title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Presents Hometown Hero Award to Detective Sergeant Dayerrick Ireland

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson this morning presented Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sergeant Dayerrick Ireland with a U.S. Department of Justice/United States Attorney’s Office “Hometown Hero Award” during a ceremony held at the United States Attorney’s Office in Bangor. Ireland received the award in front of his family and Sheriff’s Office command staff. The Hometown Hero award commemorates the 250 th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Every U.S. Attorney in the country chose one recipient of the award, which honors the many contributions local law enforcement officers make to preserving and improving their communities and protecting their fellow citizens. The award honors the enduring ideals of service and civic responsibility and is bestowed in recognition of the brave men and women who exemplify steadfast commitment to these ideals and embody the spirit upon which our nation was founded. U.S. Attorney Benson noted during his remarks that local law enforcement officers play a vital role in protecting Maine communities but acknowledged that these occupations involve long hours and tremendous sacrifice not only for the officers but for their family and friends. Detective Sergeant Ireland is currently assigned to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2022. In 2025, Det. Sgt. Ireland was selected as a full-time FBI Task Force Officer. During his time with the Sheriff’s Office and FBI, he has investigated child sexual assault/child pornography cases, fatal accidents, police-involved shootings, homicides, and many other felony-level crimes. Det. Sgt. Ireland’s tireless investigative efforts have led to the arrests and convictions of numerous individuals, both in Maine and in other states, who have engaged in acts of child sexual exploitation. Earlier this year, Det. Sgt. Ireland was recognized at the Maine Sheriffs’ Association award dinner as Deputy of the Year. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is proud to present this award to Dayerrick Ireland, and pleased that he could receive it in the company of his family and colleagues,” U.S. Attorney Benson said. “His work on behalf of some of the most vulnerable victims in our communities highlights the difference that one committed public servant can make.” ###


title: Former Haverhill Man Charged with Receiving Stolen Government Money

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Haverhill man was charged in federal court in Boston with receiving stolen Social Security disability benefits over a period of more than five years. Christopher D. Leon, 56, was charged with one count of receiving stolen government money or property. Leon will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. As alleged in the charging document, Leon received approximately $87,817 in stolen Social Security disability benefits from November 2019 through August 2025. The charge of receiving stolen government money or property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the SSA Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. On March 26, 2026 , United States Attorney Leah B. Foley announced the creation of the Benefit & Voter Fraud Team, a district-wide initiative established in response to the rampant fraud being uncovered across Massachusetts. The Team is led by two senior federal prosecutors serving as Fraud Coordinators, whose mission it is to aggressively investigate and prosecute misuse of taxpayer-funded benefits in Massachusetts. Members of the public are encouraged to report suspected benefit fraud in Massachusetts by calling 1-855-SCAM-MA-1 (855-722-6621). On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division . The Fraud Division is 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 details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Brookline Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor

body_text: BOSTON – A Brookline man pleaded guilty yesterday to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor. William Kahn, 28, pleaded guilty to transfer of obscene material to a minor. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 22, 2026. Kahn was charged in December 2025 . Between June 2025 and August 2025, Kahn engaged in online conversations with an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl. Kahn engaged in sexually explicit chat discussions with the purported minor, sent a photograph of an adult erect genitalia and discussed meeting in person with the purported minor. The charge of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline, Boston and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit 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 locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .


title: Dubuque Resident Charged with Child Exploitation Offenses

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Andrew Robert Roos, age 35, from Dubuque, Iowa, has been charged with six counts related to allegations involving child exploitation. The charges are contained in an Indictment unsealed today in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. The Indictment alleges that, over the course of several years, Roos attempted to use, persuade, induce, and entice minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct, and that he distributed, transported, received, and possessed child pornography. If convicted on all charges, Roos faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 120 years’ imprisonment and supervised release for life following any imprisonment. Roos’s first appearance in federal court in Cedar Rapids for an arraignment is set for May 22, 2026. As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department, with assistance from the Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 26-CR-1009.


title: Former United States Postal Employee Pleads Guilty  to Federal Mail Theft Charges

