title: Perfectus Aluminum Inc. and Related Companies Agree to Pay $549.5M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to Evaded Customs Duties

body_text: California-based companies Perfectus Aluminum Inc., Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions LLC and four affiliated warehousing companies have agreed to pay a total of $549.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly and improperly evading, or conspiring to evade, antidumping and countervailing duties owed to the United States on aluminum extrusions imported from the People’s Republic of China (China). “The President’s America First Trade Policy defends this country’s national and economic security and ensures compliance with trade laws, including the payment of tariffs intended to level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Those who try to game the system harm American businesses and workers and will be brought to justice.” “Consistent with the goals of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud , this settlement reflects our commitment to hold accountable those who commit fraud on the government by withholding duties that are owed on imported goods,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Civil Division will continue to zealously pursue those who attempt to evade such duties and harm U.S. manufacturing jobs.” “Unscrupulous, corrupt, and anti-competitive practices against American manufacturers will not be tolerated,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “Law enforcement will use all legal means to protect American taxpayers, workers, and businesses.” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) played a pivotal role in this action, providing critical support through the Office of Trade, Office of Field Operations, Office of Finance, and Office of Chief Counsel. “Duty evasion is not a victimless crime; it hurts businesses that play by the rules and undermines U.S. economic security,” said CBP Office of Trade Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas. “I am proud of CBP’s close collaboration with the Justice Department and Homeland Security Investigations, as we work together to protect the American economy.” To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, the country of origin of the goods, the value of the goods, whether the goods are subject to duties, and the amount of duties owed. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects applicable duties, including antidumping and countervailing duties assessed by the Department of Commerce. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. During the relevant time period, aluminum extrusions from China were subject to both antidumping and countervailing duties. The settlement resolves civil allegations that, from July 2011 through June 2014, Defendants Perfectus, Perfectus Aluminum Acquisitions, and its affiliated warehousing companies 1001 Doubleday LLC, Von-Karman Main Street LLC, 10681 Production Avenue LLC, and Scuderia Development LLC (together, “Perfectus Defendants”) knowingly made, and caused others to make, false statements on Customs Form 7501 Entry Summaries that were material to obligations to pay duties owed to CBP on extruded aluminum. The Perfectus Defendants knowingly and improperly avoided antidumping and countervailing duties owed on more than 2.2 million aluminum extrusions in the form of “pallets,” which they misrepresented to CBP as finished merchandise not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. The pallets were simply aluminum extrusions that were spot-welded together to make them appear to be functional pallets. In fact, there were no customers for these pallets imported by the Defendants between 2011 and 2014, and no pallets were ever sold. On Aug. 23, 2021, a jury in the Central District of California convicted the Perfectus Defendants of Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States or Defraud the United States, among other things. United States v. Perfectus Aluminum Inc., et al. , No. 2:19-cr-00282-GK (C.D. Cal.). The settlement with the Perfectus Defendants resolves civil lawsuits filed by relators Mike Rapport, Eric Shen, and the Aluminum Extruders Council under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The lawsuits were separately filed in the Central District of California and later consolidated under the caption United States ex rel. Rapport v. PengCheng Aluminum Enterprise Inc., et al. , No. 5:15-cv-00712 (C.D. Cal.). As part of today’s resolution, the relator share will be 17.5 percent of the settlement proceeds that are returned to CBP. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from CBP’s Office of Associate Chief Counsel, Los Angeles West Region. This year the Administration launched the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division to enhance the Administration’s war on fraud, waste, and abuse in federal programs. When unscrupulous actors exploit these programs for their own financial gain, they defraud the government, harm the people these programs are designed to aid and protect, and undermine American businesses that play by the rules. The Civil Division’s FCA enforcement plays a critical role in combatting such fraudulent schemes, recovering billions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and holding wrongdoers accountable. FCA matters will continue to be on the forefront of the battle against fraud, and the Civil Division’s FCA work will support and advance the mission of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud and the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The Civil Division coordinated this action through the Department of Justice’s Trade Fraud Task Force, a cross-agency law enforcement effort. The Task Force was created to leverage all of the Department’s tools and authorities to prevent trade fraud that deprives the government of vital revenue, threatens critical domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and weakens national security. The Task Force is designed to pursue enforcement actions against parties who seek to evade tariffs and other duties, as well as smugglers who seek to import prohibited goods into the American economy. The Justice Department encourages whistleblowers to alert the government to credible allegations of fraud, including utilizing the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act or through the Department’s Corporate Whistleblower Program at CorporateWhistleblower@usdoj.gov using the form available here . Attorneys Jennifer Chorpening and Martha Glover of the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter B. Thomson for the Central District of California handled the case.


