laws, the defendants staged thousands of “dummy” servers—non-working, physical replicas of the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers—for inspection at the locations where Company-1 was purportedly storing the servers it had purchased from the U.S. Manufacturer. However, the actual servers purchased by Company-1 from the U.S. Manufacturer had already been unlawfully shipped to China. Photographs of some of the dummy servers that were staged at a warehouse rented by Company-1 in connection with an August 2025 audit conducted by the U.S. Manufacturer are below: Some of those same dummy servers were also later staged at a warehouse rented by Company-1 in an attempt to pass an inspection being conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce of Company-1’s purchases of the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers. In advance of the inspection, SUN and one of the third-party brokers who works closely with the defendants to divert servers to China (“Broker-1”) staged dummy servers at the warehouse by, among other things, unboxing the dummy servers; using a hair dryer to remove and affix labels and serial number stickers to the server boxes and to the dummy servers themselves; and then re-packaging the dummy servers in the U.S. Manufacturer’s boxes. Surveillance cameras recorded their work and captured them preparing the dummy servers, including as shown in the images below, in which SUN (left) and Broker-1 (right) are circled in white: Throughout the scheme, the defendants coordinated closely with each other, executives of Company-1, and third-party brokers with end customers in China using encrypted messaging applications. Those communications related to, among other topics, the quantities of servers for Company-1 to order, the locations in China where those servers were to be shipped, and efforts to conceal the nature of the scheme from the U.S. Manufacturer’s compliance team, U.S. authorities, and others. At no point did the defendants or the U.S. Manufacturer have a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport U.S.-manufactured servers to China. * * * LIAW, 71, of Fremont, California; CHANG, 53, of Taiwan; and SUN, 44, of Taiwan, are each charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Controls Reform Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of conspiring to smuggle goods from the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI and its New York Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. Mr. Clayton also thanked the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit and Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Juliana N. Murray, David J. Robles, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorneys Maria Fedor and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Three Drug Dealers Indicted in Akron Trafficking Ring

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – Three Akron men have been indicted for conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine throughout Summit County and the surrounding regions. According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, from about April 2025 to February 2026 Erin House, 53, and Ishmael Wahid, 52, supplied Roy Wimberly, 50, with methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl to sell throughout Northeast Ohio. Investigators found that Wahid communicated often with House, who was the owner of House Brothers Trucking. During a search at a traffic stop on Interstate 71 in Medina County, approximately 8 kilograms of cocaine and approximately $144,000 in cash was found hidden in a compartment of a Peterbilt semi-truck driven by House and owned by House Brothers Trucking. At a separate search conducted at a public storage facility rented by Wahid, agents found approximately 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, 1 kilogram of cocaine, and approximately 5 kilograms of fentanyl. Wahid was later arrested at a traffic stop after agents seized additional methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and more than $84,000 in cash from his vehicle. Wimberly’s residence was also subject to a court-authorized search warrant, and agents found approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, and an arsenal of firearms. All three men are charged with Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, and Cocaine. Each defendant faces the following additional charges: House is charged with: Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Wahid is charged with: Distribution of Cocaine. Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; prior convictions include Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine in 1996; Possession of Cocaine in 2003; Illegal Manufacturing of Drugs in 2003; and Conspiracy to Distribute and to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Cocaine in 2015. Wimberly is charged with: Distribution of Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior conviction for Murder in 1996. Items that federal agents seized throughout the investigation include: Approximately 27 kilograms of methamphetamine Approximately 5 kilograms of fentanyl Approximately 9 kilograms of cocaine More than $229,000 in cash DPMS AR Rifle, .233 caliber, and ammunition Bushmaster Carbon 15 Rifle, .223 caliber Glenfield Model 20 Rifle Ithaca Shotgun Model 37 Smith and Wesson, 9mm caliber pistol Smith and Wesson, Model M&P, .380 caliber pistol, (with serial number removed) Kahr CW 45, .45 caliber pistol Ruger PC Rifle Mossburg 12 Gauge Shotgun If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. The investigations leading to the indictment were conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations Cleveland Office. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Man Sentenced for Stealing Mail from Gretna Post Office and Possessing Postal Service Key Used to Steal Mail

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –TERRENCE THOMPSON , JR. (“THOMPSON”) , age 24, of New Orleans, was sentenced on March 18, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to Unlawful Possession and Use of a United States Postal Service “arrow” key used by Postal Service employees to access authorized mail receptacles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1704, and Theft of approximately 232 pieces of United States Mail that had been deposited into authorized mail receptacles, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1708, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, on September 12, 2021, and September 20, 2021, THOMPSON stole mail from the Gretna Post Office in Gretna, Louisiana. He was also found in possession of a United States Postal Service “arrow” key on October 5, 2021. U.S. District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced THOMPSON to fifteen (15) months in the Bureau of Prisons, 2 years of supervised release and a mandatory $300 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General, the Gretna Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: Methamphetamine Trafficker Convicted by Federal Jury in Amarillo

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A methamphetamine trafficker was convicted on March 18, 2026, by a federal jury in Amarillo, Texas, for his role in possessing and conspiring to distribute approximately $400,000 worth of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Cameron Nesbitt, 33, of Lancaster, California, was indicted in late August 2025 for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, after agents found almost 100 pounds of the drug in his rental vehicle during a traffic stop on August 2, 2025, in Oldham County, Texas, according to evidence at trial. In the two-day trial that began on March 17, 2026, jurors heard testimony from a handful of law enforcement witnesses and considered over 40 exhibits supporting the charges against Nesbitt. “This defendant traveled in the Northern District of Texas with nearly a half-million dollars’ worth of methamphetamine in his vehicle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “The astute work of DPS Troopers and DEA agents interrupted his plan to dump these dangerous drugs onto our streets, and the jury held him accountable. Credit to the AUSAs in my office for trying a fantastic case.” “Traffickers who exploit North Texas as a distribution hub for moving dangerous drugs across the United States will face the full weight of federal law,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA, alongside our state and local law enforcement partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to disrupting these criminal networks and protecting the communities we serve.” Testimony and other evidence at trial established that a drug interdiction DPS trooper on patrol the morning of Saturday, August 2, 2025, stopped the vehicle in which Nesbitt was a passenger for speeding. During his interactions with the driver and Nesbitt, the trooper noticed signs of drug trafficking, including: • The vehicle was rented in Lancaster, California, and had been rented by a third party; • The driver and Nesbitt informed the trooper that they were traveling from Lancaster to Atlanta to visit Nesbitt’s brother for a couple days, and gave conflicting stories about where they would be staying; • The vehicle had a lived-in look and had energy drinks scattered throughout the vehicle; • Both the driver and Nesbitt seemed very nervous. Evidence at trial revealed that the rental car was also equipped with a dashcam mounted on the front and rear windshields, along with a receipt showing the camera was purchased from a Lancaster, California store the morning the vehicle was rented. Agents testified that during the traffic stop, a drug canine alerted on the vehicle for narcotics. During a subsequent search of the car, law enforcement agents found three duffle bags, one of which contained 15 bundles of methamphetamine. The duffle bag holding the large bundles of methamphetamine still had a store tag attached. The total weight of the methamphetamine was over 44 kilograms, or 97.26 pounds. Testimony at trial established that the methamphetamine’s street value in the Amarillo area would be at least $400,000. Prosecutors introduced photographs of the packaged methamphetamine during trial: Govt. Ex. 10; photo of seized methamphetamine on top of rental car Govt. Ex. 34; photo of seized methamphetamine at the Oldham County Sheriff’s Office The driver of the vehicle, Johian Scott, 34, also of Lancaster, California, was arrested with Nesbitt that day and indicted along with Nesbitt in late August 2025. Scott pled guilty in February this year to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Nesbitt and Scott each face a minimum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment. Scott is set for sentencing on June 30, 2026, and Nesbitt is set for sentencing on July 21, 2026. Both men will be sentenced before United States District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk who oversaw Nesbitt’s trial. The Drug Enforcement Administration - Amarillo Resident Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, and Amarillo Police Department, with assistance from an investigator with the 47th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Howey and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the case.


