title: Kissimmee Man Indicted For Transportation Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Angel Manuel Gallardo Candelaria (32, Kissimmee) with transportation of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, Gallardo faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 20 years, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Gallardo Candelaria that the United States intends to forfeit a cellphone, which was used during the commission of the crime. According to the indictment, on or about July 8, 2025, within the Middle District of Florida and elsewhere, Gallardo Candelaria knowingly transported CSAM, in and affecting interstate and foreign commerce. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel Lyons. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Ansonia Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EVERARD BOOTHE, also known as “Gordo,” “Unc,” “Uncle,” “Love,” “Lovah,” and “Luver, 41, of Ansonia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 132 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking narcotics in southwestern Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department identified Boothe, Christian Pichardo, and others as significant distributors of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack, and narcotic pills in southwestern Connecticut. During the investigation, investigators intercepted calls and text messages between Boothe, Pichardo, their associates, and their drug customers over court-authorized wiretaps, made controlled purchases of narcotics, and seized drugs from members of the conspiracy and their drug customers. Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues and xylazine, a large animal tranquilizer. Boothe was arrested on related state charges on August 3, 2023. On that date, a search of his residence revealed more than 40 grams of fentanyl, approximately 10 grams of heroin, and items used to process and package narcotics for street sale. Boothe’s criminal history includes convictions for drug, weapon, assault, larceny, and other offenses. Boothe has been detained since his arrest. On April 25, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Pichardo pleaded guilty to a related charge and, July 14, 2025, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment . This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Arizona Woman Sentenced for $17M Information Technology Worker Fraud Scheme that Generated Revenue for North Korea

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An Arizona woman was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for her role in a fraudulent scheme that assisted North Korean Information Technology (IT) workers posing as U.S. citizens and residents with obtaining remote IT positions at more than 300 U.S. companies. The scheme generated more than $17 million in illicit revenue for Chapman and for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK or North Korea). Christina Marie Chapman, 50, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, pleaded guilty on Feb. 11 in the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. In addition to the 102-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered Chapman to serve three years of supervised release, to forfeit $284,555.92 that was to be paid to the North Koreans, and to pay a judgment of $176,850. “Christina Chapman perpetrated a years’ long scheme that resulted in millions of dollars raised for the DPRK regime, exploited more than 300 American companies and government agencies, and stole dozens of identities of American citizens,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Chapman made the wrong calculation: short term personal gains that inflict harm on our citizens and support a foreign adversary will have severe long term consequences. I encourage companies to remain vigilant of these cyber threats, and warn individuals who may be tempted by similar schemes to take heed of today’s sentence.” “North Korea is not just a threat to the homeland from afar. It is an enemy within. It is perpetrating fraud on American citizens, American companies, and American banks. It is a threat to Main Street in every sense of the word,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “The call is coming from inside the house. If this happened to these big banks, to these Fortune 500, brand name, quintessential American companies, it can or is happening at your company. Corporations failing to verify virtual employees pose a security risk for all. You are the first line of defense against the North Korean threat.” “The North Korean regime has generated millions of dollars for its nuclear weapons program by victimizing American citizens, businesses, and financial institutions,” said Assistant Director Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. “However, even an adversary as sophisticated as the North Korean government can't succeed without the assistance of willing U.S. citizens like Christina Chapman, who was sentenced today for her role in an elaborate scheme to defraud more than 300 American companies by helping North Korean IT workers gain virtual employment and launder the money they earned. Today's sentencing demonstrates that the FBI will work tirelessly with our partners to defend the homeland and hold those accountable who aid our adversaries.” “The sentencing today demonstrates the great lengths to which the North Korean government will go in its efforts and resources to fund its illicit activities. The FBI continues to pursue these threat actors to disrupt their network and hold those accountable wherever they may be,” said Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. “Today’s sentencing brings justice to the victims whose identities were stolen for this international fraud scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Carissa Messick of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Phoenix Field Office. “The scheme was elaborate. If this sentencing proves anything, it’s that no amount of obfuscation will prevent IRS-CI and our law enforcement partners from tracking down those that wish to steal the identities of U.S. nationals, launder money, or engage in criminality that jeopardizes national security.” The case involved one of the largest North Korean IT worker fraud schemes charged by the Department of Justice, with 68 identities stolen from victims in the United States and 309 U.S. businesses and two international businesses defrauded. According to court documents, North Korea has deployed thousands of highly skilled IT workers around the world, including to the United States, to obtain remote employment using false, stolen, or borrowed identities of U.S. persons. To circumvent controls employed by U.S. companies to prevent the hiring of illicit overseas IT workers, the North Korean IT workers obtain assistance from U.S.-based collaborators. Chapman helped North Korean IT workers obtain jobs at 309 U.S. companies, including Fortune 500 corporations. The impacted companies included a top-five major television network, a Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace manufacturer, an American car maker, a luxury retail store, and a U.S media and entertainment company. Some of the companies were targeted by the IT workers, who maintained a repository of postings for companies that they wanted to employ them. The IT workers also attempted to obtain employment at two different U.S. government agencies, although these efforts were generally unsuccessful. Chapman operated a “laptop farm” where she received and hosted computers from the U.S. companies at her home, deceiving the companies into believing that the work was being performed in the United States. Chapman also shipped 49 laptops and other devices supplied by U.S. companies to locations overseas, including multiple shipments to a city in China on the border with North Korea. More than 90 laptops were seized from Chapman’s home following the execution of a search warrant in October 2023. Christina Chapman organized and stored U.S. company laptops in her home, and included notes identifying the U.S. company and identity associated with each laptop. Much of the millions of dollars in income generated by the scheme was falsely reported to the IRS and Social Security Administration in the names of actual U.S. individuals whose identities had been stolen or borrowed. Additionally, Chapman received and forged payroll checks in the names of the stolen identities used by the IT workers and received IT workers’ wages through direct deposit from U.S. companies into her U.S. financial accounts. Chapman further transferred the proceeds from the scheme to individuals overseas. This case was investigated by the FBI Phoenix Field Office, and the IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office. Assistance was provided by the FBI Chicago Field Office. Trial Attorney Ashley R. Pungello of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen P. Seifert for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jorge Casillas. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Rothstein for the District of Columbia, the Victim Witness Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section also provided assistance. *** In a coordinated effort, FBI Phoenix also issued guidance for HR professionals on detecting North Korean IT workers, and the Department of State issued guidance on the North Korean IT worker threat. Prior guidance was issued by the FBI, State Department, and the Department of the Treasury on this threat in a May 2022 advisory , and by the United States and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in October 2023 . The FBI issued updated guidance in May 2024 regarding the use of U.S. persons acting as facilitators by providing a U.S.-based location for U.S. companies to send devices and a U.S.-based internet connection for access to U.S. company networks and in January 2025 concerning the extortion and theft of sensitive company data by North Korean IT workers, along with recommended mitigations.