title: Serial Arsonist Sentenced to 240 Months in Federal Prison for Setting Multiple Wildfires and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on May 11, 2026, Chief District Court Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Zachary Tyler Vantuyl, age 34, of Selah, Washington to 240 months in federal prison for five counts of federal arson and felon in possession of a firearm. Vantuyl was also ordered to pay $1,010,343.44 in restitution for costs and damages assessed from the wildfires. According to public documents and materials presented at sentencing, Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) were investigating a series of wildfires set in 2023 and 2024. During these investigations and through the courage of eyewitness reports, agents began to see a pattern emerge involving what was confirmed to be a serial arsonist at work here in Eastern Washington. Investigators were able to identify a 2022 Chevrolet Silverado pickup and the description of a male subject later confirmed to be Vantuyl at these fires in what was described by witnesses as disturbing behavior. Both the vehicle and Vantuyl were seen at wildfires set on September 3, 2024, and September 25, 2024. Specifically, on September 3, 2024, at approximately 1:00AM, a witness described to federal fire investigators having heard a vehicle and heard tires “peeling out” near the witness’s residence as the vehicle left the area. Within a few moments of the sound, the witness saw flames and embers in the area where the vehicle was stopped. At a follow up interview with ATF agents on September 25, 2024, the witness further described the vehicle as having a large 4x4 written on the driver’s corner and damage to the driver’s side of the vehicle. The witness described the driver as a white male with a “weathered” face, broad shouldered, with no facial hair and of average height. When the witness asked the man what he was doing, he claimed he was “DNR” (Department of Natural Resources). A firefighter with Kittitas Fire Rescue, who responded to the fire, contacted Vantuyl while the defendant was driving his truck near the fire. The firefighter went on to give an accurate description of the defendant’s vehicle. Both the witness and firefighter immediately identified Vantuyl from a photo array. Similarly, at the scene of a September 25, 2024, wildfire, another firefighter witness advised federal investigators that he had seen a vehicle consistent the description of the defendant’s truck at the scene. The firefighter advised that, after the fire department arrived, Vantuyl’s truck left the scene at a high rate of speed, but returned about fifteen minutes later, hanging back and observing the fire. On September 26, 2024, a “Flock” camera in Selah captured a photograph of the defendant’s vehicle. The subsequent vehicle stop confirmed the details provided by witnesses and on surveillance cameras. Witnesses further took a photograph of the white Chevrolet Silverado that later came back registered to Vantuyl. From the investigation, it was learned that Vantuyl had set additional fires on private property in White Swan, Washington. Specifically, on or about May 15, 2023, Vantuyl set fire to brush or grass on the privately-owned property of a now-former landlord located in White Swan, within the exterior boundaries of the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. According to the victim, who both testified at an earlier hearing and provided a victim impact statement to the court, the victim and the victim’s spouse had hired Vantuyl to care for the owner’s several horses and other farm chores. Vantuyl lived on their farm for approximately two years and during that time, set multiple fires on the property (displayed below). The victim wrote: “I came to know him very well and began to see patterns that led me to believe he was the arsonist that set over a dozen fires on and near our farm. Even more disturbing and dangerous is his insidious and vindictive nature that led him to kill five of our dogs and abuse and shoot our horses. Mr. Vantuyl is incapable of feeling compassion for the suffering of animals and people. His motivation to cause harm and inability to feel remorse makes him a very dangerous man in any society.” The witness testified that the deaths of the animals happened after Vantuyl would make a remark, asking which ones were more valuable, or when he was annoyed at something. On October 2, 2024, agents executed search warrants and conducted a traffic stop near Vantuyl’s residence in Selah, Washington of the white 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck registered and driven by Vantuyl. During the traffic stop of Vantuyl’s truck, law enforcement located a large gun case in the backseat, which contained a Savage Arms 93R17 bolt action, .17 H.M.R. caliber rifle. Vantuyl is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms. During the search of Vantuyl’s residence, they recovered evidence linking him to the fires. On April 9, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Vantuyl with one count of “Timber Set Afire,” in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1855, and six counts of Arson of Federal Property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(f). Vantuyl was also charged with being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Pursuant to a written plea agreement, counts 4 and 5 were dismissed at sentencing, though they were considered for restitution purposes. The federal arson charges involved fires located both in Yakima County and Kittitas County and identified on the following map: This was not Vantuyl’s first time setting fires. In 2012, Vantuyl was convicted of two counts of Arson in the First Degree and three counts of Arson in the Second Degree in Kittitas County Superior Court for five separate fires he started in April, May and June 2012 in Ellensburg, Washington. He was sentenced to a total period of confinement of 120 months, followed by 18 months of community custody, and ordered to pay $193,791.52 in restitution. Vantuyl also has several other arson-related charges, including convictions for unlawful burning, false reporting of fires to 911, as well as convictions for property damage, domestic violence, and violation of a protection order. First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano said, “The Eastern District of Washington is an ideal target for a serial arsonist like Mr. Vantuyl - in the summer when he set most of the fires, the landscape is dry with highly flammable brush and trees and high winds. Fire interdiction challenges are significant and forest fires are a known and potentially deadly risk in the region. And we know all too well about how fast fires can spread. Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that arson is not tolerated in the Eastern District of Washington, and my office will prosecute such cases to the fullest extent possible. This case is the result of excellent collaborative investigative efforts led by the ATF, federal and state authorities, and numerous firefighting and law enforcement agencies. I am grateful for the hard work and dedication it took from this team to bring this serial arsonist to justice.” ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais said of today’s sentence: “This sentence holds a dangerous offender accountable for a calculated pattern of destruction that put lives, homes, and entire communities at risk. Serial arson is not a victimless crime. It terrorizes neighborhoods and drains critical emergency resources. Our agency remains committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who use fire as a weapon and to safeguarding the public from acts of deliberate violence.” The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) as well as fire investigators from the Bureau of Land Management or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Many firefighting components and law enforcement agencies responded to the fires or otherwise contributed to the investigation. Those include: Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Kalispel Tribe of Indians / Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Idaho Department of Lands Selah Fire Department Selah Police Department Yakima Police Department Yakima Fire Department Yakima County Fire Yakama Nation Fire Management Kittitas County Fire and Rescue The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia A. Sikes and Courtney R. Pratten. Case Nos. 1:25-CR-2045-SAB; 1:24-CR-2072-SAB.


title: Two Illegal Aliens With Prior Felony Convictions Charged for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Nicaraguan national and a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances yesterday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country. Jose Leonel Gomez-Palma a citizen of Nicaragua and Isidrio Lopez-Ramirez a citizen of Mexico, are both charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for May 26, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe. According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Gomez-Palma and Lopez-Ramirez were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally. On April 30, 2026, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department arrested Gomez-Palma for Driving Under the Influence and Possess Gun Under the Influence of Alcohol/Drugs. On May 2, 2026, the Clark County Detention Center remanded Gomez-Palma to U.S. Immigration Custom Enforcement (ICE) custody in Las Vegas, Nevada. Gomez-Palma was previously deported to Nicaragua on or about September 8, 2012. Gomez-Palma has felony convictions for Possess Narcotic Controlled Substance (cocaine), Carjacking, Kidnapping, Attempted Robbery, and Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Since 1994, Gomez-Palma’s felony convictions have resulted in 24 years and four months in combined prison sentences. On September 19, 2025, ICE learned that Lopez-Ramirez was in custody at the Nevada Department of Corrections (NDOC). On August 25, 2025, the Las Vegas, Nevada, Eighth Judicial District Court, convicted Lopez-Ramirez of DUI 3rd, a felony. On April 27, 2026, after serving a 12-to-30-month sentence, the Nevada Department of Corrections remanded Lopez-Ramirez to ICE custody in Las Vegas, Nevada. Lopez-Ramirez was previously deported to Mexico on or about September 3, 2011, and again on or about November 10, 2020. If convicted, Gomez-Palma faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. If convicted, Lopez-Ramirez faces a maximum statutory penalty of two years in prison, a one-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Ruben Levya made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ###


title: Maryland Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Related Offenses

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned a six-count indictment today charging Brandon Sartor, 33, of Hyattsville, Maryland, with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and related charges. According to court documents, Sartor compelled two adult women to perform commercial sex acts in Miami and elsewhere for his financial benefit from December 2024 until April 2025 and transported these two victims across state lines with the intent that they engage in prostitution. Sartor is charged with sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; using a facility of interstate commerce to facilitate the promotion of a prostitution business enterprise; transporting individuals across state lines with the intent that they engage in prostitution or other criminal sexual activities; and felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison along with mandatory restitution. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida made the announcement. FBI Miami and the Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office in Maryland are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dwayne Williams for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Elizabeth Hutson of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 26-cr-20188. ###


title: Bosque Farms Man Convicted of Unlawfully Possessing a Shotgun

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Bosque Farms man was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after multiple prior convictions for felonies and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence. According to court documents, on July 15, 2024, Warren Chewiwi , 52, possessed a 12-gauge shotgun and shotgun shells on the Isleta Pueblo. Chewiwi is not permitted to possess a firearm or ammunition. He has felony convictions both in the State of New Mexico and with the federal government, both of which restrict his ability to lawfully possess a gun. Moreover, Chewiwi has four misdemeanor convictions for crimes of domestic violence on the Isleta Pueblo, which similarly restricts his ability to lawfully possess a firearm. Because of these prior convictions, Chewiwi pleaded guilty to being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He will be subject to three years supervised release. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today. The Isleta Pueblo Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.