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A former postal employee pled guilty in federal court to charges connected to a check-fraud scheme. Derrick Stewart, 34, of Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to federal mail theft by a postal employee, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft stemming from conduct while he worked as a clerk at a mail processing and distribution center in Baltimore. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Executive Special Agent in Charge Kathleen Woodson, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG), Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office, and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office. According to court documents, beginning in September 2022, and continuing until December 2023, Stewart used his postal service position to embezzle mail, including checks. Stewart then falsely and fraudulently endorsed stolen checks with the identity theft victims’ names and signatures. Surveillance video captured Stewart depositing stolen and fraudulently endorsed checks into his personal bank accounts. Then on December 2, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Stewart after he exited a postal facility. During the search, law enforcement recovered almost 200 pieces of mail containing more than $700,000. Stewart faces a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison, including a mandatory sentence of two years consecutive to any other imposed sentence, for aggravated identity theft. The sentencing date is forthcoming. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPS-OIG and IRS-CI for their investigative efforts. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Motsay and Ari D. Evans who are prosecuting the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Abilene Man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was Sentenced yesterday to 50 years in Federal Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: An Abilene man who Produced Child Pornography as a Registered Sex Offender was sentenced yesterday to 50 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Kai Isaiah Ranaglia-Nelson, 25, was indicted in December 2025 and pleaded guilty in January 2026 to Production of Child Pornography. He was sentenced yesterday to 600 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Brantley Starr. “Despite previously being convicted of sexually extorting minors, the defendant preyed on young kids to coax them into producing and sending him child pornography. In the Northern District of Texas we will make sure that these criminals get ejected from the community and sit in federal prison for as long as possible under the law. The Judge sent an unshakable message to the community: if you prey on North Texas kids, you will go to federal prison for a very long time.” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. In 2020, Nelson pleaded guilty to two counts of Sexual Extortion and one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor in Arizona. In that case, Nelson groomed and exploited multiple children. Despite receiving a five-year prison sentence and being released on supervision in 2023, Nelson resumed exploiting children shortly after his release. In late 2025, as a part of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators, law enforcement identified Ranaglia-Nelson after he used Snapchat to entice and coerce a thirteen-year-old child into producing multiple sexually explicit videos. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country. FBI Dallas Field Office (Abilene RA), the Abilene Police Department, and the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office handled the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James prosecuted the case. These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org . The Department urges the public to remain vigilant, and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov , or by calling your local FBI field office.


title: Eleven Defendants Charged In Multimillion-Dollar Scheme To Evade Tolls And Parking And Traffic Tickets