title: Boston Lawyer Charged With Stealing Over $2 Million From Clients

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston lawyer was charged today with allegedly defrauding two of his clients of over $2 million. Patrick J. Dolan, 60, of North Attleboro and Haverhill, was charged with four counts of wire fraud. The defendant will make an initial appearance in federal court at a later date. According to the charging documents, between November 2018 and November 2024, Dolan devised a scheme to defraud his clients and other individuals who entrusted Dolan to maintain funds in accounts he controlled for their benefit. Specifically, it is alleged that Dolan stole over $2 million that he was holding in escrow pending the outcome of a family trust lawsuit in which Dolan represented one of the parties. Dolan allegedly used the stolen funds for himself and his family members, including by making transfers to accounts held in the names of family members or shell companies, using funds to make mortgage, tuition and student loan payments and using funds to pay for personal items and services. Dolan is further alleged to have stolen at least $87,500 from a supplemental needs trust that Dolan established for another client, and using those funds to make a down payment towards the purchase of real property located in Haverhill, where Dolan subsequently resided with his family. It is further alleged that Dolan made false statements to his clients and others regarding the stolen funds, falsified bank statements and falsified accounting records. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristina E. Barclay of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Georgia Woman Convicted At Trial Of Kidnapping Elderly Victim Is Sentenced To Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Stephanie Miranda Neace, 32, of Blairsville, Georgia, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the 2023 kidnapping and robbery of an elderly victim, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In April, Neace’s co-defendant, Jordan Nathaniel Hedden, was sentenced to 121 months in prison in April for his role in the victim’s kidnapping. James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to evidence presented at Neace’s trial, filed court documents, and witness testimony, on November 30, 2023, the victim, a 71-year-old female, was driving from Georgia to North Carolina, when she saw Neace and Hedden walking. The victim offered them a ride because it was cold outside. Neace and Hedden accepted the ride, and soon after they entered North Carolina, Hedden instructed the victim to drive to his car. When they arrived at the location, a car was not there. Hedden then ordered the victim to stop the vehicle, and when the victim refused, Hedden forced the victim to stop the car and get in the back seat. Hedden then took over driving. According to evidence presented at trial, the victim began to cry and Hedden yelled at her and told her to shut up. Trial evidence showed that Hedden appeared to be high and agitated and became paranoid that the victim had a tracking device. At one point, Hedden stopped the vehicle, and he and Neace searched the car and the victim herself for tracking devices. Then, they took the victim’s phone and disabled it. Hedden also demanded money from the victim, but the victim only had $2. Fearing for her safety, the victim told the defendants to take her to an ATM and the defendants agreed. During the drive into Tennessee, Hedden made the victim promise that she would not identify them to the police. During the drive to the ATM, the victim convinced Hedden to let her withdraw money from a gas station ATM instead of a bank. The victim also told Hedden that she would give the defendants the money if they let her stay behind safely at the gas station. When they arrived at the gas station, the victim took her purse and her car key fob. She told Hedden to turn off the car so the headlights could not be seen from the people inside the gas station, and Hedden complied. As the victim and Hedden were walking toward the gas station, the victim began to run to the door and scream for help. Hedden ran back to the car, attempted to use it to flee but was unable to start the car without the key fob. Hedden and Neace then fled on foot and escaped into the woods but were apprehended days later. Neace will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Don Gast and Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville are prosecuted the case.


title: Customs and Border Protection Agent Charged  With Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material of a Minor

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Today, FBI agents arrested a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent after he solicited sex from, and sent obscene material to, an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl on the internet, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division. Arrested was Harry Marvelle Peless, III, 51, of Newport, Michigan. Peless, who is employed as a Border Patrol Agent in Michigan, began communicating with the undercover officer in September 2024 using an online messaging application. According to the criminal complaint, during their near daily online conversations, Peless sent obscene material and multiple requests for the undercover officer to run away with Peless and have sex. Evidence recovered during the investigation showed that Peless had logged into the chat account he used to communicate with the undercover officer while he was at work. A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is the burden of the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection - Office of Professional Responsibility and Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown.


title: Former LWC Subcontractor Sentenced to 6 Months for Cares Act Fraud and Theft

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JAZMIN J. BOUGERE , age 38, a resident of Raceland, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 17, 2025 to (6) six months of incarceration with (6) six months of home detention to follow by U.S. District Court Judge Barry W. Ashe after pleading guilty to a one-count bill of information for theft of government funds related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance in connection with economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) after a major disaster declaration for this funding. PUA, administered by the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), provided unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors, or gig economy workers). According to court documents, BOUGERE , in May 2020, received and facilitated $144,003 from Louisiana Workforce Commission, $2,100 from Arizona unemployment, $119,936 from California unemployment, $105,133 from Colorado Department of Labor, $2,000 from Kentucky unemployment, $2,484 from Maryland unemployment, $1,872 from Minnesota unemployment, and $7,872 from Texas unemployment in improperly paid Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims during the pandemic. The total losses connected to fraudulent UI claims and other fraud was approximately $275,000. In addition to incarceration and home detention, BOUGERE was sentenced to 3 years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera was in charge of the prosecution.


title: Three people sentenced to prison for a series of armed robberies

component: Criminal Investigative Division (FBI)

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A northern Virginia trio has been sentenced to prison for their roles in a series of armed robberies in northern Virginia. According to court documents, on July 5, 2024, Javon Rustin Louis Paige, 38, robbed a cellphone store in Alexandria at gunpoint. Paige ordered an employee to the ground, hit the employee on the head with the handgun, and kicked the employee. Paige forced the employee through a back door into another business, then forced the owner of that business and the employee of the cellphone store back into the cellphone store and made them lie on the ground behind the counter. Paige stole several electronic devices and cash from the store, then fled. On July 25, 2024, Paige robbed another Alexandria cellphone store with Vincent Henry Kirkland Jr., aka Daniel Eugene Robinson, 31, whom Paige met in prison. Paige pointed a handgun at an employee and customer, ordering them onto the ground and then to the back of the store. Kirkland started to drag the customer toward the back of the store before the customer was able to get up and walk to the rear. In the back of the store, Paige and Kirkland encountered the store manager and demanded cellular devices. Kirkland and Paige stomped on the employee’s head and Paige struck the store manager in the back of the head with his handgun. Paige and Kirkland loaded store merchandise and cash into backpacks and a trash can. Paige pepper-sprayed the employee and customer before fleeing the store. On August 13, 2024, Brianna Mamie Oceolia Archie, 27, drove Paige and Kirkland to a Woodbridge business that sells and repairs electronic merchandise. Paige and Kirkland, both armed with handguns, entered the store and ordered two victims to the ground, demanded money, and ordered the victims to open the cash register. Paige and Kirkland struck both victims in the head with a handgun, causing injury. Paige and Kirkland loaded store merchandise and cash into bags and fled from the store. Archie then drove them back to a hotel in Dumfries where Paige was staying at the time. Paige, Kirkland, and Archie were arrested in December 2024. On March 11, Archie pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act robbery. On June 17, she was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. On March 11, Kirkland pled guilty to two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. On July 15, Kirkland was sentenced to 14 years in prison. On April 29, Paige pled guilty to two counts of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Paige was sentenced today to 16 years in prison. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Smalky and Megan Braun prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:25-cr-50 (Archie), 1:25-cr-59 (Kirkland), and 1:25-cr-63 (Paige).