title: Four Illegal Aliens With Prior Felony Convictions and a Combined 14 Deportations Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – Three Mexican nationals and one Honduran national were all sentenced this week by United States District Judge Gloria Navarro to terms of imprisonment followed by terms of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed on a combined 14 prior occasions from the United States. According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, Alfredo Covarrubias-Jimenez, Moises Jeronimo-Martin, Angel David Olivera-Hernandez, all from Mexico, and Rigoberto Osorio-Merlo, from Honduras, were all found in the United States after previously being deported. Alfredo Covarrubias-Jimenez was sentenced to 16-months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Covarrubias-Jimenez had five prior deportations to Mexico. Covarrubias-Jimenez has prior felony convictions for Inflict Corporal Injury on a Spouse out of California, and Drug Trafficking out of Nevada where he served 24 to 120 months in Nevada State prison. Moises Jeronimo-Martin was sentenced to 13-months in prison and one day followed by one year of supervised release. Jeronimo-Martin had six prior deportations to Mexico. Jeronimo-Martin served 12 to 30 months in Nevada State prison for felony DUI. Angel David Olivera-Hernandez was sentenced to 12-months in prison and one day followed by three years of supervised release. Olivera-Hernandez had one prior deportation to Mexico. Olivera-Hernandez served 24 to 60 months in Nevada State prison for felony Conspiracy to Commit Robbery. Rigoberto Osorio-Merlo was sentenced to 9-months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Osorio-Merlo had two prior deportations to Honduras. Osorio-Merlo served 12 to 30 months in Nevada State prison for felony Reckless Driving Resulting in Substantial Bodily Harm or Death. All four defendants pleaded guilty to one-count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving their prison sentences they will all again be deported from the United States. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Ruben Levya made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the cases. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form . These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: Justice Department Disrupts Iranian Cyber Enabled Psychological Operations

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department announced the seizure of four domains as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The affidavit supporting the seizure warrant can be found here . The seized domains – Justicehomeland[.]org, Handala-Hack[.]to, Karmabelow80[.]org, and Handala-Redwanted[.]to – were used by the MOIS in furtherance of attempted psychological operations targeting adversaries of the regime by claiming credit for hacking activity, posting sensitive data stolen during such hacks, and calling for the killing of journalists, regime dissidents, and Israeli persons. For example, the MOIS used the Handala-hack[.]to domain to claim credit for a March 2026 destructive malware attack against a U.S.-based multinational medical technologies firm. “Terrorist propaganda online can incite real-world violence — thanks to our National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, this network of Iranian-backed sites will no longer broadcast anti-American hate,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our cyber assets will remain ever-vigilant to root out and deactivate networks that pose a threat to American citizens.” "Iran thought they could hide behind fake websites and keyboard threats to terrorize Americans and silence dissidents,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We took down four of their operation's pillars and we're not done. This FBI will hunt down every actor behind these cowardly death threats and cyberattacks and will bring the full force of American law enforcement down on them.” “Iran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism worldwide, used the seized domains to dox and harass dissidents and journalists, incite violence against Jewish communities, and spread Tehran’s anti-American propaganda,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “NSD is committed to dismantling Iran’s cyberwarfare infrastructure and detecting and preventing Iran’s cyber-enabled terrorism.” “Unleashing terroristic ideology into the cybersphere is a direct threat to our national security. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to collaborating with our law-enforcement partners to identify threats, shut them down, and hold bad actors accountable,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “We will not hesitate to use all our resources and available tools to do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and security of our nation.” "The Iranian regime exploits cyberspace to advance authoritarian objectives, suppress democratic institutions, and undermine our national and economic security,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “The FBI will act swiftly, deliberately, and proactively to disable cyber threats to America and use every available authority to ensure those responsible are identified, apprehended, and held accountable.” The FBI’s investigation revealed that the four seized domains were linked to each other through shared leak sites, Iranian IP ranges, and a common operational "playbook." That playbook includes: destructive and disruptive cyber-attacks; and “faketivist” psychological operations using data stolen via hacking. The Domains handala-hack[.]to and handala-redwanted[.]to As alleged in court documents, after the U.S.-Iran conflict began on February 28, 2026, the MOIS-controlled domains handala-hack[.]to and handala-redwanted[.]to published personally identifiable information (“PII”) associated with targeted individuals. The domain handala-hack[.]to also claimed responsibility for hacks conducted by the group. Specifically: On March 11, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-hack[.]to domain, claimed credit for conducting a destructive malware attack against a U.S.-based multinational medical technologies firm. The Handala Hack persona claimed the hack was retaliation for “ongoing cyber assaults against the infrastructure of the Axis of Resistance.” As of March 9, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-redwanted[.]to domain, posted the names and sensitive PII of approximately 190 individuals associated with or employed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and/or Israeli government. The Handala Hack posting contained threats indicating the individuals were being monitored, their residences were known, and that consequences would soon follow. On March 6, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-hack[.]to domain, posted names and confidential data corresponding to individuals Handala Hack claimed worked for the IDF. The post stated, in part, “Your iPhone 12 Pro Max holds no security for us; we even know your exact location…,” and urged “People of the Axis of Resistance! See these names and respond to these Zionist pigs yourselves.” On March 6, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-hack[.]to domain, claimed it stole 851 gigabytes of confidential data from members of the Sanzer Hasidic Jewish community, including “documents of financial cooperation, witchcraft ceremonies, and secret correspondences with Netanyahu ...” The post continued “We warn the leaders and members of the Sanzer Hasidic community: No place is safe for you. Betrayal of the oppressed leads to nothing but disgrace and shame. Expect more documents to be revealed. Handala Hack[.]” These threats and the related information were not just publicly posted. The FBI’s investigation also revealed that the email account Handala_Team@outlook[.]com was used to send death threats to Iranian dissidents and journalists living in the United States and abroad. In those communications, Handala Hack offered bounties and openly called for Mexican cartel “partners” to commit acts of violence against Handala Hack’s targets. Specifically, on or about March 1, 2026, the Handala_Team@outlook[.]com account was used to email two victims, located in the United States and abroad. In an email with the subject line “Death to [redacted victim names],” the sender wrote: "We the Handala Hack team, the loyal followers of the supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, declare war on all the enemies of Islam in the West. Our partners, the CJNG [Jalisco New Generation Cartel] cartel in America and Canada have been given a list of our enemies who are responsible for our great leaders [sic] death. [Redacted names], you laughed like hyenas during the [redacted] show. We have hacked and revealed your home addresses in [redacted] and [redacted] to our partners in the CJNG who are in [redacted U.S. state] and [redacted foreign country] now. Both of you will be executed soon, and we have offered a reward of $250,000 for the operatives who kills [sic] and beheads both of you. ALLAHU AKBAR[.]" The domain handala-hack[.]to was also used as part of a broader effort to intimidate and harass Iranian dissidents and journalists living in the United States and abroad. According to investigators, threat actors associated with the domain directed online threats toward individuals who publicly criticized the Iranian government. In those cases, the MOIS attempts to embarrass and discredit its targets by circulating messages and content intended to damage their reputation. By leveraging online platforms linked to the domain, MOIS sought to amplify its online threats, pressure critics, and discourage independent reporting, while creating fear among members of the Iranian diaspora critical of the regime. The Domains Justicehomeland[.]org and Karmabelow80[.]org The domains Justicehomeland[.]org and Karmabelow80[.]org were the official websites of a shell hacktivist entity used by MOIS. On or about July 15, 2022, and September 9, 2022, MOIS actors used the Justicehomeland[.]org domain to claim responsibility for stealing sensitive documents from Albanian government organizations. The motivation for leaking this information appears to be the Albanian government’s decision to support an Iranian dissident group called Mujahedeen e-Khalq or “MEK.” MEK has, in the past, openly advocated for the overthrow of the Iranian government. In addition to these enforcement actions, the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse. Read more about this reward offer on the Rewards for Justice website. The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with FBI Cyber Division. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Justice Department Disrupts Iranian Cyber  Enabled Psychological Operations