title: Justice Department Secures $30M Settlement with PayPal Over DEI Investment Program

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Justice Department announced a settlement with PayPal Inc. to resolve a fair lending investigation into a discriminatory investment program created for black and minority-owned businesses. The settlement requires PayPal to launch a new Small Business Initiative that excludes criteria based on race, national origin, or other protected characteristics. As part of the initiative, PayPal will waive processing fees for $1 billion of transactions – a value of approximately $30 million – for eligible American small businesses that are veteran-owned or engaged in farming, manufacturing, or technology. “This Department of Justice is delivering on President Trump’s vow to root out illegal DEI from every corner of corporate America,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “American corporations are on notice: you will face our aggressive enforcement if you use race or national origin to discriminate against qualified Americans.” “With this settlement, PayPal agrees that race and national origin should play no part in determining which small businesses deserve its investment and financial support,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department will use the full range of its enforcement authorities to eliminate discrimination and ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to grow their small businesses.” In addition to fee waivers, as part of the settlement PayPal will designate a director of the Small Business Initiative, conduct an assessment of the needs of American small businesses and determine how PayPal can best support them, submit plans and proposals for the initiative to the United States, provide training to employees on the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and report on the initiative annually. PayPal announced the discriminatory Economic Opportunity Fund in 2020 to invest in black and minority-owned businesses. While the program gave a preference to businesses based on race, color, and national origin, it was not implemented to remediate any specific instances of past discrimination. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, because an applicant receives income from a public assistance program, or because an applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Ammunition as a Felon and While Actively Engaged in the  Use of a Controlled Substance

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 8, 2026. Bradley Two Eagle, 27, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Two Eagle was indicted for Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in November 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 28, 2026. On October 17, 2025, the Rapid City Police Department responded to an emergency call reporting that gunshots had been fired. Law enforcement spoke with Two Eagle, who gave a false identity and then fled from the officers. As Two Eagle ran, he threw ammunition to the ground. Law enforcement caught Two Eagle. They recovered his discarded ammunition and also found a methamphetamine syringe on him. Two Eagle had previously been convicted of a felony offense. Possessing ammunition or firearms after such a conviction is a federal felony. It is also a federal felony to possess ammunition or firearms while actively engaged in the use of a controlled substance such as methamphetamine. 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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case. Two Eagle was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Shiprock Man Sentenced for Murder in Navajo Nation Home Break-in

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was sentenced to 210 months in prison for breaking into a Navajo Nation residence and killing a man who tried to stop him from attacking another resident. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of June 27, 2025, Armondo Paul , 25, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to a home in Shiprock, New Mexico. Paul shut off the electricity to the home, kicked open the back door, and then assaulted one of the occupants. When a second occupant, John Doe, attempted to intervene on behalf of the first occupant, Paul stabbed Doe in the neck with a kitchen knife that Paul brought from his own home. John Doe fled his home and died in his own driveway. Paul pleaded guilty to Second-Degree Murder in Indian Country. Upon his release from prison, Paul will be subject to five years of supervised release, which will include mandatory mental-health treatment. Paul must also make restitution in the amount of $5,471. 37 to the Crime Victims Reparation Commission for Doe’s funeral costs and in a yet-undetermined amount to Doe’s family for costs associated with his crime, to include costs expended for transportation to court hearings and counseling costs. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.


body_text: Albany Man Pleads Guilty for Posing as a Teenage Boy Online to Obtain Child Sexual Abuse Material from a Minor Victim, and Obstructing Justice CONCORD – An Albany man pleaded guilty today to a two-count Information charging him with Possession of and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography and Obstruction of Justice, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. According to the plea documents, the defendant, Brian Hargraves, 55, posed as a teenage boy online to obtain child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a minor victim. After his devices were seized and his home searched, he then contacted the victim and asked her not to testify against him. Hargraves was arrested in May 2025. He has been detained since that time. On April 29, 2025, law enforcement conducted a search of Hargraves’ mobile phones following a citizen complaint. A review of one of the phones revealed sexually explicit images and videos of a 16-year-old minor victim. Hargraves allegedly told the minor victim that he was a teenage boy and asked her to create explicit videos and images of herself to send to him. The evidence revealed that Hargraves was also in communication with other minors and was posing as a teenager in those communications as well. “Brian Hargraves used the internet to take advantage of vulnerable minors,” U.S. Attorney Creegan said. “Thanks to our law enforcement partners, his predatory and deceptive conduct was stopped and he will serve a significant prison sentence.” “Brian Hargraves posed as a teenage boy to manipulate an underage girl into sharing explicit images of herself and then tried to get her to obstruct our investigation,” said Ted Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “No child should have to endure this kind of abuse. The FBI is gratified to bring him to justice and is working aggressively every day to put predators like this behind bars. We’re determined to prevent them from creating any more victims and doing any more harm.” The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department and the Conway Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case. The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.


title: Sweet Springs, Missouri Man Charged with Manufacturing Explosives, Unlawfully Possessing an Unregistered Destructive Device and Distributing Information Relating to Manufacturing Explosives

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United States Attorney R. Matthew Price today announced the filing of a criminal complaint against Jordan Derrick, 40. The complaint charges Derrick with one count of engaging in the business of manufacturing explosive materials without a license, one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device, and one count of distributing information relating to manufacturing explosives, in violation of U.S. law. The complaint alleges that beginning no later than Sept. 18, 2023, Derrick began using several social media sites to distribute videos of himself making various explosive materials, to include detonators, nickel aminoguanidine perchlorate (NAP), ethylene glycol dinitrate (EGDN), hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), hexamine dinitrate (HDN), Research Department eXplosive (RDX), silver acetylide double salt (SADS), trinitroxylene (TNX or R-salt), trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), aminoguanidine bicarbonate, and ammonium nitrate/nitromethane (ANNM). In his videos, Derrick provided step-by-step instructions on how to make these explosives. According to the complaint, Derrick’s videos were downloaded from his publicly available video sharing accounts and used by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the individual who conducted an attack in New Orleans on Jan. 1, 2025. Jabbar had created IEDs consistent with Derrick’s instructional videos. The devices placed by Jabbar did not detonate and were subsequently rendered safe by law enforcement. Also, according to the complaint, on May 4, 2026, an explosion occurred at a private residence in Odessa, Mo. Investigators who searched the private residence after the explosion, found two components suspected of being used in explosive devices. The occupant of the residence told investigators that he manufactured explosive devices after watching online tutorials on a social media account that is believed to be utilized by Derrick to distribute information relating to the manufacture of explosives. An investigation of the Odessa explosion is ongoing. If convicted of engaging in the business of manufacturing explosive materials without a license, Derrick would be subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted of unlawfully possessing an unregistered destructive device, Derrick would be subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison. If convicted of distributing information relating to the manufacture of explosives, Derrick would be subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. In the federal judicial system, there is not the possibility of parole. These maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress, and they are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence would be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the National Security Division. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The allegations contained in the complaint are accusations, not evidence of guilt, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Eagle Butte Man Convicted of Sexual Abuse