title: Former Kokomo Police Department Officer Charged with Sexually Assaulting 14-Year-old Girl

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A federal grand jury in Indianapolis, Indiana, returned a two-count indictment, unsealed today, charging former Kokomo Police Department officer Sinmi Asomuyide with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and with lying to state investigators to try to cover up the assault. The first count of the indictment charges Asomuyide, who was 31 years old, with willfully depriving Minor #1, who was 14 years old, of her constitutional rights by sexually assaulting her. The first count also charges that the defendant’s conduct included kidnapping. The second count of the indictment charges Asomuyide with lying to the Indiana State Police to try to cover up the assault by, among other things, denying having sexual contact with Minor #1 and denying that there would be any reason for the presence of his semen in his squad car when, in fact, he ejaculated inside his squad car after causing Minor #1’s hand to touch his exposed penis. If convicted, Asomuyide faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Interim U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Wheeler for the Southern District of Indiana, and Special Agent in Charge Timothy O’Malley of the FBI Indianapolis Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Indianapolis Field Office is investigating the case, with the cooperation of the Kokomo Police Department; Bloomington Police Department; and Indiana State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Senior Sex Crimes Counsel Tara Allison of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case. This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI. An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Sarasota Man Charged With Unlawful Possession Of A Firearm And Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Aristeo Ceron-Morales (48, Sarasota) with unlawful possession of a firearm and illegal reentry. If convicted on all counts, Ceron-Morales faces a maximum penalty of 17 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Ceron-Morales that the United States intends to forfeit a Sig Sauer P226 firearm, a Savage 410 shotgun, Hornady 9 mm ammunition, and Remington .38 ammunition, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense. According to the indictment, Aristeo Ceron-Morales is a convicted felon and illegal alien. In 2002, he was convicted of “Sex Offense Against Child Fondling – Conduct by Person 18 Years of Age or Older.” Ceron-Morales possessed firearms and ammunition despite not being able to legally do so based on his status as a convicted felon and illegal alien. Additionally, Ceron-Morales was previously removed from the United States in 2003 and had returned to the United States illegally. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security – Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Bradenton Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Springfield Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearms

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man with ties to a local gang was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and making a false statement during a firearm purchase. Darius R. Thomas, 28, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips to 3 years in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Jan. 3, 2025, Thomas pleaded guilty to being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm and to making a false statement during a firearm purchase. Thomas is a close associate of an area gang known as “FTO,” who have been linked to several area violent crimes and firearms offenses. On June 1, 2023, officers with the Springfield Police Department (SPD) responded to a 911 call reporting a verbal altercation where two males were yelling at an unarmed man and waving guns around in the parking lot of the Kum & Go gas station located at 2930 South National Ave. The victim told the 911 operator, “I pulled up, they were making a fuss, and I said, ‘do not ask me questions when you got a gun pulled,’ that is all.” Officers were able to identify Thomas from the surveillance footage recording of the incident. On June 21, 2023, SPD officers were dispatched to the parking lot of an apartment complex on East Elm St. in response to a 911 call reporting that people were exhibiting firearms within two cars parked in the lot. When officers questioned the occupants of the vehicles, Thomas told officers that they lived in the complex and were just smoking “weed.” During questioning, Thomas rolled a marijuana cigarette and smoked it in front of the officer. When the officer asked Thomas about the reported gun, he told them that he couldn’t buy firearms because he “smoked weed.” Thomas gave officers permission to search the car, and they located a backpack with ammunition and magazines that appeared to fit a Glock pistol. When officers arrested Thomas, on Aug. 1, 2023, for a warrant issued for the June 1, 2023, incident, he was carrying the loaded Glock 29 that he brandished during the altercation at the Kum N’ Go. Just two days after he was interviewed regarding the June 1, 2023, incident, Thomas went to a local federal firearm licensee (FFL) and attempted to purchase a firearm. On the ATF Firearm Transaction Form, Thomas falsely claimed he was not an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance including marijuana. By pleading guilty Thomas admitted that he lied on the ATF Firearm Transaction Form in violation of federal law and, at the time he filled out the form in connection with the purchase of a firearm, he was a regular user of a marijuana. The FFL did not transfer the weapon to Thomas. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: New York Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation Offense

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that SASHA MAY, formerly known as Owen May, 24, of Pelham, New York, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a child exploitation offense. According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2023 and May 2024, May engaged in online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer on the messaging platforms Kik and Whisper. In those conversations, May detailed her sexual interest in children and distributed child pornography. May pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography, an offense that carries a maximum term of 20 years imprisonment. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for October 16. May, who was arrested on a criminal complaint on August 26, 2024, is released on a $100,000 bond and on home confinement with electronic monitoring pending sentencing. This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Pelham (N.Y.) Police Department. The Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Consultant Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring To Falsify Records and Evade Internal Controls at Commonwealth Edison as Part of Scheme To Bribe Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago today sentenced a consultant to two years in prison for conspiring with Commonwealth Edison executives and another consultant to falsify corporate books and records and evade internal controls at the electric utility company as part of an effort to bribe former Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives Michael J. Madigan and gain his assistance with the passage of certain legislation. MICHAEL McCLAIN, 77, of Quincy, Ill., and three others were convicted in 2023 by a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on conspiracy and other charges related to the bribery scheme. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah sentenced McClain to two years imprisonment during a sentencing hearing today in federal court in Chicago. McClain worked as a lobbyist and consultant for ComEd after serving in the Illinois House of Representatives in the 1970s and 1980s. Evidence at trial revealed that from 2011 to 2019, McClain conspired with ComEd’s then-Chief Executive Officer, ANNE PRAMAGGIORE, ComEd’s Executive Vice President of Legislative and External Affairs and lobbyist, JOHN HOOKER, and ComEd’s outside lobbyist and consultant, JAY DOHERTY, to corruptly influence Madigan by arranging for jobs and contracts at ComEd for Madigan’s political allies, often in instances where those people performed little or no actual work. The conspirators caused the creation of false contracts, invoices, and other books and records to disguise the true nature of the payments and to circumvent internal controls at ComEd and its parent company, Exelon Corp. Pramaggiore, 66, of Barrington, Ill., was sentenced earlier this week to two years in federal prison and fined $750,000. Hooker, 76, of Chicago, was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison and fined $500,000. Doherty, 71, of Chicago, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 5, 2025. The sentences were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Ramsey E. Covington, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government was represented today by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz, and was previously represented by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet S. Bhachu. “Through their web of lies, defendants deceived internal auditors, rate payers, and shareholders, and abused the highest levels of state government,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Streicker, Diane MacArthur, and Julia Schwartz argued in the government’s memorandum ahead of McClain’s sentencing. “Many public officials, and many lobbyists, adhere to the rules and to the law. But for those who do not, or who may be tempted to design their own illegal plan as a way around them, a message must be sent that a long prison sentence awaits them when they are caught.” Madigan, 83, of Chicago, was convicted by a separate federal jury earlier this year on ten corruption charges, many of them related to the ComEd bribery scheme. Madigan was sentenced last month to seven and a half years in federal prison and fined $2.5 million.