body_text: WASHINGTON – Today, the Justice Department announced the seizure of four domains as part of an ongoing effort to disrupt hacking and transnational repression schemes conducted by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). The affidavit supporting the seizure warrant can be found here . The seized domains – Justicehomeland[.]org, Handala-Hack[.]to, Karmabelow80[.]org, and Handala-Redwanted[.]to – were used by the MOIS in furtherance of attempted psychological operations targeting adversaries of the regime by claiming credit for hacking activity, posting sensitive data stolen during such hacks, and calling for the killing of journalists, regime dissidents, and Israeli persons. For example, the MOIS used the Handala-hack[.]to domain to claim credit for a March 2026 destructive malware attack against a U.S.-based multinational medical technologies firm. “Terrorist propaganda online can incite real-world violence — thanks to our National Security Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, this network of Iranian-backed sites will no longer broadcast anti-American hate,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our cyber assets will remain ever-vigilant to root out and deactivate networks that pose a threat to American citizens.” "Iran thought they could hide behind fake websites and keyboard threats to terrorize Americans and silence dissidents,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We took down four of their operation's pillars and we're not done. This FBI will hunt down every actor behind these cowardly death threats and cyberattacks and will bring the full force of American law enforcement down on them.” “Iran, the leading state sponsor of terrorism worldwide, used the seized domains to dox and harass dissidents and journalists, incite violence against Jewish communities, and spread Tehran’s anti-American propaganda,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “NSD is committed to dismantling Iran’s cyberwarfare infrastructure and detecting and preventing Iran’s cyber-enabled terrorism.” “Unleashing terroristic ideology into the cybersphere is a direct threat to our national security. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to collaborating with our law-enforcement partners to identify threats, shut them down, and hold bad actors accountable,” said Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. “We will not hesitate to use all our resources and available tools to do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety and security of our nation.” "The Iranian regime exploits cyberspace to advance authoritarian objectives, suppress democratic institutions, and undermine our national and economic security,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “The FBI will act swiftly, deliberately, and proactively to disable cyber threats to America and use every available authority to ensure those responsible are identified, apprehended, and held accountable.” The FBI’s investigation revealed that the four seized domains were linked to each other through shared leak sites, Iranian IP ranges, and a common operational "playbook." That playbook includes: destructive and disruptive cyber-attacks; and “faketivist” psychological operations using data stolen via hacking. The Domains handala-hack[.]to and handala-redwanted[.]to As alleged in court documents, after the U.S.-Iran conflict began on February 28, 2026, the MOIS-controlled domains handala-hack[.]to and handala-redwanted[.]to published personally identifiable information (“PII”) associated with targeted individuals. The domain handala-hack[.]to also claimed responsibility for hacks conducted by the group. Specifically: On March 11, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-hack[.]to domain, claimed credit for conducting a destructive malware attack against a U.S.-based multinational medical technologies firm. The Handala Hack persona claimed the hack was retaliation for “ongoing cyber assaults against the infrastructure of the Axis of Resistance.” As of March 9, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-redwanted[.]to domain, posted the names and sensitive PII of approximately 190 individuals associated with or employed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and/or Israeli government. The Handala Hack posting contained threats indicating the individuals were being monitored, their residences were known, and that consequences would soon follow. On March 6, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-hack[.]to domain, posted names and confidential data corresponding to individuals Handala Hack claimed worked for the IDF. The post stated, in part, “Your iPhone 12 Pro Max holds no security for us; we even know your exact location…,” and urged “People of the Axis of Resistance! See these names and respond to these Zionist pigs yourselves.” On March 6, 2026, Handala Hack, via the Handala-hack[.]to domain, claimed it stole 851 gigabytes of confidential data from members of the Sanzer Hasidic Jewish community, including “documents of financial cooperation, witchcraft ceremonies, and secret correspondences with Netanyahu ...” The post continued “We warn the leaders and members of the Sanzer Hasidic community: No place is safe for you. Betrayal of the oppressed leads to nothing but disgrace and shame. Expect more documents to be revealed. Handala Hack[.]” These threats and the related information were not just publicly posted. The FBI’s investigation also revealed that the email account Handala_Team@outlook[.]com was used to send death threats to Iranian dissidents and journalists living in the United States and abroad. In those communications, Handala Hack offered bounties and openly called for Mexican cartel “partners” to commit acts of violence against Handala Hack’s targets. Specifically, on or about March 1, 2026, the Handala_Team@outlook[.]com account was used to email two victims, located in the United States and abroad. In an email with the subject line “Death to [redacted victim names],” the sender wrote: "We the Handala Hack team, the loyal followers of the supreme leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, declare war on all the enemies of Islam in the West. Our partners, the CJNG [Jalisco New Generation Cartel] cartel in America and Canada have been given a list of our enemies who are responsible for our great leaders [sic] death. [Redacted names], you laughed like hyenas during the [redacted] show. We have hacked and revealed your home addresses in [redacted] and [redacted] to our partners in the CJNG who are in [redacted U.S. state] and [redacted foreign country] now. Both of you will be executed soon, and we have offered a reward of $250,000 for the operatives who kills [sic] and beheads both of you. ALLAHU AKBAR[.]" The domain handala-hack[.]to was also used as part of a broader effort to intimidate and harass Iranian dissidents and journalists living in the United States and abroad. According to investigators, threat actors associated with the domain directed online threats toward individuals who publicly criticized the Iranian government. In those cases, the MOIS attempts to embarrass and discredit its targets by circulating messages and content intended to damage their reputation. By leveraging online platforms linked to the domain, MOIS sought to amplify its online threats, pressure critics, and discourage independent reporting, while creating fear among members of the Iranian diaspora critical of the regime. The Domains Justicehomeland[.]org and Karmabelow80[.]org The domains Justicehomeland[.]org and Karmabelow80[.]org were the official websites of a shell hacktivist entity used by MOIS. On or about July 15, 2022, and September 9, 2022, MOIS actors used the Justicehomeland[.]org domain to claim responsibility for stealing sensitive documents from Albanian government organizations. The motivation for leaking this information appears to be the Albanian government’s decision to support an Iranian dissident group called Mujahedeen e-Khalq or “MEK.” MEK has, in the past, openly advocated for the overthrow of the Iranian government. In addition to these enforcement actions, the Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, engages in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse. Read more about this reward offer on the Rewards for Justice website. The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case, in coordination with FBI Cyber Division. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Honduran Illegal Indicted  for Reentry of Deported Alien