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Emanual Semon, age 24, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, of Sexual Abuse Without Consent and Sexual Abuse of a Minor, following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on May 7, 2026. The charges carry a maximum penalty of any term of years up to life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Semon was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024. The convictions stem from an incident that occurred at a residence in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in July 2024. At trial, the evidence established that on the afternoon of July 3, 2024, Semon engaged in sexual activity with a juvenile female without her consent. Semon stopped when an adult entered the room and interrupted him. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. Semon was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: San Marcos Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of a Business and Three Armed Carjackings

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Brandon Ivan Padilla of San Marcos pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he committed three carjackings and robbed a business, all while menacing his victims with a firearm. Padilla admitted that on November 21, 2024, he pointed a gun at a clerk at American Smoke Shop in Escondido and demanded cash. The clerk gave Padilla $320. Padilla also admitted that he demanded a smoke shop customer’s car keys and cash while holding the gun inches from the customer’s ear. The customer handed over the keys; Padilla drove away in the person’s vehicle. According to his plea agreement, Padilla stole another person’s car at gunpoint a few days later, on November 25, 2024. He admitted to approaching that individual in Escondido, brandishing a firearm and telling the victim to give Padilla all “his shit.” The victim followed Padilla instructions and gave up his phone and car keys. Padilla admitted to then taking control of the car and putting the keys in the ignition, but the car did not start. Failing to successfully drive away in the car did not stop Padilla from carjacking another vehicle that same day. Padilla admitted to approaching yet another motorist in Escondido, racking his gun and pointing it at that individual’s forehead and chest, and forced the victim out of the truck. The victim did as he was told He also gave his wallet to Padilla who then got in the truck and drove away. In all three carjackings, Padilla admitted that he would have caused death or serious bodily harm to the victims if they had not given him their cars. Padilla is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino. 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. DEFENDANT Case Number 26CR388-JLS Brandon Ivan Padilla Age: 20 San Marcos, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Hobbs Act Robbery (18 U.S.C. §1951) Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine Carjacking (18 U.S.C. §2119) Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison and a $250,000 fine Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)) Maximum penalty: Life in prison and a $250,000 fine INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Escondido Police Department


title: Foreign Operators and Technical Superintendent of  M/V Dali Indicted for Roles in Key Bridge Crash

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Two corporate entities and a shoreside superintendent face criminal charges in connection with the vessel crash that destroyed the Francis Scott Key Bridge. A federal court unsealed an indictment, today, charging three defendants with conspiracy to defraud the United States and with causing the death of six construction workers on the bridge, among other charges. On March 26, 2024, the Motor Vessel Dali , a 900-foot foreign flag container vessel, registered in Singapore, crashed into the Maryland bridge. The indictment alleges that the economic loss in this case is at least $5 billion. Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, and Synergy Maritime Pte Ltd, based in Chennai, India, along with Radhakrishnan Karthik Nair, 47, an Indian national who worked for both companies as the Technical Superintendent for the Dali , are charged with conspiracy, willfully failing to immediately inform the U.S. Coast Guard of a known hazardous condition, obstruction of an agency proceeding, and false statements. The two Synergy corporations are also charged with misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act, Oil Pollution Act, and Refuse Act for the discharge of pollutants into the Patapsco River, including shipping containers and their contents, oil, and the bridge itself. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson, Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD); Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; Acting Director Zinnia James, Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS); and Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall, Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division (EPA-CID). "The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge was a preventable tragedy of enormous consequence," Blanche said. "This indictment is a critical step toward holding accountable those whose reckless disregard for maritime safety regulations caused this disaster. Six construction workers lost their lives, critical infrastructure was destroyed, pollutants were released into the Patapsco River and Chesapeake Bay, and the economic damage now exceeds five billion dollars. This department is committed to securing justice for the victims and ensuring those responsible are held to account." “This indictment is the first step in our efforts to hold those accountable who caused the tragic deaths of six people and catastrophic damage to our region,” Hayes said. “The safety of our residents, ports, and infrastructure is of utmost importance to the prosperity of the District of Maryland. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland will continue to pursue those who commit crimes that jeopardize those interests.” “The indictment alleges criminal conduct that led to the deaths of six Maryland residents, the destruction of the Key Bridge, and the discharge of pollution into the Patapsco River, causing billions of dollars of damage,” Gustafson said. “Following the laws for safe operation of commercial vessels is essential to doing business in our nation’s ports, especially the Port of Baltimore which sits on the Chesapeake Bay — our country’s largest estuary. Enforcing these laws is necessary to prevent disastrous consequences like the one that brought us here today.” “The indictment reveals a pattern of deception and egregious violations that led to the unsafe operation of the Dali which recklessly endangered the public and resulted in the ship striking the bridge,” Paul said. “This indictment should send a message to all ship operators that circumventing safety requirements and breaking U.S. laws will not be tolerated. I am proud of FBI Baltimore’s investigative teams who worked diligently over the last two years to find the truth and to hold those responsible accountable.” “At the core of the Coast Guard's mission is the protection of life and property and the facilitation of commerce,” James said. “The charges announced today reflect the Coast Guard Investigative Service's unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and integrity of our nation's maritime transportation system. This indictment alleges a reckless disregard for U.S. maritime laws and safety regulations, which had devastating consequences, leading to the tragic loss of six lives and catastrophic environmental and economic damage. Let this be a clear message: CGIS, alongside our federal law enforcement partners, will vigorously investigate and hold accountable any individual or corporation that compromises the safety of our ports and waterways.” “The United States will not be a safe harbor for violators who pollute our nation’s waterways. Today’s indictment alleges that reckless cost-cutting by dishonest foreign corporations on a foreign-flagged vessel with a foreign crew carrying hazardous cargo resulted in death, disruption of our economy, and the discharge of oil and other chemicals into the Patapsco River and the Chesapeake Bay,” Hall said. “Such tragedy must not happen again. This EPA will ensure that foreign companies do not profit off of polluting American communities. The hard work of our criminal investigators, who were among the first aboard the wrecked ship, was critical for securing this indictment, and we look forward to working with the Department of Justice to prosecute this case.” According to the indictment, the Dali lost power twice in a four-minute span, as it navigated out to sea from the Port of Baltimore, causing it to crash into the Key Bridge. The indictment alleges that a loose wire in a high-voltage switchboard likely caused the first power loss. Critical systems on the Dali were originally designed with reliable redundancies and automatic restart capabilities so the Dali could quickly regain power after a blackout. But shortly after the vessel regained power, it lost power again. According to the indictment, the defendants allegedly altered the ship and relied on a flushing pump to supply fuel to two of the Dali’s four generators. However, the flushing pump was not designed to automatically restart following a blackout, and the Dali’s generators could not operate without a fuel supply, so the ship ultimately experienced a second blackout. The indictment alleges that if the Dali used the proper fuel supply pumps, the vessel would have regained power in time to safely navigate under the Key Bridge. Synergy and Nair are also charged with obstruction of an agency proceeding and providing false statements and documents to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as it conducted a casualty investigation. The obstruction charges relate to, among other things, Nair’s statements to the NTSB that he did not know the Dali was using the flushing pump to provide fuel to two of the generators. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Synergy faces a maximum sentence of five years of probation for each felony count and a fine of up to twice the amount of the gross gain or loss caused by the allision. Nair faces a maximum of five years in federal prison for conspiracy; six years for each violation of the Ports & Waterways Safety Act; 10 years for each count of misconduct of or neglect of ship officers; five years for each count of obstructing an agency proceeding; and five years for each count of false statements. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, CGIS, and EPA-CID for their work in the investigation, along with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew P. Phelps, Bijon A. Mostoufi, and Kimberly Phillips, along with ENRD Trial Attorney Leigh Rende, who are prosecuting this federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Indictment of Four Illegal Aliens from South America in Million Dollar Multistate Burglary Ring