title: Stolen Checks Scheme Lands Oklahoma City Duo in Federal Prison for More than Three Years Collectively

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: Pair also Ordered to Pay Nearly $178,000 in Restitution OKLAHOMA CITY – GAYLEN DASHON STEPHENS , 29, and LENIE EUGENE JENNINGS , 29, both of Oklahoma City, have been sentenced to serve more than 40 months in federal prison collectively and pay $177,964.74 in restitution for their roles in a scheme to obtain and forge checks stolen from the United States Mail, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public records, from March 2023 through October 2023, Stephens and Jennings conspired to obtain checks stolen from the United States Mail, forge the checks by altering the payee name, and then deposit the forged checks into bank accounts created by Stephens and Jennings to obtain cash. During the course of the conspiracy, it’s alleged Stephens and Jennings attempted to steal approximately $277,000. On July 17, 2024, a federal Grand Jury indicted Stephens and Jennings. Stephens has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and admitted he knowingly and intentionally engaged in a scheme to deposit a fraudulent check with the intent to defraud the bank. Jennings has pleaded guilty to bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud and forge checks. As part of her plea, Jennings admitted she conspired with Stephens to obtain and deposit fraudulent checks with the intent to defraud the bank. At a sentencing hearing held on July 21, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Stephens to serve 28 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release. That same day, Judge Heaton also sentenced Jennings to serve 12 months and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Heaton also ordered restitution in the amount of $177,964.74, the total amount of actual loss reported by the victim banks, to be paid jointly and severally by Stephens and Jennings. In announcing his sentencings, Judge Heaton noted that crimes involving theft of United States Mail and fraud upon financial institutions undermine public trust in these institutions, and that the nature of these crimes, combined with the substantial loss in this case, warranted the sentences imposed to reflect the seriousness of the offenses and to deter this kind of conduct by others. This case is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson D. Eldridge prosecuted the case. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Armed cartel carjacker handed 108-month sentence

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 22-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Johnathan Mata-Espinoza pleaded guilty to two counts of armed carjacking July 27, 2023. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now imposed a term of 108 months. Not a U.S. citizen, Mata-Espinoza is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court considered a victim impact statement as well as additional evidence regarding Mata-Espinoza’s involvement in Cartel Del Noreste. “People have the right to raise their families and live their lives without some criminal shoving a gun in their face and threatening their families,” said Ganjei. “Cases like this demonstrate the corrosive effects the cartels have on our border communities. SDTX is working hard not only to secure the border to prevent future criminals from sneaking over, but also finding those criminals, like Mr. Mata-Espinoza, who are already here, preying on American citizens.” On July 27, 2023, Mata-Espinoza had approached two adults and a child entering their vehicle and requested a ride to the bus station. When they refused, he lifted his shirt and threatened them, saying, “You better take me because if not, I will kill you all.” A young child was already inside the vehicle during the encounter. One of the victim’s gave Mata-Espinoza the keys, and all three victims were eventually able to escape safely. Shortly afterward, authorities located the stolen vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Mata-Espinoza briefly halted but fled after ignoring verbal commands. Later that night, law enforcement discovered the first stolen vehicle abandoned and learned Mata-Espinoza had blocked another vehicle with his own, opened the door and ordered the victim to exit. When they refused, he said,“Bajate a la verga si no te voy a quebrar” (get down or I am going to kill you) and displayed a concealed firearm in his waistband. The victim fled and contacted authorities. Authorities later discovered the second stolen vehicle abandoned near a home on Peach Tree Lane. Mata-Espinoza took off on foot and law enforcement was unable to apprehend him. Authorities finally arrested him Sept. 15, 2023, when Mata-Espinoza exited the bus in Laredo. Mata-Espinoza remains in custody until transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Polce Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch and Brandon S. Bowling prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Reentry Into the U.S. Following Fentanyl Trafficking Arrest

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – ADRIAN GOMEZ-OSORIO , 40, of Mexico, has been sentenced to serve 64 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public record, on October 17, 2024, Gomez-Osorio was found to be knowingly within the United States after having previously been removed from the United States to Mexico on July 2, 2020. Gomez-Osorio was encountered by immigration authorities after he was arrested and charged in Oklahoma County District Court with acquiring proceeds from drug activity, aggravated trafficking, and trafficking of fentanyl crimes he has since been convicted of in case number CF-2024-5079. On November 19, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Gomez-Osorio with illegally reentering the United States after a prior removal. Gomez-Osorio pleaded guilty on February 14, 2025, and admitted he knowingly reentered the United States without proper consent. At the sentencing hearing on July 23, 2025, U.S. Chief District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Gomez-Osorio to serve 64 months in federal prison. In announcing his sentence, Judge DeGiusti noted the need to promote respect for the law, and to protect the public from future crimes of Gomez-Osorio. This case is the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Registered Sex Offender Convicted of Sex Trafficking Minors and an Adult

body_text: DETROIT – After a seven-day trial, a federal jury convicted Kevin Lavon Giles of sex trafficking two minors and one adult, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Giles, 59, of Detroit, was convicted of four counts—two counts of sex trafficking children through force, fraud, or coercion, one count of sex trafficking an adult through force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of committing a felony against a minor after having been required to register as a sex offender. Giles was required to register as a sex offender based on his 1986 conviction for Criminal Sexual Conduct. United States District Court Judge Terrence Berg presided over the trial. Giles faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and up to life. The testimony at trial proved Giles exploited his female victims by requiring them to perform commercial sex acts in return for shelter for them and their children. Two of Giles’s victims were under 18 at the time he trafficked them. Giles posted advertisements for commercial sex for all his victims, arranged their commercial sex dates, and collected the proceeds of the sex acts. Witnesses testified that Giles used hidden cameras to monitor the sex acts of all his victims and to direct the sex acts of the adult victim. “If you question whether evil exists, you have your answer,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “We are called to protect women and children. This man abused and exploited them to fill his pockets.” "The conviction of Kevin Giles, a registered sex offender, reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting our citizens, especially the most vulnerable from those who seek to exploit them,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to our Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes (SEMTEC) Task Force for their thorough investigative work. Investigating Human Trafficking is a top priority to the Bureau. We will continue to focus our efforts to save lives of those who are victimized by bad actors and bring those accountable to justice.” The FBI’s Southeast Michigan Trafficking and Exploitation Crimes Task Force investigated this. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Diane Princ and Ranya Elzein prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: St. Tammany Parish Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud Former Political Candidate and Four Other Louisiana Residents