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that ELVIN LEONARDO OLIVA-RODRIGUEZ (“OLIVA-RODRIGUEZ”) , age 37, a native of Honduras, was indicted on March 13, 2026, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). According to court documents, OLIVA-RODRIGUEZ was apprehended during a traffic stop on I-12 travelling westbound. During the traffic stop, the Border Patrol Officer who conducted the stop learned that OLIVA-RODRIGUEZ was a national of Honduras, that he was in the United States illegally and that he had been previously deported on February 28, 2014, after being arrested in McAllen, Texas. If convicted, OLIVA-RODRIGUEZ faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs Enforcement Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution. * * *


title: Three Charged with Conspiring to Unlawfully Divert Cutting Edge U.S. Artificial Intelligence Technology to China

body_text: Today, an indictment was unsealed charging Yih-Shyan “Wally” Liaw, Ruei-Tsang “Steven” Chang, and Ting-Wei “Willy” Sun, for allegedly conspiring to divert high-performance computer servers assembled in the United States and integrating sophisticated U.S. artificial intelligence technology to China, in violation of U.S. export controls laws. Liaw, a U.S. citizen, and Sun, a citizen of Taiwan, were arrested today and will be presented in the Northern District of California. Chang, a citizen of Taiwan, remains a fugitive. “The indictment unsealed today details alleged efforts to evade U.S. export laws through false documents, staged dummy servers to mislead inspectors, and convoluted transshipment schemes, in order to obfuscate the true destination of restricted AI technology—China,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “These chips are the product of American ingenuity, and NSD will continue to enforce our export-control laws to protect that advantage.” “The FBI’s investigation revealed that Liaw, Chang, and Sun allegedly conspired to sell billions of dollars’ worth of servers integrating sensitive, controlled graphic processing units to buyers in China, in violation of U.S. export control laws,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Controlling the export of sensitive U.S. artificial intelligence technology is essential to safeguarding our national security and defending the homeland. That’s why combating export violations is among the FBI’s highest priorities, and we will continue working with our law enforcement, private sector, and international partners to bring to justice all who take action to undermine U.S. national security.” "As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants participated in a systematic scheme to divert massive quantities of servers housing U.S. artificial intelligence technology to customers in China," said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. "They did so through a tangled web of lies, obfuscation, and concealment—all to drive sales and generate revenues in violation of U.S. law. Diversion schemes like those disrupted today generate billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains and pose a direct threat to U.S. national security. Our Office, along with our partners at the FBI and Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, will continue to doggedly investigate these illegal diversion schemes to bring to justice bad actors who aim to profit from illegally exporting U.S. artificial intelligence technology." “Yih-Shyan Liaw, Ruei-Tsang Chang, and Ting-Wei Sun allegedly defrauded the United States by diverting hundreds of servers with advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to Chinese customers,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr of the New York Field Office. “These defendants allegedly fabricated documents, staged bogus equipment to pass audit inventories, and used a pass-through company to conceal their misconduct and true clientele list. The FBI will hold accountable individuals who use American companies to provide export-controlled technology to our adversaries.” The entirety of the text of the indictment and the descriptions of the indictment constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation. According to the allegations contained in the indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court: To protect U.S. national security and foreign policy interests, the U.S. Department of Commerce has implemented license requirements for the export and reexport of artificial intelligence technologies to China and Hong Kong. In particular, the U.S. Department of Commerce has placed restrictions on the export and reexport of items that could make a significant contribution to the military potential or nuclear proliferation of other nations or that could be detrimental to the foreign policy or national security of the United States. For these reasons, among others, advanced artificial intelligence accelerator chips, and servers incorporating such chips, are subject to export license requirements for transfers to China and Hong Kong. Those regulations reflect a formal determination that the computing capabilities in advanced artificial intelligence accelerator hardware are of sufficient strategic significance that their transfer to China poses an unacceptable risk to national security. Liaw is a co-founder, board member, and Senior Vice President of Business Development of a publicly traded U.S.-based manufacturer that designs and builds high-performance computer servers for artificial intelligence and cloud computing applications (the U.S. Manufacturer), including servers that integrate artificial intelligence graphics processing units (GPUs). Chang is a general manager in the U.S. Manufacturer’s Taiwan office. Sun is a third-party broker and “fixer” who has worked with Liaw, Chang, and others to divert U.S.-export controlled technology to China. Together, the defendants and others conspired to systematically divert the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers with certain GPUs to China without a license to do so from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The scheme operated as follows. Liaw and Chang, who worked closely with third-party brokers with customers based in China, directed certain executives of a company based in Southeast Asia (“Company-1”) to place purchase orders with the U.S. Manufacturer for servers with certain GPUs, purportedly for Company-1. Those servers were often assembled in the United States and shipped to the U.S. Manufacturer’s facilities in Taiwan, then delivered to Company-1 elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Company-1, in consultation with the defendants, then used a shipping and logistics company to repackage the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers and place them in unmarked boxes to conceal their content prior to shipping them to their final destinations in China. To ensure that these server allocations were approved internally at the U.S. Manufacturer, the defendants and executives at Company-1 prepared false documents and records, and transmitted false communications, purporting to show that Company-1 was the end user of the servers. At the defendants’ direction, between 2024 and 2025, Company-1 purchased approximately $2.5 billion worth of servers from the U.S. Manufacturer, many of which were assembled in the United States. The defendants’ scheme became more brazen over time and resulted in massive quantities of servers with controlled U.S. artificial intelligence technology being sent to China. Between late April 2025 and mid-May 2025 alone, at least approximately $510 million worth of the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers, assembled in the United States, were diverted to China in violation of U.S. export control laws as part of the defendants’ scheme. The defendants and their co-conspirators took extensive measures to conceal their scheme. As just one example, to deceive the U.S. Manufacturer’s compliance team, responsible for ensuring adherence to U.S. export control laws, the defendants staged thousands of “dummy” servers—non-working, physical replicas of the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers—for inspection at the locations where Company-1 was purportedly storing the servers it had purchased from the U.S. Manufacturer. However, the actual servers purchased by Company-1 from the U.S. Manufacturer had already been unlawfully shipped to China. Photographs of some of the dummy servers that were staged at a warehouse rented by Company-1 in connection with an August 2025 audit conducted by the U.S. Manufacturer are below: Some of those same dummy servers were also later staged at a warehouse rented by Company-1 in an attempt to pass an inspection being conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce of Company-1’s purchases of the U.S. Manufacturer’s servers. In advance of the inspection, SUN and one of the third-party brokers who works closely with the defendants to divert servers to China (“Broker-1”) staged dummy servers at the warehouse by, among other things, unboxing the dummy servers; using a hair dryer to remove and affix labels and serial number stickers to the server boxes and to the dummy servers themselves; and then re-packaging the dummy servers in the U.S. Manufacturer’s boxes. Surveillance cameras recorded their work and captured them preparing the dummy servers, including as shown in the images below, Sun (top) and Broker-1 (bottom): Throughout the scheme, the defendants coordinated closely with each other, executives of Company-1, and third-party brokers with end customers in China using encrypted messaging applications. Those communications related to, among other topics, the quantities of servers for Company-1 to order, the locations in China where those servers were to be shipped, and efforts to conceal the nature of the scheme from the U.S. Manufacturer’s compliance team, U.S. authorities, and others. At no point did the defendants or the U.S. Manufacturer have a license from the U.S. Department of Commerce to export or reexport U.S.-manufactured servers to China. Liaw, 71, of Fremont, California; Chang, 53, of Taiwan; and Sun, 44, of Taiwan, are each charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Export Controls Reform Act, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, one count of conspiring to smuggle goods from the United States, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, and one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. The FBI, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section investigated the case. This case is being handled by the Southern District of New York’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit and Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and by the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Juliana N. Murray, David J. Robles, and Kevin T. Sullivan for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorneys Maria Fedor and Mark Murphy of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: South Carolina Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Civil Rights Crime for Racially Motivated Shooting