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 12, 2026, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin returned an indictment charging Chilean nationals Luciano Alexis Silva Cifuentes, Enjerbet Alejandro Rojas Silva, and Leandro Felipe Pino Uribe, and Venezuelan national Nobuaki Jesus Lara Watay with violations of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 (conspiracy to violate the laws of the United States), 2314 (interstate and foreign transportation of stolen property), and 1956(h) (conspiracy to launder criminal proceeds). According to publicly filed criminal complaints that preceded today’s indictment, this case arises out of an investigation initially commenced by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office and joined by the Milwaukee area Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). The HSTF is led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Homeland Security–Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The investigation led to charges against a group of Chilean nationals who are in the U.S. illegally and allegedly traveled from South America to commit burglaries across the United States. This South American theft group is allegedly tied to more than a dozen completed and attempted residential burglaries in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Florida, with a total loss of approximately $1,000,000 worth of U.S. currency, jewelry, firearms, precious metals, and rare coins. The Chilean burglars are alleged to have repeatedly traveled from Florida to Wisconsin and Minnesota by rental car, with the support of Watay, who is living in the U.S. illegally in Florida, and who reserved Airbnb rentals for the burglary crew, posted their bail when needed, and conducted financial transactions on the group’s behalf. The crimes with which the defendants have been charged carry maximum penalties of up to five years in prison for conspiring to violate the laws of the United States, up to ten years in prison for transporting stolen property across state or foreign boundaries, and up to twenty years in prison for conspiring to launder criminal proceeds. This indictment is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This investigation was led by the Milwaukee Homeland Security Task Force 414, composed of members from the FBI, HSI, IRS–CI, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, with significant support from the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, Mequon Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Department, Brown County Sheriff’s Department, Mendota Heights (MN) Police Department, Orono (MN) Police Department, Edina (MN) Police Department, Plantation (FL) Police Department, and the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA). The prosecution is being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Mexican National Convicted of Preparing False Tax Returns for Clients

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Nancy Maldonado Alvarez, 43, a Mexican national, was convicted on 37 counts of aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns for clients. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Alvarez owned and operated a tax preparation business in Denver that she used to prepare false tax returns claiming refunds her clients were not entitled to receive. Alvarez carried out her tax fraud scheme by fabricating business losses, often for non-existent businesses, and by seeking the paid sick and family leave credit, which Congress created to aid struggling businesses and others during the COVID-19 global pandemic, even though many of her clients did not qualify for the credit. She also collected preparation fees that sometimes exceeded $2,000 per return, often unbeknownst to her clients. In total, Alvarez caused a loss to the United States exceeding $150,000. Alvarez is scheduled to be sentenced in August. Senior United States District Judge John L. Kane presided over the trial. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Neff for the District of Colorado and Trial Attorney Daniel R. Glenn of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section handled the prosecution. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. 26-00324-JLK


title: Indictment Charges Four District Men in Spree of Convenience Store ATM Robberies Using Jaws of Life

body_text: WASHINGTON – A 27-count Indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging four men in connection with a conspiracy that used the “Jaws of Life” to commit robberies of convenience store ATMs in Maryland and the District, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Jeff Crews, 35, David Walker, 40, Maurice Roots, 35, and Kevin Bing, 31 – all residents of the District of Columbia – are charged with Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by Robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery) and an array of other counts relating to stolen vehicles. “Violent, organized crews who treat our neighborhoods as targets and use rescue tools designed to save lives to instead tear open ATMs and terrorize businesses will be met with relentless prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This indictment reflects a sustained law enforcement effort to dismantle a coordinated robbery ring that endangered employees, destroyed property, and repeatedly struck communities across Maryland and the District of Columbia.” According to the Indictment, the conspiracy operated during the first three months of 2025. Members of the conspiracy acquired a “Jaws of Life” – the powerful hydraulic rescue tool typically used by first responders to extract victims from the wreckage of car crashes – and used it to tear open automated teller machines and steal the cash inside them. The men acquired stolen vehicles, wore masks, and executed most of the robberies during the early-morning hours. They would meet at a predetermined location, transfer their robbery tools into the robbery vehicle, and drive to the targeted convenience store. After arriving at the convenience store, members divided up tasks. One member sometimes remained in the vehicle as a getaway driver. At least one other member was tasked with subduing the store employees, as another attempted to destroy the store’s surveillance video and network equipment. Another used the “Jaws of Life” tool or other levering tool to rip open the ATM and remove its cassettes containing the cash. On Jan. 3, 2025, members of the conspiracy robbed an ATM on the 9900 block of Greenbelt Road, Lanham. On Jan. 4, 2025, members of the conspiracy robbed stores on the 6000 block of Sandy Spring Road, in Laurel, and the 900 block of Chillum Road, Hyattsville. On Jan. 7, 2025, members robbed a store on the 7700 block of Crain Highway, Upper Marlboro. On Jan. 8, 2025, members of the conspiracy attempted to rob an ATM on Route 3 in Gambrills. On Jan. 12, 2025, members of the conspiracy ignited and burned a black Lexus sedan, which had been used to facilitate a robbery. On Jan. 22, 2025, members robbed an ATM in a store on the 7400 block of Annapolis Road, Hyattsville. On Jan. 29, 2025, members robbed a store on the 11000 block of Cherry Hill Road, Beltsville, and robbed an ATM inside a store on the unit block of Watkins Park Drive, Upper Marlboro. On Feb. 1, 2025, members robbed an ATM within a store on the 7900 block of Good Luck Road, Lanham. On Feb. 6, 2025, members robbed an ATM on the 6100 block of Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill. On Feb. 19, 2025, members robbed an ATM in a store on the 11000 block of Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, On Feb. 22, 2025, members robbed an ATM in a store on the 9400 block of Lanham Severn Road, Lanham. On Feb. 28, 2025, members robbed an ATM on the 1000 block of Crain Hwy N, Gambrills, and robbed another ATM on the 600 block of University Boulevard, Silver Spring. On March 11, 2025, members robbed a store on the 6500 block of Coventry Way, Clinton, and struck another ATM the same day on the 8900 block of Rhode Island Avenue, College Park. On March 19, 2025, members of the conspiracy attempted to rob an ATM at a store on the 9500 block of Ruby Lockhart Boulevard, Bowie, before they robbed an ATM on the 5200 block of 3 rd St. NE, Washington D.C. Later that day, members burned a silver Lexus sedan which had been used to facilitate a robbery. This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the Prince George’s County Police Department, the Montgomery County Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department, the Greenbelt Police Department, and the Metropolitan Police Department. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 26crxx