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that, on July 17, 2025, JOSEPH HAROLD WEST, JR. (“WEST”) , a resident of St. Tammany Parish, was sentenced by United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 46 months of imprisonment, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. Following imprisonment, WEST will be placed on supervised release for 3 years. WEST was also ordered to pay $446,302.23 in restitution to his victims and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to court documents, from as early as November 2020, and continuing through at least May 2024, WEST, and others, conspired to: defraud Candidate 1 with fake campaign services; defraud Victim 1 out of approximately $236,867 in fake real estate purchases and associated costs; defraud Victim 2 out of approximately $83,268.05 in fraudulent claims of real estate and title work; and defraud Victims 3 and 4 out of approximately $112,328.18 in connection with a fake legal defense scheme. Among other things, WEST , and others, utilized numerous fake aliases and occupations, “burner” numbers for text messages and calls, and fraudulent invoices, to defraud their victims. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney, Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.


title: Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge William F. Jung has sentenced Theron Marquale Mathews (37, New Port Richey) to 15 years in federal prison for possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The court previously entered an order of forfeiture for three firearms and $41,176 in proceeds from drug trafficking crimes. Mathews pled guilty on March 11, 2025. According to court documents, Mathews and a co-conspirator resided together at a home in New Port Richey, Florida. On March 14, 2024, agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) executed an arrest warrant at that home and found a fentanyl processing operation. Agents obtained a search warrant and recovered a loaded Glock 20 10mm pistol, a loaded Smith & Wesson M&P 40 caliber pistol, an ATI Bulldog semi-automatic shotgun, 980.8 grams of fentanyl, and a number of items for processing and packaging fentanyl. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tampa Police Department, and the Pasco Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Beckman.


title: Texas Man Pleads Guilty for Filing False Tax Returns

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Texas man pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns with the IRS before U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Hightower for the Western District of Texas. The plea must be accepted by a U.S. district court judge. The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Jason Smith, of Kerrville, was an independent distributor for a multi-level marketing (MLM) business that sold, among other things, essential oils and aromatherapy products. Smith created an entity, Live Young Now International Ministries (Live Young Now), and directed the MLM business to pay his compensation to that entity. Smith maintained control over Live Young Now’s bank accounts and used those funds to pay for personal expenses including his mortgage, automobiles, a motorcycle, a tractor, and an airplane. Although he received tax forms from the MLM business reporting his compensation as over $1,400,000 each year for both 2018 and 2019, Smith did not provide those forms to his return preparer and falsely told his return preparer that he did not have any such forms. This caused Smith’s return preparer to prepare false tax returns that omitted more than $2.9 million in income that Smith had earned from the MLM and instead reported that Smith earned only $43 from it. Instead, Smith reported earning only $43 from the MLM. In total, Smith caused a tax loss to the IRS over $1,500,000. Smith is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return, as well as a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen E. Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Parker Tobin and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry to the United States

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two men pleaded guilty today in federal court in separate, unrelated cases to illegally re-entering the United States after having been previously removed. Selvin Mejia-Ramos, 32, a Mexican national, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr. to one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being removed. According to court records, Mejia-Ramos had previously been removed from the country in 2020. Rubin Pinot-Banegas, 38, a Honduran national, pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr. to one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after previously being removed. According to court records, Pinot-Banegas had previously been removed from the country four times – on Dec. 20, 2007, June 4, 2009, Oct. 22, 2015, and April 19, 2017. Under federal law it is illegal for an alien to knowingly re-enter the United States without permission after being removed. Under federal statutes, Mejia-Ramos is subject to a sentence of up to 2 years in federal prison without parole. Pinot-Banegas is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. Both men are subject to a maximum fine of $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. These cases are both being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. They were investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations. Operation Take Back America These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Ten Arrested, One Wanted in FBI-led OCDETF  Mississippi Multi-District Takedown

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, MS – Ten local Mississippi men were arrested yesterday on criminal charges related to their alleged participation in a fentanyl and methamphetamine conspiracy and related money laundering. According to court documents, Terrance Rush, Gary Wraggs, Tilnorris Macon, Tonnee Holmes, Tyler Tanksley, Darnell Stone, Harvey Savior, Marcus Metts, and Austin Snow are all charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Nine of these individuals were arrested in Winston County, MS, and one was arrested in Minnesota. One individual, Quinton McWilliams, 41, of Louisville, MS, is at large and wanted by the FBI for these crimes. In addition, three individuals are charged with violating federal firearm laws. As alleged in the indictment, several of these individuals have prior serious drug or violent felony convictions. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This operation is part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country. U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner of the Northern District of Mississippi; and the FBI made the announcement. The U.S. Marshals Service, Winston County Sheriff’s Office, and Louisville Police Department provided invaluable assistance in yesterday’s arrests. The FBI is investigating the case. The Starkville Police Department, ATF, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service have provided key partnership in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Stringfellow and Julie Addison are prosecuting the case. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF . An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Franklin County Man Sentenced for Committing Fraud with Checks Stolen from the Mail

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Wednesday sentenced a man who committed fraud with checks stolen from the U.S. Mail to 23 months in prison. Judge Pitlyk also ordered Matthew Cahill to pay restitution of $30,737. From roughly February 2020 through September 2021, Cahill and his co-conspirators stole personal and business checks, bank account information and the personally identifying information of multiple victims by stealing outgoing or delivered mail from mailboxes, homes and vehicles. Cahill and the others then altered the checks or created counterfeit checks before using the checks at retail stores, depositing them or cashing them. Cahill also electronically accessed a victim’s account and sent an unauthorized online ACH payment to an associate. The scheme created an actual and intended loss of $67,807. “The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Inspector in Charge, Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Field Office. The Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring mail theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions. Cahill, now 41, pleaded guilty in February to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and four counts of bank fraud. Donald Anderson, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud and has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $26,527 to victims. Joshua Hopkins, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft and was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was ordered to repay $1,395. Harvey Hale, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and two counts of bank fraud and has been sentenced to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to repay $19,550. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments in the cities of Washington, Union, Eureka, St. Clair and St. Charles investigated the case.