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Department of Justice announced that Jonathan Andrew Felkel, 34, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis for violating the housing rights of his Black neighbor, J.M., in violation of 42 U.S.C. §. 3631. As the defendant admitted at the plea hearing, on July 17, 2025, Felkel, while driving into the community where both he and J.M. lived, fired a gun and shouted at J.M., “You better keep running, boy!” while J.M. was standing at the community gate. Felkel further admitted that, during the investigation, he told law enforcement officers that he believed Black people were committing crimes in his neighborhood, that he had assumed J.M. was a criminal due to his race, and that he had hoped to convey to J.M. that he should “leave” and “not be around this area.” “The defendant’s actions were deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “We hope his conviction brings a sense of peace to the victim and greater security to Black communities across the country.” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore of the FBI Columbia Field Office made the announcement. Felkel will be sentenced at a later date. The maximum penalty is 10 years in prison. The FBI Columbia Field Office and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle Klein and Lamar Fyall of the District of South Carolina and Trial Attorney Sarah Armstrong of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty in Child Sex Trafficking Case

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A California man with ties to Albuquerque pleaded guilty in federal court to sex trafficking two minors and transporting them to New Mexico for commercial sex acts, and a second defendant pleaded guilty to concealing the offense. According to court documents, in December 2024, Roderick Norseweather Jr. , 26, recruited two minors in California and transported, provided for, and maintained them for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. Norseweather purchased cell phones for the minors, required them to use the Life360 app—an application designed to monitor family members—so he could monitor their locations, created a coded emoji system to track their commercial sex activity, rented hotel and motel rooms, and paid for food, clothing, and other services to keep them engaged in commercial sex for his benefit. On December 29, 2024, Norseweather sent the two minors and Tajahne Johnson , 22, by Amtrak from California to New Mexico using tickets he purchased so the minors could engage in commercial sex in another state. Johnson was aware of the plan and engaged in commercial sex alongside the minors in Albuquerque. From December 30, 2024, through January 3, 2025, Norseweather directed the minors to engage in commercial sex through text messages and Instagram, posted commercial sex advertisements online using their photos, and arranged meetings with buyers. He later traveled to Albuquerque to collect over $3000 in proceeds from their commercial sex acts. Court documents show that, after law enforcement made contact on January 3, 2025, Johnson texted Jane Doe 2 not to come to the area and lied to law enforcement about the minors’ relationship to Norseweather in order to conceal his involvement. Johnson pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony and remains in custody pending sentencing. She faces an agreed upon sentence of three years in prison. Norseweather pleaded guilty to two counts of sex trafficking of children and two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. He will remain in custody pending sentencing and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley and Patrick E. Cordova are prosecuting the case.


title: San Joaquin County Woman Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Defrauding the IRS of over $1.2 Million

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Amy Evangelista, 60, of Lathrop, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for two counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation or presentation of a false or fraudulent tax return, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. “This tax preparer betrayed her clients and the American public by creating phantom companies and fake business expenses, resulting in $1.23 million in fraudulent tax refunds,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Her prison sentence is a reminder that we will pursue and seek punishment for those who corrupt our tax system.” “This case highlights the importance of choosing a trustworthy and qualified tax return preparer, especially during the height of tax filing season,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation’s unwavering commitment to protecting taxpayers and upholding the integrity of the communities we serve.” According to court documents, for the tax years from 2017 through 2020, Evangelista falsified more than a thousand of her clients’ tax returns to increase the refund amounts without her clients’ knowledge or consent. Evangelista reported false businesses, false income, and false expenses for her clients to the Internal Revenue Service. In one instance, Evangelista prepared a client’s 2019 tax return and falsely reported $8,830 in business losses when the client did not operate any business in 2019, nor had she told Evangelista that she operated any business or had any business expenses. Additionally, there were no business records to support the false tax schedule filing except for a fraudulent Form 1099-MISC that was prepared for the client. Evangelista repeated similar conduct with respect to hundreds of her clients. During the investigation, investigators contacted one of Evangelista’s clients to inquire about the preparation of the client’s return. Evangelista later told the client to lie and tell investigators that the client worked as a caregiver for a particular employer when the client did not work as a caregiver for that employer. Evangelista also prepared a false Form 1099-MISC for the client to make it appear as though the client worked as a caregiver when the client did not. In total, Evangelista helped file approximately 1,087 fraudulent income tax returns that contained false Schedules C resulting in a loss to the IRS of approximately $1,234,430, which Evangelista was ordered to pay in restitution to the IRS. Evangelista pleaded guilty on Nov. 6, 2025. The IRS-CI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nchekube Onyima prosecuted the case.


title: Meridian Man Pleads Guilty to Making a Bomb Threat

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Meridian man pleaded guilty on March 19, 2026, to the charge of threatening to unlawfully damage and destroy a building on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Gabriel Billie, Director of Choctaw Public Safety for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. According to court documents, Joshua Mark Davis, 37, of Meridian, used a phone inside the Silver Star Hotel & Casino of the Pearl River Resort on the Choctaw Indian Reservation to make a bomb threat. In May of 2022, a federal grand jury indicted Davis on the charge. Davis pleaded guilty to the charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2026. Davis faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.