title: Suburban Houston resident sent to prison for receiving child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 36-year-old Pasadena man has been ordered to federal prison after exchanging child pornography over the internet, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Pedro Lopez pleaded guilty May 6, 2025. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Lopez to serve 87 months in federal prison. He was further ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and will serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Lopez will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. The investigation into Lopez began Aug. 9, 2024, after authorities discovered he had been uploading child sexual abuse material over the internet. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on his home where they located his cell phone. A forensic examination revealed conversations Lopez had with others involving CSAM. Lopez also sent and received child pornography to others online through various communication applications. He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance of Nueces County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Pinal County Resident Sentenced to 24 Years for Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – A man who pleaded guilty to Producing Child Pornography involving a 14-year-old girl was sentenced on May 5, 2026, in federal court. Agustin Julian Sauceda, 39, of Casa Grande, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 293 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Sauceda previously pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 11, 2025. “No one should exploit and sexually victimize children, least of all a public servant entrusted with serving his community,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “This case demonstrates that proactive law enforcement work in child pornography cases is critical to not only identify individuals clicking on illicit images, but also to uncover even more serious offenses, as occurred here.” “As a firefighter, this individual was entrusted with protecting and serving his community. Instead, he betrayed that trust in the most egregious way possible,” said Jason T. Stevens, special agent in charge for HSI Arizona. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who abuse positions of public trust to harm children will be held fully accountable. HSI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue child predators, hold them accountable and will stop at nothing to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.” Sauceda, who was employed as an Eloy Fire Battalion Chief, was detected in a file sharing network between June and September 2024 as he distributed child pornography files. A review of Sauceda’s electronic devices following a search of his home on Oct. 30, 2024, revealed 5,063 files that he had produced of a nude and partially nude 14-year-old victim. The images were taken between August 2022 and July 2024. Sauceda also possessed approximately 14,089 child pornography files of prepubescent children that he had received from the internet. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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, visit justice.gov/PSC . Homeland Security Investigations-Arizona conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office and the Casa Grande Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-01898 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-073_Sauceda # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Ukrainian National Extradited from Thailand to Face Conspiracy Charges

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.— A Ukrainian national was extradited from Thailand to the United States last Friday to face charges for her role in a global Ponzi and pyramid scheme. Olena Oblamska, 42, has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Oblamska and her co-conspirators advertised Forsage as a decentralized matrix project based on network marketing and “smart contracts,” which are self-executing contracts on the blockchain. The defendants falsely promoted Forsage to the public as a legitimate, low-risk, and lucrative investment opportunity through Forsage’s website and various social-media platforms, but, in reality, the defendants operated Forsage as a Ponzi and pyramid investment scheme that took in approximately $340 million from victim-investors around the world. Consistent with a Ponzi scheme, as soon as an investor invested in Forsage by purchasing a “slot” in a Forsage smart contract, the smart contract automatically diverted the investor’s funds to other Forsage investors, such that earlier investors were paid with funds from later investors. Oblamska made her initial appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. magistrate judge. She was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a 4-day jury trial scheduled to begin on July 14, 2026. If convicted, Oblamska faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement. The FBI Portland Field Office, U.S. Secret Service, HSI New York, and HSI Bangkok are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Sara Hallmark and Tian Huang of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine A. Rykken and Meredith Bateman are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Thailand. The Justice Department thanks its Thailand law enforcement partners, including the Royal Thai Police and the Office of the Attorney General of Thailand. All investor victims of the Forsage scheme are encouraged to visit the webpage https://www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/case/united-states-v-vladimir-okhotnikov-et-al to identify themselves as potential victims and obtain more information on their rights as victims, including the ability to submit a victim impact statement. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Kapaa Woman Sentenced to 40 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay Over 126 Thousand Dollars for Scheme to Defraud COVID-19 Pandemic Rental and Utility Assistance Program