title: San Rafael Certified Public Accountant Indicted For Filing False Tax Returns And Mail Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment yesterday charging a California man with filing false tax returns, mail fraud, and money laundering. The following is according to the superseding indictment: Michael M. Gilbert, of San Rafael, filed false tax returns for himself and two business entities he controlled. Gilbert, a certified public accountant since 1985, allegedly underreported the total income his accounting and tax return preparation business, M.M. Gilbert & Company Inc., received during the years 2017 through 2020. The superseding indictment further alleges that Gilbert solicited payments from clients of M.M. Gilbert for “tax strategies” and “donations,” among other things, which the clients paid to White Mountain Properties Inc., another entity Gilbert controlled. Gilbert allegedly did not report these payments as income on the company’s 2017 through 2021 business tax returns. These payments to White Mountain were allegedly proceeds from Gilbert’s scheme to defraud his clients through the promise of some tax benefit. In fact, the White Mountain funds did not create a tax benefit for Gilbert’s clients, and Gilbert allegedly instead diverted the payments for his own personal enrichment. In 2020-2021, Gilbert is alleged to have transferred more than $5 million from White Mountain to himself and then failed to report that income on his individual tax returns. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Gilbert faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of mail fraud, 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering, and three years for each count of filing a false tax return. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Karen Kelly of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, and IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen made the announcement. Assistant United States Attorney Sara E. Henderson, with the assistance of Marina Ponomarchuk, and Trial Attorneys Julia M. Rugg and Patrick Burns of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by IRS-CI.


title: Laredo narcotics smuggler tied to cartel sentenced to 20 years

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 38-year-old Laredo resident has been sentenced for smuggling methamphetamine into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jose Pascual Soliz pleaded guilty May 16. U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Soliz to serve 240 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered how Soliz worked for Cartel De Noreste to smuggle methamphetamine into the country and recruited others such as Carla Miranda Aleman to carry out the crime. He admitted doing so on at least six to eight occasions. This was his third felony conviction and second for narcotics trafficking. The court also heard Soliz was known to recruit young woman such as Aleman to transport drugs and had used his minor daughter to recruit Aleman in this case. Aleman, 20, was previously sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for role to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. On April 19, 2023, authorities seized more than 11.85 kilograms of methamphetamine from Soliz and Aleman. The drugs represented what remained of a larger amount Soliz had removed from a vehicle’s gas tank after the drugs had already been smuggled into the United States. The rest had already been distributed. Authorities located the methamphetamine after the vehicle was undergoing repairs due to damage concealing the drugs had caused. The investigation revealed Aleman and Soliz used this vehicle to smuggle the methamphetamine into the United States. Soliz will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: San Diego Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Cocaine with Intent to Distribute and Unlawful Firearm Possession

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Benito Lopez of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today to possession with intent to distribute more than two kilograms of cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Lopez admitted the nearly $60,000 that investigators seized from his residence were drug dealing proceeds and has agreed to forfeit that money to the United States. According to court documents, officers with the San Diego Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit were conducting surveillance at a residence occupied by Lopez. While surveilling the residence, officers observed Lopez approach three different vehicles to conduct what appeared to be hand-to-hand transactions in less than an hour. During each transaction, Lopez exchanged small white objects for money with the occupants of each vehicle. A subsequent traffic stop of Lopez’s vehicle revealed him to be in possession of multiple bags containing golf-ball sized amounts of cocaine. At the time of the traffic stop, Lopez was on parole for a state drug trafficking conviction and subject to search as a condition of his parole. Investigators with the San Diego Police Department conducted a parole search of Lopez’s residence and found two additional kilograms of cocaine, digital scales, empty plastic baggies, a loaded firearm .40 caliber Smith & Wesson firearm, and $59,246.00. As part of his plea agreement, Lopez admitted he intended to distribute the cocaine seized from his residence and that the cash investigators found was money he made selling drugs. Lopez further admitted to knowingly possessing the loaded Smith & Wesson firearm despite previously being convicted of a felony crime, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful firearm possession and a 2024 conviction for possession of cocaine for sale, as alleged in the criminal complaint. DEFENDANT Case Number 25CR2207 Benito Lopez Age: 30 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams and More of Cocaine — 21 U.S.C. §841(a)(1) Maximum Penalty: Forty years in prison with a minimum of five years in prison and a $5 million fine Felon in Possession of a Firearm — 18 U.S.C. §922(g)(1) Maximum Penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Drug Enforcement Administration San Diego Police Department This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.


title: Denver Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Leonardo Medina, age 46, of Denver was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. According to evidence presented at trial earlier this year, an investigation by the Denver Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed that Medina operated a large-scale drug-trafficking organization in Colorado. Evidence gathered through wiretaps, undercover purchases, physical surveillance, analysis of financial records, electronic surveillance, and other enforcement actions demonstrated that Medina supplied bulk methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine to subordinate dealers in Denver and Colorado Springs throughout 2021 and 2022. In July 2022, Medina coordinated a delivery of more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine from Mexico for his drug-trafficking organization. Acting on information they learned from a wiretap on Medina’s phone, investigators in Colorado coordinated with law enforcement officers in Texas to intercept and seize the shipment. According to court records, Medina has multiple prior felony convictions for drug trafficking. He was sentenced to six years in prison for his first drug trafficking conviction. While on parole for that offense, he was again convicted of a drug trafficking offense and sentenced to 15 years in prison. “Mr. Medina chose to make a living by dealing drugs which kill people and destroy communities. This lengthy prison sentence puts him out of business,” said United States Attorney Peter McNeilly. “We are very proud of this collaboration between the Denver Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office which held Mr. Medina and several of his criminal associates accountable and made Colorado a safer place to live.” “This sentence is a significant win not only for our agents and investigative partners but for the communities we serve,” said Homeland Security Investigations Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “I applaud our agents and members of the Denver Police, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s office on this outcome, this sends a message that those who peddle poison will be found and brought to justice.” “Thanks to Homeland Security Investigations and our Denver Police Major Narcotics Trafficking Unit, the U.S. Attorney’s Office had a strong case that led to the conviction and sentencing of Mr. Medina,” said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas. “We continue to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who distribute dangerous drugs in our community. These sentencings send the message that if you sell drugs in our city, we will find you and hold you accountable.” Chief United States District Judge Philip Brimmer presided over the sentencing. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Denver Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Dustin Andre-Vandenberg, Sonia Dave, and Zeke Knox. Case Number: 23-cr-00049-PAB


title: Dominican Republic Nationals Charged In Connection With Shooting Of Off-Duty Federal Customs And Border Protection Officer