title: Illegal alien from Mexico charged with alien smuggling

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Andres Carrillo-Hernandez, 27, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with alien smuggling, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of three years in prison, and a maximum of 10 years. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan W. Fitzgerald and Evan K. Glaberson, who are handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 15, 2026, Buffalo Border Patrol agents received information regarding possible alien smuggling. Agents were told that multiple subjects, including two adult males and an adult female carrying a small child, were spotted on infrared camera inflating a raft on the Canadian shoreline at Boyers Creek. The subjects then boarded the raft and began crossing the upper Niagara River, heading to the United States shoreline. Border Patrol agents proceeded toward the possible landing site near a residence on West River Road in Grand Island, NY. The raft was located, and the raft driver, later identified as Carrillo-Hernandez, was taken into custody for illegally entering the United States and suspected alien smuggling. Agents, who then heard a child crying, discovered another adult male, an adult female, and an infant child. The adult male and female were also arrested for illegal entry into the United States. Carrillo-Hernandez admitted to federal agents that he was paid approximately $2,000 to transport the two adults and child, via raft, from the Canadian shoreline to the United States. Subsequent investigation determined that Carrillo-Hernandez, and the three individuals smuggled across the river, had not applied for or received any authorization or approval to enter the United States. Carrillo-Hernandez made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on March 24, 2026. The complaint is the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Acting Chief Patrol Agent James D’Amato. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Authorities disrupt world’s largest IoT DDoS botnets responsible for record breaking attacks targeting victims worldwide

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The U.S. Justice Department participated in a court-authorized law enforcement operation today to disrupt Command and Control (C2) infrastructure used by the Aisuru, KimWolf, JackSkid and Mossad Internet of Things (IoT) botnets. The operation was conducted simultaneously to law enforcement actions conducted in Canada and Germany, which targeted individuals who operated these botnets. The four botnets launched Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting victims around the world. Some of these attacks measured approximately 30 Terabits per second, which were record-breaking attacks. During the operation, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s (DoDIG) Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) executed seizure warrants which targeted multiple U.S.-registered internet domains, virtual servers, and other infrastructure allegedly engaged in cyber-enabled criminal activity, including DDoS attacks against IP’s owned by the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN). According to court documents, the four botnets targeted in the operation together infected millions of devices worldwide. The majority of these devices were IoT devices, such as digital video recorders, web cameras, or WiFi routers. The KimWolf and JackSkid botnets are accused of targeting and infecting devices which are traditionally “firewalled” from the rest of the internet. The infected devices were enslaved by the botnet operators. The operators then used a “cybercrime as a service” model to sell access to the infected devices to other cyber criminals. The operators and their customers forced the victim devices to participate in hundreds of thousands of DDoS attacks, targeting computers and servers located throughout the world. As of March 2026, the number of infected devices hijacked worldwide by the botnet administrators exceeded three million, with hundreds of thousands of infected devices located in the United States. Some victims reported the DDoS attacks resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in losses and remediation expenses. Cybercriminals used these botnets to launch hundreds of thousands of attacks, in some cases demanding extortion payments from victims. Court documents allege that the Aisuru botnet issued more than 200,000 DDoS attack commands, the KimWolf botnet issued more than 25,000 DDoS attack commands, the JackSkid botnet launched more than 90,000 DDoS attack commands and the Mossad botnet launched more than 1,000 DDoS attack commands. This operation, in coordination with other international law enforcement actions, is intended to disrupt communications associated with the Aisuru, KimWolf, JackSkid, and Mossad botnets, preventing further infection to victim devices and limiting or eliminating the ability of the botnets to launch future attacks. “Today, the United States joined international law enforcement partners in coordinated enforcement actions to disrupt DDoS threats impacting Alaskans and victims around the world,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Effective collaboration bolsters our collective ability to combat emerging threats. The United States is steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding critical internet infrastructure and fighting the cybercriminals who jeopardize its security, wherever they might live.” “Today’s disruption of four powerful botnets highlights our commitment to eliminate emerging cyber threats to the Department of Defense and its warfighters,” said Special Agent in Charge Kenneth DeChellis of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Cyber Field Office. “Cybercriminals infiltrate infrastructure beyond physical borders and DCIS participates in international operations to help safeguard the Department’s global footprint. Collaboration among law enforcement and industry partners has proven vital to this success.” “By working closely with DCIS and our international law enforcement partners, we collectively identified and disrupted criminal infrastructure used to carry out large-scale DDoS attacks,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This operation reflects the strength of that collaboration and our shared commitment to combatting cybercrime and protecting victims worldwide.” DoDIG DCIS is investigating the case, with assistance from the FBI Anchorage Field Office. Law enforcement agencies from Canada and Germany conducted their own operations targeting botnet administrators and botnet infrastructure. International partners include: Germany : Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) Cyber and Public Prosecutor’s Office in Cologne (ZAC NRW) Canada: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Sûreté du Québec (SQ) Additionally, the U.S. Justice Department thanks Akamai, Amazon Web Services, Cloudflare, DigitalOcean, Epieos, Google, Hydrolix, Lumen, Nokia, Okta, Oracle, PayPal, Registrar of Last Resort, The Shadowserver Foundation, Sony Interactive Entertainment, SpyCloud, Synthient, Team Cymru, Unit 221B, XLAB and Netherlands Politie and EUROPOL’s PowerOFF team for their assistance provided during this investigation and operation. Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska Adam Alexander is prosecuting this matter. If anyone has information on the alleged threats or other DDoS threats, please contact U.S. authorities at DCIS-PowerOff@DoDIG.mil . ###


title: Woodburn Man Charged with Threatening to Kill a U.S. Senator

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Woodburn, Oregon, man made his initial appearance today after threatening to kill a United States Senator. Donald Leroy Smith, Jr., 51, has been charged by information with threatening a federal official with the intent to intimidate that official for the performance of official duties. According to court documents, on November 12, 2025, Smith left a voicemail for a U.S. Senator stating he was “coming to kill you,” that “you need to be dead,” and that he was going to “put a bullet in your head.” Smith made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from United States Capitol Police, United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Oregon State Police, and the Woodburn Police Department. First Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Narus and Assistant U.S. Attorney James A. Kilcup are prosecuting the case. An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Richardson man convicted of federal child pornography violations

body_text: PLANO, Texas – A Richardson man has been convicted of federal child pornography violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Justin Philip Ciruti, 42, was found guilty by a jury of distribution and possession of child pornography following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on March 19, 2026. According to information presented in court, in September of 2024, a social media platform reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had distributed child pornography via a direct message. That referral was received by the Richardson Police Department, who investigated the case and determined that the child pornography distribution resolved back to Ciruti’s residence in Richardson. On December 2, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Ciruti’s residence and electronic devices were recovered. A forensic analysis of the devices revealed some 200 images and approximately 200 videos of child pornography saved in various places, including in an encrypted application and a video player application. The video file which was originally reported by the social media platform was also recovered. Under federal statutes, Ciruti faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Richardson Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Miller and Calli Bailey. ###