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that on May 11, 2026, United States District Judge Jill A. Otake sentenced Kaiaulani C. Kaiawe, 47, of Kapaa, Hawaii to 40 months in prison for defrauding the Kauai Coronavirus Rental and Utility Assistance (CRUA) program. Judge Otake also sentenced Kaiawe to a term of supervised release of three years following her imprisonment, along with $126,026.10 in restitution to the State of Hawaii. In connection with the fraud scheme, Kaiawe had pled guilty to two counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft on October 9, 2025. According to court documents, in 2021, Congress authorized the creation of Emergency Rental Assistance (ERA) programs within the Department of the Treasury to fund rent, utility, and other housing-related expense assistance to households that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the State of Hawaii, the County of Kauai used ERA funds to establish the CRUA program. The County of Kauai contracted with a local credit union to administer the CRUA program. As part of her guilty plea, Kaiawe admitted to committing wire fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud the CRUA program to obtain benefit payments that she was not eligible to receive. The CRUA program required eligible claimants to submit an application electronically, using its website, and to provide certain personal information of the claimant, including his or her name and date of birth, as well as a landlord or property manager contact, before certifying that the representations made in the claim were true and accurate. If the credit union approved the claim, rental payments for the claimant were sent directly to the claimant’s landlord or property manager, and utility payments were sent directly to his or her utility company. Kaiawe admitted to submitting a false CRUA claim on her own behalf, using her former name, Coty Duhaylongsod, as the claimant, and entering her then-current name, Kaiawe, as her own landlord to improperly receive a CRUA benefit payment. Kaiawe then submitted multiple other false CRUA claims using the personal information of others as claimants, without their knowledge and consent, and then falsely listed herself or others as the landlord or property manager to obtain additional benefit payments that she was not entitled to receive. In addition, Kaiawe admitted that she provided false and altered documentation to support each CRUA claim that she submitted. In total, Kaiawe fraudulently obtained $126,026.10 in CRUA benefit payments. “Motivated by greed, Kaiawe defrauded the government of more than $100,000, which were critical resources intended to provide a lifeline to unemployed workers of Hawaii during the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Through the work of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, we are focused more than ever on pursuing and prosecuting those who steal from public coffers through fraud and dishonesty, and we pledge to bring to justice those who seek to pilfer the public trust for their own greed.” “These pandemic assistance programs were designed to provide a lifeline to members of our island communities in dire need,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “Ms. Kaiawe did more than just break the law—she diverted critical resources away from our neighbors when they needed it most. The FBI and our partners remain committed to identifying and holding accountable those who deceive and steal taxpayer dollars for their own purposes.” The FBI and Kauai Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates prosecuted the case. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Firearm Charges

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – YUAN BUGGAGE (“ BUGGAGE ”), age 25, of New Orleans, pled guilty on May 12, 2026 before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a six-count indictment charging him with violations of the Federal Controlled Substances, and Gun Control Acts, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. BUGGAGE was charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, Tapentadol and marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846. BUGGAGE was charged in Count 2 with possession with intent to distribute those substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). In Count 3, BUGGAGE was charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). BUGGAGE was charged in Count 4 with being a felon in possession of a felon, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). As to the drug trafficking conspiracy charge in Count 1, BUGGAGE faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the drug distribution charge in Count 2, BUGGAGE faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the charge of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in Count 3, BUGGAGE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life imprisonment, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to the felon in possession charge in Count 4, BUGGAGE faces up to 15 years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. The sentencing is set for August 13, 2026, before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, New Orleans Police Department, and St. Bernard Parish Sherrif’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell, I.V., of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. 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. Press release updated for accuracy.


body_text: Two Men Charged with Interstate Kidnapping After Transporting Victim Across State Lines and Holding Her for Ransom CONCORD – Two men, one from Massachusetts and another from Connecticut, have been charged with an interstate kidnapping conspiracy, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Damarcus Bonner, 30, and Tyron Harris, 27, were arrested on a complaint and will appear in Federal Court today. Both defendants were previously charged by the State of Vermont and had been in Vermont state custody since January. According to allegations in the complaint, Harris and Bonner kidnapped an adult victim in Claremont, New Hampshire, and brought her to a residence in Springfield, Vermont. For more than 24 hours, they held her there against her will, tortured and beat the victim, and demanded money from her and others on her behalf. Springfield Police ultimately learned of kidnapping and went to the residence in the early morning hours of January 25, 2026. They rescued the victim from the residence and arrested the defendants. A search of the residence revealed a firearm, drugs packaged for distribution, duct tape that was used to bind the victim, and items used for torture. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The charging statute provides a sentence of up to life in prison. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The FBI is leading the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Vermont State Police, the Springfield, Vermont Police Department, and the Claremont, New Hampshire Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.


title: Sampson County Drug Boss Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Homer Allen Faison, III, 48, to 50 years in federal prison stemming from his leadership of a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation that spanned from California to Eastern North Carolina. On November 19, 2025, a Raleigh jury convicted Faison of conspiracy to sell methamphetamine and 11 counts of selling methamphetamine. “Homer Faison didn’t just sell drugs; he built a pipeline of poison stretching across this country directly into the heart of the Eastern District of North Carolina. By flooding our neighborhoods with hundreds of pounds of dope, he greedily profited from addiction and destruction: ruining families, destroying lives. Today’s sentence ensures that this menace to society stays off the street for a long time. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. Inmate Faison collected money and took orders for drugs from his North Carolina based co-conspirators, then travelled to California, bought bulk highly pure methamphetamine from suppliers. After negotiating large purchases with California suppliers, Inmate Faison coordinated shipment of the methamphetamine back to Sampson County and sold it out of homes and businesses in the Clinton area. Inmate Faison sold at least 220 pounds of methamphetamine between 2020 and May of 2023. In total, six North Carolina residents, a Virginia drug customer, and three California based suppliers were charged as a part of Inmate Faison’s drug conspiracy gang. “We are grateful for the hard work of the men and women of our law enforcement partners who work every day to remove drug offenders from our communities. This case is another example of how strong partnerships produce real results within the justice system.” Jimmy Thornton, Sheriff of Sampson County. “Major drug dealing networks promote violence and threaten the safety of the entire community”, said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “This particular network spanned the country and impacted countless neighborhoods and families. ATF is proud to have been part of a collaborative effort to bring this dangerous criminal network to an end.” Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, Clinton Police Department, DEA, IRS, NCSBI, and former Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler Lemons and Brad Knott collaborated on this multi-year investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Caroline Webb and Charles Loeser prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-65-D-1.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Prison in Vast Alien Smuggling Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Mexican national was sentenced yesterday to 41 months in prison for her involvement in a massive international alien smuggling organization. “We take seriously organized human smugglers who seek to undermine the integrity and security of our borders and our immigration laws for their ill-gotten gains,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Even criminal smugglers who live outside of our nation’s borders will face the justice of our courts when they violate our laws designed to keep our borders safe and secure.” “Alien Smuggling Organizations do not care about your hopes and dreams; they care only about your money,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “This sentencing represents a major blow to a complex criminal organization that has been successfully dismantled thanks to the work of our AUSAs and law enforcement partners. My office is incredibly proud to work alongside Homeland Security Investigations and other Department of Homeland Security components to continue picking apart these alien smuggling organizations and hitting them where it hurts: in the pocketbook.” According to court documents, from on or about Nov. 13, 2020, and continuing to March 7, 2023, Monica Hernandez-Palma, 34, and others, were part of an international alien smuggling organization (ASO) that illegally brought thousands of aliens from Afghanistan, Yemen, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Columbia, Guatemala, Honduras, and Ecuador into the United States from Mexico. The ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. Hernandez-Palma operated the stash house in Piedras Negras and coordinated with other members of the ASO to transport aliens to the stash house and then into the U.S. illegally. Hernandez-Palma worked with others to house aliens, after which the aliens would meet foot guides who led them across the U.S.-Mexico border by crossing the Rio Grande River. Hernandez-Palma worked with co-conspirator and San Antonio, Texas-based smuggler, Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga, who facilitated travel of the aliens from South America to the United States. Mejia-Zuniga directed operations, as well as paid armed “coyotes,” load drivers, and stash house operators. To facilitate their operation, the ASO operated stash houses in Monterrey, Mexico, and Piedras Negras, Mexico. According to court documents, Mejia-Zuniga admitted that the ASO smuggled between 2,500 to 3,000 aliens into the United States in just two years. Mejia-Zuniga stated that the organization charged between $6,500 to $12,000 per alien, totaling approximately $16 to $30 million in financial gain for the ASO. Enil Edil Mejia-Zuniga was sentenced to ten years in prison on July 9, 2025. Hernandez-Palma pleaded guilty to conspiracy to bring an alien to the United States and aiding and abetting bringing an alien to the United States for financial gain. HSI Del Rio led U.S. investigative efforts, working in concert with the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, and U.S. Border Patrol. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Hernandez-Palma. Trial Attorney Bethany Allen of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions section, on detail from the Office of International Affairs, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Duarte II, for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 350 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.