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the arrests of eleven defendants in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to evade tolls and parking and traffic tickets using fraudulently obtained temporary license plates. The defendants are charged in a five-count indictment with offenses including wire fraud and access device fraud. All eleven defendants were arrested between May 19, 2026 and May 20, 2026, and nine of the eleven are expected to appear in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik. Felix DeJesus Jimenez is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA is expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marty Fulgueira Elfenbein in the Southern District of Florida. “For over five years, the defendants allegedly conspired to use fraudulently obtained temporary license plates, or ‘temp tags,’ to avoid fees, tolls, and parking traffic tickets,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Their schemes deprived New York State and New York City of millions of dollars in revenue. Hard-working, honest New Yorkers were footing their bills. This Office and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting New Yorkers from fraud, waste, and abuse. The defendants allegedly spent years scheming to avoid tolls and tickets. Their bill has now come due.” “These individuals allegedly turned temporary tags into tools for evading accountability, allowing drivers to dodge tolls, and lawful traffic penalties,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle. “Investigations found approximately a total of $15 million in unpaid parking violations, tolls, and vehicle registrations. Not only were millions of dollars in unpaid violations uncovered, but investigators also found that certain temporary registrations and license plates were linked to multiple criminal offenses. The FBI will not tolerate bad actors violating government rules.” As alleged in the Indictments filed on May 13, 2026, in White Plains federal court: [1] Licensed auto dealerships may issue temporary motor vehicle registrations (“temp tags” or “paper tags”) in connection with bona fide sales or leases of vehicles. In recent years, individuals have abused this system by setting up sham auto dealerships to generate fraudulent temp tags—unconnected to bona fide sales or leases of cars—that are then sold in, among other places, the Southern District of New York. From at least in or about June 2017 through at least in or about March 2024, Felix DeJesus Jimenez, Julio Frias, Bladimir Tomas Valdez, Alba Nellys Rodriguez Gonzalez, Jefrey RAPHAEL Herrera Espinal, Sammy Rodriguez Francisco, Xavier Rodriguez Francisco, Clarisa Rodriguez Francisco, Cindy Rey, Luciano Moises Estrella, and RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA participated in a scheme to defraud New York State and New York City of revenue from vehicle registration fees, tolls, parking enforcement, and traffic enforcement, through the use of fraudulent temp tags. As part of the scheme, the defendants created a series of companies for which they obtained used motor vehicle dealer licenses in the States of New Jersey and Georgia (the “Dealerships”). The defendants and their co-conspirators used those Dealerships to generate a total of more than 100,000 temp tags, a significant portion of which were registered to addresses in the Southern District of New York, and which they sold in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere at prices ranging from approximately $50 to $250 per tag, producing millions of dollars in profits. In selling temp tags, certain defendants represented at times, in sum and substance, that, by using a temp tag generated by a Dealership, customers would avoid having to pay tolls and/or tickets. Since at least in or around 2017, temp tags issued by the Dealerships have incurred at least approximately $11,800,000 in unpaid parking and traffic tickets in New York City and at least approximately $3,100,000 in unpaid E-ZPass tolls in New York State. Temp tags issued by the Dealerships have been the subject of numerous complaints lodged with the New York Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, including by victims who have received bills for tolls and tickets that they did not incur. Additionally, temp tags issued by the Dealerships were involved in at least approximately 1,200 incidents reported to the NYPD, including at least six homicides. * * * FELIX DEJESUS JIMENEZ, age 62, of Englewood, NJ, JULIO FRIAS, age 61, of Teaneck, NJ, BLADIMIR TOMAS VALDEZ, age 30, of Manhattan, NY, RAMON ELIGIO DEJESUS PERALTA, age 52, of Miami, FL, ALBA NELLYS RODRIGUEZ GONZALEZ, age 25, of Bergenfield, NJ, JEFREY RAPHEL HERRERA ESPINAL, age 26, of Yonkers, NY, SAMMY RODRIGUEZ FRANCISCO, age 25, of Yonkers, NY, XAVIER RODRIGUEZ FRANCISCO, age 23, of Waterbury, CT, CLARISA RODRIGUEZ FRANCISCO, age 27, of Yonkers, NY, CINDY REY, age 28, of Hazleton, PA, and LUCIANO MOISES ESTRELLA, age 42, of West Milford, NJ, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, two counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, and one count of access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of each defendant will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Field Office, Westchester County Resident Agency, the New York Police Department, the New York State Troopers, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Special Investigations Unit, and the Georgia Department of Revenue Office of Special Investigations. The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Sidransky, Benjamin Klein, Stephanie Simon, and Daniel Listwa are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the Indictment and the descriptions of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Leader of Gorilla Stone Mafia Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Two Gang-Related Murders On Staten Island