title: Greenville Felon Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: OXFORD – A Greenville man was sentenced today for drug trafficking. Michael Lawrence Hunt, 45, previously pled guilty to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to court documents, on September 11, 2024, Greenville Police Department discovered over 55 methamphetamine pills, along with other illegal substances, during a traffic stop. Hunt had previously been convicted of a felony before this incident. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Hunt to 45 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. Hunt was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing. The Greenville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. United States Attorney Scott Leary emphasized that cheap drugs and drug trafficking have decimated communities in our state, and that methamphetamine is among the most dangerous. “Meth addiction is one of the hardest of addictions to overcome, often resulting in destroyed lives and families,” states Leary. “Through continued diligence, our communities must be reclaimed for the hard-working Mississippians that live there. A special thanks to the Greenville Police Department for its continued dedication. By working together, the Greenville PD and the ATF are a model of what can be accomplished when federal and state law enforcement work together.” “The ATF is working closely with local, state and federal partners to combat the scourge of deadly illegal drugs in our communities” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message that we will continue to focus efforts on repeat offenders so we can remove another violent criminal from our streets and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for the ATF.” “We would first like to thank every agency involved in the success of this conviction,” says Greenville Police Chief Marcus R. Turner. “Our mission is to maintain social order and provide professional law enforcement services to the citizens in the community. All available resources will continue to be used by the Greenville Police Department to pursue individuals that break the law.” Project Safe Neighborhood brings 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Anthony Girard, age 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced today to 97 months’ imprisonment. Girard pled guilty to receiving child pornography on November 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from September 2023 through January 13, 2025, Girard received and possessed child pornography. Girard admitted he used file sharing services to exchange over 24,000 files over the course of two years. During the investigation, agents from around Iowa were able to connect Girard’s IP address to thousands of files of child pornography in 2023 and 2024. Agents searched his home and electronic devices on January 13, 2025. Girard admitted he deleted file sharing apps off his phone while driving home on January 13, 2025, as law enforcement officers searched his home. Girard possessed child pornography that included depictions of infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. Girard also has a prior conviction in South Dakota state court for sexual contact without consent. United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Girard to 97 months’ imprisonment along with a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Girard was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victims in the case and $1,100 in fines and assessments. Girard remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4023. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: DEFENDANT SENTENCED TO 25 YEARS OF IMPRISONMENT FOR USING ACCESS TO INFANT AND TODDLER TO PRODUCE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIAL

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on March 11, 2026, Christopher Scott Marsh, age 45, was sentenced to 25 years of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release after using his access to extremely young children to produce child sexual abuse material, abusing a position of trust and exploiting victims too young to understand or report the abuse. According to court records filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, Marsh used children in his care—one two-year-old and the other an infant under the age of one—to create sexually explicit material. At the time of the offenses, the children were being cared for by the defendant’s girlfriend and, in part, by Marsh himself. Prosecutors emphasized that Marsh occupied a position of trust and used that access to exploit and abuse particularly vulnerable minors. Because of their extremely young ages, the children had no meaningful ability to understand what was happening or to report the abuse. Their limited verbal skills and developmental stage left them without any opportunity to stop or disclose the conduct. Prosecutors also outlined evidence that the Marsh’s sexual interest in children was longstanding. Court filings indicate he had been consuming child sexual abuse material for approximately 14 to 20 years and possessed a significant volume of illegal images and videos. Investigators further determined that he created additional exploitative material by digitally manipulating images of a real minor he knew, placing that child’s face onto existing explicit content. Prosecutors argued that the defendant’s escalating behavior demonstrated the need for a substantial term of imprisonment to protect the public and deter future offenses. In this case, Marsh entered a global plea agreement, which required him to enter a plea of guilty to both the federal offenses detailed herein as well as two counts of Child Molestation in the First Degree, in violation of RCW 9A.44.083, in Spokane County Superior Court. Marsh will enter his guilty pleas in Spokane County now that the federal sentence has been imposed. First Assistant Serrano said, “The impact of an offense like this extends well beyond the child victims; these crimes impact the victims’ families and our entire community. The families that entrusted Marsh are now left in a vulnerable place with extreme anxiety and difficulty trusting any caretaker as they move forward. Crimes against children a priority to my office; we will do everything possible to protect the children of our community.” “It is heartbreaking that Mr. Marsh took advantage of the trust placed in him to exploit children who depended on him for care and protection," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "In doing so, he caused long-lasting suffering to the young victims and their families. Holding child predators accountable for their crimes is important but difficult work, and I commend the investigators and prosecutors who keep our communities and children safe.” “Predators who exploit our most vulnerable threaten the sanctity and security of our community at every level.” Said Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney Preston McCollam. “Cases like this underscore the critical importance of strong partnerships between local and federal agencies. I am deeply grateful for the diligent, professional team of local and federal partners who work tirelessly every day to hold offenders like this accountable.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Spokane Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alison L. Gregoire of the Eastern District of Washington and Amanda Fry for the Spokane County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. For additional information, please contact the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington


title: CAREER OFFENDER CONVICTED OF SEX TRAFFICKING, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF FIREARMS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS FEDERAL PRISON

body_text: Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that James Anthony Stinson, age 55, of Spokane, Washington was sentenced March 18, 2026, to 30 years in federal prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release following his trial convictions for 11 felonies pertaining to Sex Trafficking, Drug Trafficking, and Unlawful Possession of Firearms. The Court also imposed $28,000 in restitution to the victims. Based on evidence presented during the jury trial, the investigation into Mr. Stinson began in 2021 following a series of controlled purchases of crack cocaine. Some of those purchases occurred from Mr. Stinson’s hotel room in the Spokane Valley. Based on the controlled purchases, law enforcement with the FBI, Spokane Police Department, and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on Mr. Stinson’s adjoining hotel rooms. They located distribution quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl pills, along with multiple illegally possessed firearms, as well as evidence that the rooms may also have been used for sex trafficking. Mr. Stinson had installed video surveillance cameras controlled by him to film the activities in the rooms. Further investigation into Mr. Stinson’s phones and other digital evidence revealed videos of Mr. Stinson threatening and violently beating one of the victims he trafficked. Messages on Mr. Stinson’s phones revealed his ongoing use of force, fraud, and coercion to force victims to engage in sex work and provide him with the proceeds of the activity, as well as evidence of significant financial gains from his combined human trafficking and drug trafficking operations. Mr. Stinson was previously convicted in Washington State Superior Court for Delivery of a Controlled Substance (Cocaine), for which he served 132 months and was released in 2011. In 2012, Mr. Stinson was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of Washington for Addict and Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, for which he served 120 months in prison. At the time of his arrest in 2021, Mr. Stinson was on federal supervised release. First Assistant Serrano said, “The sentence imposed here reflects the seriousness of Stinson’s actions. Crimes involving drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession are devastating to our communities. Mr. Stinson distributed controlled substances and exploited and coerced, through violence or the threat of violence, multiple vulnerable women to engage in sex work. He took advantage of these women’s addiction and other personal vulnerabilities for his own benefit. Mr. Stinson is a violent predator with a lengthy criminal history, and I am grateful for the work of many law enforcement partners whose efforts led to Mr. Stinson being taken off the streets.” “As this investigation into Mr. Stinson progressed, it revealed even more crimes, all of them harmful to the public,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Unfortunately, he did not seem to learn his lesson from prior convictions and returned to criminal activity, including distribution of dangerous drugs, illegal possession of firearms, and even sex trafficking through force and coercion. This case highlights the importance of the FBI’s Spokane Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force, which was instrumental in bringing Mr. Stinson to justice and is an effective asset in keeping our Eastern Washington communities safe.” This case was a multi-jurisdiction investigation conducted by the FBI Spokane Child Exploitation/Human Trafficking Task Force, which is a partnership between the FBI, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, and Spokane Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca R. Perez and Lisa Cartier-Giroux.