title: Another Member of Notorious Philadelphia ‘10th and O Crew’ Sentenced to 60 Months for Opioid Drug Conspiracy

body_text: A Pennsylvania man was sentenced today in the District of New Jersey to 60 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone, a highly addictive controlled substance. According to court documents, between July 2019 and July 2024, Michael Emma, 66, of Philadelphia, engaged in the unlawful sale of prescription oxycodone pills as a member of South Philadelphia’s notorious “10th and O Crew.” Emma obtained the pills from doctors’ offices in the area, and he and his co-conspirators worked in shifts to distribute the pills from a 24-hour restaurant. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement purchased pills from one of Emma’s co-conspirators. A surveillance team then observed the co-conspirator counting the proceeds of the transaction with Emma. The photograph below captured Emma (on the left) after the transaction: In June 2025, Emma pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances. Emma’s co-conspirators and leaders of the 10 th and O Crew, Michael Procopio and Frank Procopio, were each convicted of conspiracy to unlawfully distribute controlled substances and sentenced to six years in prison and four years and nine months in prison, respectively. The FBI, DEA, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Paul J. Koob and Nicholas K. Peone of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Tangipahoa Man Sentenced For Federal Drug Charges

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – GARRETT MCCLAIN JR. (“MCCLAIN”) , age 24 of Tangipahoa Parish, was sentenced on May 7, 2026 to 37 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Barry Ashe, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), §841(b)(1)(A), and § 841(b)(1)(B), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least June 26, 2025, MCCLAIN, and others, conspired to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, and Washington Parishes region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. After law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by MCCLAIN following his departure from a known drug house, residence, MCCLAIN proceeded to lead officers on a high-speed car chase. Ultimately, he was arrested and a backpack in his possession was found to contain 226 grams of pure methamphetamine, 336 grams of marijuana, and 77 grams of fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), Hammond Police Department, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, 22nd JDC District Attorney’s Office, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana National Guard. FORT was also assisted by the Louisiana State Police, Bogalusa Police Department, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Louisville Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Years-Long  Drug Money Laundering Conspiracy and Obstruction of Justice

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Jefferson County, Kentucky, man was sentenced last week to 8 years in federal prison for an extensive drug money laundering conspiracy, conducting transactions with drug proceeds, and obstructing a federal investigation and asset forfeiture proceeding. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation made the announcement. According to court documents, Joseph E. Lanham, 43, of Louisville, was sentenced to 8 years in prison, followed by 3 years supervised, for engaging in a money laundering conspiracy to conceal the proceeds of his own drug trafficking activity from April 2016 to May 2023 and for obstruction of justice. During the indictment period, Lanham conspired with others to hide his drug proceeds and acquired real estate, vehicles, and a luxury speedboat with funds generated through drug trafficking. Court documents also show that Lanham submitted falsified documents to federal authorities in September 2023 in order to obstruct a federal criminal investigation and asset forfeiture proceedings. Lanham has also been ordered to pay a $40,000 fine and several houses acquired through his criminal conduct are subject to asset forfeiture. United States Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner said, “This significant sentence is a testament to the IRS-Criminal Investigation’s substantial role in combating drug trafficking across the Western District of Kentucky. Through a significant financial investigation, and working hand-in-hand with AUSAs Corinne Keel and Erin McKenzie to develop their case, IRS-CI compiled a mountain of evidence proving that Joseph Lanham laundered money he acquired from drug trafficking over more than 7 years and lied to the government about his conduct in an effort to thwart justice. He will now serve 8 years in federal prison for his conduct, and he will have to do without the items of luxury he purchased using illicit drug proceeds, all of which were forfeited as a part of his sentence.” Assistant United States Attorney Corinne Keel said, “This result comes from the years-long effort of a hardworking team and is an excellent example of justice through collaboration between local and federal law enforcement.” “The sentencing of Joseph Lanham for leading the money laundering operation that tried to hide its roots in real estate and splashy luxury items is a victory for the American public and a defeat to drug traffickers everywhere. The special agents of IRS Criminal Investigation continue in their mission to disrupt the flow of ill-gotten gains that is the life-blood for these criminals,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “We will continue to be relentless in our mission to dismantle these drug trafficking organizations and bring the criminals who run them to justice.” There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the Louisville Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office, with assistance from the Jeffersontown Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corinne E. Keel and Erin G. McKenzie prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Nashville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. ###


title: Prior Felon Sentenced After Strangling His Wife & Pistol-Whipping Her

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A felon living in Tulsa was sentenced today for strangling his wife and possessing a loaded firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Joseph N. Laplante sentenced Rodney Neal Stach, 45, for Assault of a Spouse by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country and Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Stach was ordered to serve 70 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. In August 2025, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to a home in East Tulsa. When officers arrived, the victim told officers that Stach was extremely irate, grabbed a loaded firearm, and began hitting the victim with the firearm. While pistol-whipping the victim, Stach stated, “I should shoot you right now. No one will find you.” The victim told officers that Stach had strangled her prior to escaping and running to a neighbor's house. Court records show that Stach had been convicted of eight felonies prior to this incident. Some of his prior felonies include maliciously torturing and killing a pig by stabbing it to death, committing multiple burglaries, including resisting arrest and fleeing from law enforcement. The victim is a tribal citizen, and Stach will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kelly prosecuted the case. If you think that you or a loved one may be in an abusive relationship, Domestic Violence Intervention Services offers services for all survivors. You can call the 24-hour information and crisis line at (918) 743-5763 or (918) 7-HELP-ME for more information. You can also get more information by texting our 8 PM to 1 AM Text Line: Text SAFE to 207-777