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel; and Director of the New York Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), Francis J. Russo, announced today the filing of a Complaint charging MIGUEL FRANCISCO MORA NUNEZ and CHRISTHIAN AYBAR-BERROA in connection with the shooting of an off-duty CBP Officer. The incident occurred on July 19, 2025, in Manhattan, New York. AYBAR-BERROA was arrested today and will be presented tomorrow before Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. “As alleged, Miguel Mora Nunez and Christhian Aybar-Berroa came to a New York City park and Mora Nunez opened fire—hitting a federal officer in the face,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Gun violence will not go unanswered. Our office will relentlessly pursue anyone who threatens the safety of New Yorkers and the federal officers sworn to protect them.” “ As alleged, these defendants entered and spent years in our country illegally, and their criminal activity culminated in Saturday night’s near-deadly attack on one of our own,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “Today’s announcement underscores HSI New York’s tireless commitment to answers, and ultimately justice on behalf of our DHS family, alongside our partners from CBP, the NYPD, and the United States Attorney's Office for Southern District of New York. As we continue to hope for the speedy recovery of the CBP officer, we will leave no stone unturned – we owe that much to the law enforcement community and the American public at-large.” "Our officer demonstrated extraordinary bravery and professionalism in the face of imminent danger," said CBP Director Francis J. Russo. "His quick and decisive actions taken not only saved the officer's life but also saved the life of his girlfriend and took a dangerous criminal off the streets, preventing further harm to the community. We are immensely proud of our officer's actions and dedication to duty. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and the family, and we are hopeful for a full recovery. We thank the Southern District of New York, HSI, and the New York City Police Department for their collaboration and partnership. Their actions have been instrumental in saving our officer's life and in assisting with apprehending the suspects." According to the allegations contained in the Complaint: [1] On or about July 19, 2025, MORA NUNEZ shot an off-duty CBP Officer in Fort Washington Park in Manhattan, New York. A bullet MORA NUNEZ fired struck the CBP Officer in the face and right arm. The CBP Officer appeared to return fire, hitting MORA NUNEZ twice, before MORA NUNEZ fled on a motorbike driven by AYBAR-BERROA. AYBAR-BERROA drove MORA NUNEZ to a hospital. AYBAR-BERROA later tried to get rid of the clothing he was wearing during the shooting because it was bloody, and discussed with a relative of MORA NUNEZ that they needed to get rid of AYBAR-BERROA's bloody clothes. Both MORA NUNEZ and AYBAR-BERROA entered the U.S. illegally, are in the U.S. unlawfully, and are subject to orders of removal from the U.S. * * * MORA NUNEZ, 21, of the Dominican Republic, is charged with one count of possession of ammunition by an illegal alien, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, and AYBAR-BERROA, 22, also of the Dominican Republic, is charged with accessory after the fact, which carries a maximum sentence of seven and a half years in prison. The maximum 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 thanked the New York City Police Department and Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in this case. This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mostafa Khairy is in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. u.s._v._mora_nunez_and_aybar-berroa_complaint.pdf [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Iowa Man Who Received Child Sexual Abuse Material Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who was previously convicted of interstate transportation of child pornography in 2008 was sentenced today to over 17 years in federal prison for receiving child sexual abuse material in 2023 and 2024. He also received an additional eighteen months in federal prison for violating his supervised release. Jeremy Moore, age 39, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 31, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography. At the guilty plea, Moore admitted he received child sexual abuse material between January 2023 and April 2024. Information from the sentencing hearing showed that while Moore was living at a halfway house in Waterloo following his incarceration on the prior offense, he possessed a phone he was not allowed to have. After the phone was discovered and seized, an investigator from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation found child sexual abuse material on the phone. Later in 2024, while Moore was on supervised release for his 2008 conviction for interstate transportation of child pornography, officers from the United States Probation Office searched his home. During the search, officers again found a phone. Moore had failed to tell his probation officer about the phone, and it was not being monitored as required by his terms of supervision. Officers seized the phone and had it forensically reviewed. During that review, a probation officer found over 600 images of child sexual abuse material, including images of victims who were less than 12 years old and images of sadistic or masochistic conduct. Moore was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Moore was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $27,000 in restitution. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. In addition to being sentenced for the new charge, Chief Judge Willaims also sentenced Moore to an additional eighteen months in prison for violating his terms of supervised release. Moore violated those terms by possessing child sexual abuse material, failing to comply with the sex offender registry, failing to participate in mental health treatment, failing to participate in substance abuse testing, and failing to allow the probation office to monitor his phone. 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.” Moore is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the United States Probation Offices for the Northern District of Iowa and the Eastern District of Missouri, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file numbers are 25-cr-2003 and 08-cr-2008. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Nicholas County Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Carlisle, Ky., man, Ronald G. Miller, 43, was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to 60 months in prison, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on July 2, 2024, law enforcement observed Miller, who was known to be a convicted felon, at the Blackberry Festival, openly carrying a loaded handgun on his hip. Miller admitted to knowing he was a convicted felon, and during his arrest, he yelled to his girlfriend to “go home and lock everything down.” A search warrant was obtained for Miller’s residence and revealed a rifle, pistol, and multiple magazines and boxes of ammunition. Under federal law, Miller must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; Chief Gary Kinder, Carlisle Police Department; and Sheriff Berl Perdue, Jr., Clark County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by ATF, Carlisle Police Department, and Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. – END –


title: Repeat Offender Sentenced for Meth Distribution in South Georgia

body_text: VALDOSTA, Ga. – A South Georgia resident with an extensive criminal history, who admitted to possessing methamphetamine while trying to run from troopers during a traffic stop, was sentenced today to federal prison for his actions. Joshua Keith Thompson, 37, of Morven, Georgia, and formerly of Adel, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 200 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on July 24. Thompson previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on April 22. There is no parole in the federal system. "Convicted felons who repeatedly disregard the law will face federal accountability," said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. "This case highlights our commitment to collaborating with law enforcement to target those causing significant disruption and bring them to justice." “Joshua Thompson has repeatedly shown he has no respect for the laws of our country,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “FBI Atlanta will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice those who continue to break the law and harm our communities.” “The sentencing of Joshua Keith Thompson underscores the importance of holding repeat offenders accountable, including those whose criminal activity impacts multiple counties and communities,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Thompson repeatedly ignored the law and put public safety at risk. The GBI remains committed to working with our local, state and federal partners to protect our communities and stop repeat offenders from continuing their criminal activity.” “This case shows that from a seatbelt violation to a federal court case, we partner with state and federal agencies to hold criminals accountable for their crimes,” said Colonel William W. Hitchens, III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. According to court documents and statements made in court, a Georgia State Patrol (GSP) trooper observed Thompson driving a sportscar and not wearing a seatbelt on March 25, 2023. During the traffic stop, Thompson handed the trooper a driver’s license with another person’s name on it. During the conversation, the trooper noticed what appeared to be a clear plastic baggie beside the defendant’s leg; consequently, he was asked to step out of the vehicle and was temporarily detained. A drug detection K-9 alerted on the passenger side of the vehicle. In the passenger side floorboard area, the trooper located a clear plastic baggie containing 784.53 grams of methamphetamine. After being told he was under arrest, the defendant fled on foot. The trooper displayed his taser and began giving verbal commands to stop. The defendant tripped and was quickly detained. Thompson has a lengthy criminal history in the South Georgia region, to include multiple felony convictions in Cook County, Georgia, Superior Court and convictions in Crisp County, Georgia, and Lowndes County, Georgia, Superior Courts. Thompson’s prior felony convictions include possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, burglary, theft by taking, giving false information to law enforcement and possession of controlled substances. The case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta’s Valdosta Resident Agency, the GBI and the GSP, a division of the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS). Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica L. Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Spalding, Nebraska Man Sentenced for Distribution of Fentanyl