title: Moses Lake Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced today that Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Billy Gene Pinson, age 45, 35 years imprisonment for three counts of Production of Child Pornography, two counts of Possession of Child Pornography, and one count of Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by an Individual Required to Register as Sex Offender. Pinson pleaded guilty on October 15, 2025. Judge Bastian sentenced Pinson to 35 years in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Judge Bastian also ordered restitution for one victim in the amount of $3,000, imposed a $10,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act, and ordered the forfeiture of electronic devices used in connection with Defendant’s crimes. According to court documents, Pinson is a repeat sex offender, convicted in 1994 of two counts of Rape of a Child in the First Degree and in 2013 of Communication with a Minor for Immoral Purposes. Required to register as a sex offender, Pinson was already abusing his next victims before probation expired on his 2013 sex offense. Between February 2014 and October 2018, Pinson raped and sexually abused eight more children and exploited at least two more identifiable victims. Pinson’s victims were as young as four years old. The case came to light in March 2019, according to the filed plea agreement, when one of Pinson’s minor victims – then six years old – disclosed abuse at Pinson’s residence in Moses Lake. The ensuing investigation led to four more children disclosing years of sexual abuse by Pinson. Some of the victims described being photographed nude and in sexual poses and seeing these images on Pinson’s phone. Additional victims were identified when computer hard drives belonging to Pinson were forensically reviewed and found to contain child pornography produced by Pinson, in addition to child pornography Pinson obtained online. A safe in Pinson’s garage contained printed child pornography photographs, a baggie of one of his victim’s hair, and several pairs of used little girls’ underwear. Pinson’s DNA was matched to semen on the underwear. “Crimes involving the sexual exploitation and abuse of minor children are the most reprehensible crimes,” said Serrano. “Pinson has proven over and over that he will harm a child he desires if given the chance, and the sentence today puts that to end. Our office is committed to working alongside our state and federal partners to seek justice for these victims, and I’m grateful for a sentence that removes Pinson from our community. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, but I hope the length of Pinson’s sentence helps them healing.” “This defendant’s actions caused devastating harm to multiple victims, and today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes,” said Grant County Prosecuting Attorney Brandon Guernsey. “The Grant County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office takes crimes involving the victimization of children with the utmost seriousness, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our community. Our office is grateful to see this defendant finally held accountable for the profound harm he inflicted on multiple victims. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for taking on such a significant and challenging prosecution. The thorough investigation by the Moses Lake Police Department, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made this outcome possible, and we hope the victims can now begin the process of healing and moving forward.” Captain Mike Williams, of the Moses Lake Police Department added, “While we are happy to close the book on the prosecution phase of this repugnant and tragic case, we are reminded that there are eight victims whose lives were irrevocably changed by this criminal. Our hope is that this sentence will bring some measure of peace to them. MLPD would like to thank our federal partners with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Attorney's Office for their work on this case. The scope of the investigation was staggering, and with their help, all of the victims were able to have their voices heard.” “This substantial prison sentence removed Pinson from our community where he can never again groom, exploit, or terrorize another child,” said Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “HSI was able to bring this case to justice because brave young victims spoke up and our special agents, with assistance from Moses Lake Police Department and the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office, quickly stepped in to investigate without hesitation. We know that no sentence can erase the lifelong trauma these children carry, but HSI will stand with them—for as long as it takes—and we will not stop. HSI is unwavering in our mission to protect children, pursue predators like this repeat, dangerous sex offender and work with our communities to find, stop, and prosecute anyone who dares to harm a child.” This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations and the Moses Lake Police Department. Pinson was first prosecuted by the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office. This federal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ann T. Wick.


title: Othello Man Sentenced to 15 Months Incarceration for Odometer Tampering

body_text: Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on March 17, 2026, in Spokane, Washington, U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca L. Pennell sentenced Reynaldo Garza, age 53, of Othello, Washington, to 15 months incarceration and ordered he pay $21,080 in restitution to four victims of his scheme to rollback odometers in used vehicles. Judge Pennell also ordered that, following his incarceration, Garza be on supervised release for 1 year. As a condition of his supervised release, Judge Pennell ordered that Garza is not permitted to sell any vehicles. On October 1, 2025, a federal jury in Spokane, Washington convicted Garza of five felony counts of Odometer Tampering. As evidence presented at the trial established, a thorough investigation initiated by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office determined that Garza would purchase used high-mileage cars for cheap. Garza would replace the odometers in the vehicles with an odometer purchased from wrecking yards or used auto parts sellers. The new odometer would display many fewer miles than the vehicle’s actual mileage. Garza then sold the vehicles under the false and fraudulent representation that they had fewer miles than was true. In some cases, Garza sold cars by misrepresenting the mileage by up to 100,000 miles less than the actual mileage. In other cases, the difference was tens of thousands of miles. In doing so, Garza made thousands of dollars in profits for each fraudulent sale. In total, Garza tampered with the odometers of at least 21 different vehicles. At sentencing, the United States offered the testimony of an expert who calculated that the total miles removed by Garza via odometer rollback was 2,142,682 miles. In sentencing Garza to 15 months, Judge Pennell acknowledged that Garza’s conduct was not an isolated event, but had been ongoing for years, and that Garza committed a significant offense where he targeted his own community and breached their trust. Judge Pennell further stated that the dollar amount lost did not fully reflect the pain and suffering that Garza’s conduct had caused to his victims. In argument, the United States explicitly referenced how several victims still have to drive the vehicle Garza tampered with because they simply cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle. “Mr. Garza is not the first nor the last person commit odometer fraud in the Eastern District of Washington. Our office takes these crimes seriously and will investigate and prosecute all instances of odometer tampering. Mr. Garza’s sentence reflects the harm he imposed on our community. This sentence should serve as a message that odometer tampering is a significant and serious offense that will not be tolerated in our community,” stated First Assistant Serrano. “Odometer fraud is a serious and costly crime. It's also dangerous. These purchasers were defrauded into believing that the vehicles were more than 100,000 miles newer than in reality—taking on additional risks from safety-critical components affecting steering and braking. NHTSA is committed to working with U.S. Attorneys’ offices to investigate, prosecute and sentence those who defraud unsuspecting car buyers. This sentencing provides justice for the numerous victims who suffered significant financial losses. NHTSA will continue to protect Americans from these deceptive and dangerous practices,” stated NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison. This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Office of Odometer Fraud and the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy J. Kelley. and Jacob E. Brooks. Individuals with information relating to odometer tampering should call NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236. More information on odometer fraud, including prevention tips, is available on NHTSA’s website .