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Tanner Hudson, 27, of Spalding, Nebraska, was sentenced July 24, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for distribution of fentanyl. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Hudson to 192 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Hudson is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On March 13, 2022, Hudson provided a round blue pill to the victim. Hudson believed the pill to be a controlled substance, a Percocet. This was confirmed through text messages and law enforcement interviews. Within an hour or so of receiving the pill, the victim loss consciousness. About five hours later, the victim’s roommate came home to find the victim alive, unconscious and suffering from pulmonary edema. Victim’s roommate called first responders. First responders arrived and administered Narcan to the victim. Eventually, medical doctors determined that the victim suffered two episodes of ventricular fibrillation and exhibited cerebral edema, which caused severe neurological damage. The victim remains in a vegetative state. This case was investigated by the Kearney Police Department.


title: Nebraska Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl Analogue

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

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Larry D. Moss, 22, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on July 23, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distributing fentanyl analogue. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Moss to 125 months’ imprisonment to be served consecutively to the state sentence he is presently serving at the state penitentiary. There is no parole in the federal system. After Moss’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On September 13, 2023, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobaccos and Firearms (ATF) special agents received information from a confidential source (CS) that Larry Moss and co-conspirator Craig Ruffin had acquired 1,500 fentanyl pills. Agents arranged a controlled purchase of approximately 200 ‘M30’fentanyl pills for $2,000 from Moss at his Omaha residence, during which Moss sold the pills containing fentanyl analogue. On March 27, 2024, Drug Enforcement Agency task force officers (TFOs) encountered a suspicious package sent from Laveen, Arizona to a Bellevue residence. TFOs executed a search warrant on the package and found it contained approx. 2,000 ‘M30’ fentanyl pills. TFOs delivered the package to the residence where Moss collected it and drove away. Law enforcement pursued and attempted to stop his vehicle, but Moss drove onto the sidewalk and through a construction site and ultimately escaped. He threw the package out of the window. Officers also found a Sig Sauer P250, .357 SIG handgun in his path. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Omaha and Bellevue Police Departments.


title: Alien Sentenced for False Representation of a Social Security Number and Illegal Re-entry

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Gregorio Pablo-Lares, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala who resided in West Point, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 18, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for false representation of a social security number with intent to deceive and reentry of a removed alien. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Pablo-Lares to eight months’ imprisonment on each count, to be served concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Pablo-Lares’s release from prison, he will begin a one-year term of supervised release. To obtain employment at a business in Nebraska, Pablo-Lares used the name, date of birth and Social Security Number (SSN) of another person. As proof of identity, Pablo-Lares provided to the employer a phony state ID card and a phony Social Security Card. The Social Security Administration verified that the SSN Pablo-Lares used belongs to a real person. An order to remove Pablo-Lares from the United States was issued in 2018, and he had been removed from the United States to Guatemala on three occasions in 2018 and 2019. He thereafter re-entered the United States but did not obtain consent from the appropriate authority to re-apply for admission. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Omaha Couple Pleads Guilty to Bringing in and Harboring Aliens

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that on July 17, 2025, Miguel Angel Salazar-Zuniga, age 37, originally of Mexico, entered a plea of guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Ryan C. Carson in Omaha to bringing in and harboring an alien. On July 18, 2025, Angela Rocio Urrutia Cruz, age 35, originally of Colombia, entered a plea of guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Ryan C. Carson in Omaha to bringing in and harboring an alien. Magistrate Judge Carson set the sentencing hearings for Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz for October 15, 2025, at 9:00 AM and 9:30 AM before United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher. Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz each face penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Both Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz agreed to forfeit their residence on North 34 th Street in Omaha which was used to facilitate the commission of these crimes. Urrutia Cruz and Salazar Zuniga owned and operated two businesses, MASU Construction, LLC and Angela’s Cleaning Services, LLC. Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz owned a residence on North 34 th Street in Omaha. From on or about May 1, 2022, through May 28, 2025, Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz encouraged and induced multiple individuals to come to, enter, and reside in the United States. Salazar-Zuniga admitted that a Mexican national, who illegally crossed into the United States in November 2024 near Nogales, Arizona with his wife and children, resided with Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz on North 34 th Street in Omaha. This individual paid Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz $300 a month for rent and worked for Salazar-Zuniga at MASU Construction LLC being paid $800 a week. Urrutia Cruz admitted he arranged a Colombian citizen to be illegally crossed into the United States in September 2023. Specifically, Urrutia Cruz sent this individual three money transfers to pay for food and to pay for a “coyote” to help him illegally cross into the United States. Urrutia Cruz also helped arrange the coyote to take the individual across the border. When encountered by United States Border Patrol agents, the individual provided Salazar-Zuniga and Urrutia Cruz’s Saratoga address as his destination. Once in the United States, Urrutia Cruz bought the individual a plane ticket from San Diego to Omaha. This individual resided with Urrutia Cruz and Salazar-Zuniga on North 34 th Street in Omaha and paid $160 a month to Urrutia Cruz and Salazar-Zuniga to cover rent and other expenses. The induvial also worked for Urrutia Cruz’s cleaning business. This case is part of the Take Back America Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. This case was primarily investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 360 months for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Daron J. Brown (Brown), age 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 23, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, for production of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Brown to 360 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Brown’s release from prison, he will begin a lifetime term of supervised release. On October 29, 2023, a school social worker reported concerns about minor victim’s relationship with an adult male to a school resource officer (SRO). Through investigation, the SRO learned minor victim became involved with Brown after Brown contacted minor victim via Facebook. Brown told minor victim he was 19 years of age, going on 20. At the time, Brown was a 33-year-old registered sex offender after being convicted in 2018 of Criminal Attempt, First Degree Sexual Assault in Douglas County District Court, Douglas County, Nebraska. Others close to minor victim also expressed concern about minor victim’s relationship with Brown. While investigating, law enforcement seized Brown’s cell phone, and a cell phone Brown gave minor victim. On Brown’s phone, investigators located 532 images and 250 videos depicting Brown and minor victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Many images and videos were consistent with images and videos located on the phone taken from minor victim. Investigators also located sexually explicit images of minor victim, which were taken as screenshots during a Facetime call between Brown and minor victim. Brown knew minor victim to be under 18 years of age. 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 Attorney’s 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 Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.