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Today, John Pena, also known as “Tragedy,” “Don Tragg,” “Last Don” and “Money Baggz,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to life imprisonment for murdering Mark Bajandas on March 10, 2021, and Francisco Gonzalez on June 22, 2021. Pena committed the murders in connection with his position as the leader of the Gorilla Stone Mafia (GSM), a subgroup of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (UGSN), which is a faction of the nationwide Bloods street gang. Pena was convicted at trial in September 2024 of all six counts of a second superseding indictment charging him with racketeering; murder in-aid-of racketeering; causing death through use of a firearm; unlawful possession, brandishing and discharge of a firearm; being a felon in possession of ammunition; and conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and crack cocaine. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence. “Pena sought revenge against rivals and maintained his leadership position in the Gorilla Stone Mafia gang by any means necessary,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Killing a man as he slept in bed and gunning down another victim in a hail of bullets are shocking examples of Pena’s ruthlessness and disregard for human life. Today’s sentence ensures he will spend the rest of his life in prison for his gruesome murders and for his role in the violence and drug trafficking unleashed on the citizens of a Staten Island community.” “Today, justice was delivered in full. The leader of Gorilla Stone Mafia, a violent gang, has been sentenced to life in prison. This violent organization has terrorized our streets long enough. This should serve as a warning to every gangster who believes they are above the law: we will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will put you away for the rest of your life. Our communities deserve to live without fear, and today, because of the FBI’s Metropolitan Safe Streets Task Force, they are one step closer,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. Pena committed the crimes of conviction in connection with his leadership of GSM, which operated out of the Stapleton Houses, a public housing development on Staten Island. Members of GSM used intimidation, threats of violence, and acts of violence to preserve and protect GSM’s power, territory, and criminal activities. They also used drug trafficking as a means of obtaining money. In the early morning hours of March 10, 2021, Pena fired multiple gunshots from close range killing Mark Bajandas, a former GSM member who had defected to the rival Bugatti set of UGSN. The murder occurred after Pena and Bajandas had attended a memorial earlier in the evening to commemorate the death of Avanti Brock, a former GSM member who was allegedly murdered by Bugatti approximately a year earlier. A witness testified that the defendant admitted killing Bajandas, boasting “I spliffed him and walked off like I was John Gotti.” On June 22, 2021, Pena murdered Francisco Gonzalez, a former GSM member, by shooting him three times in the head while Gonzalez was asleep in bed next to Pena’s ex-girlfriend. Law enforcement recovered writings from Pena’s jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center. These included statements in which he took responsibility for the murders of Bajandas and Gonzalez, lyrics in which he wrote that “I feel like the reaper,” and descriptions of turning his “opps,” i.e. , “opposition,” into “ghost[s].” Pena also wrote about killing Gonzalez, including that Pena “left his brains on them sheets,” referring to his firing shots into Gonzalez’s head while Gonzalez was asleep in bed. Witness testimony and evidence obtained from cell phones proved that GSM members enriched themselves by selling controlled substances in and around the Stapleton Houses and also in Vermont, and that Pena was involved in the sale and distribution of marijuana, crack cocaine and heroin. 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. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Rehnquist, Andrew M. Roddin and Elias Laris are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of former Paralegal Specialist Elizabeth Reed. The Defendant : JOHN PENA (also known as “Tragedy,” “Don Tragg,” “Last Don” and Money Baggz”) Age: 34 Staten Island, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 21-CR-176 (S-2) (AMD)


title: Avondale Man Faces Federal Charges for Vandalizing ICE Property in Arizona

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

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – A man was taken into custody May 7, 2026, after being indicted for attempting to set fire to a property owned by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Surprise, Arizona, in February. A federal grand jury handed down an indictment charging Gabriel Mendoza-Acoltzi, 19, of Avondale, Arizona, with Malicious Damage to Federal Property and Willful Depredation Against Property of the United States. According to court documents, Mendoza-Acoltzi broke a window and attempted to light the building on fire just after 1 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2026. Last week, U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael T. Morrissey granted the United States’ request that Mendoza-Acoltzi be detained pending further court proceedings. According to court documents, a video camera in the area of the ICE property captured Mendoza-Acoltzi’s Honda Civic entering the parking lot around 12 am on Feb. 21. Mendoza-Acoltzi can be seen exiting the vehicle and placing a propane tank next to the ICE building. Later video shows Mendoza-Acoltzi swinging the propane tank at a window on the building, breaking the glass, and using a long torch connected to the tank to light the window shades inside the lobby on fire. Video from the scene also shows Mendoza-Acoltizi moving between the sidewalk and the rock landscaping at the ICE property. When responding to the incident, investigators observed a profane anti-ICE message spelled out with landscaping rocks on the sidewalk. A conviction for Malicious Damage to Federal Property carries a penalty of five to 20 years in the Bureau of Prisons, up to a $250,000 fine, and one to three years of supervised release. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and the City of Surprise Police and Fire Departments conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan McCarthy and Stephen Marlowe of the District of Arizona, Phoenix, is prosecuting the case. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-455 RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-079_Mendoza-Acoltizi surveillance video surveillance video surveillance video # # # 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: Fort Yates Man Indicted for First Degree Murder

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: FARGO – United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced that a federal grand jury has returned an Indictment charging Brutus Claymore, 36, Fort Yates, ND, an enrolled member of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, with First Degree Murder, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1153 and 1111. As alleged, after years long investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Missing and Murdered Unit and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on November 22, 2014, Claymore forcibly entered an occupied residence on Fort Yates, ND, at nighttime, and attempted to rob the residents therein. When one of the residents attempted to resist, Claymore stabbed the resident with a knife that resulted in death. An indictment is an accusation and notice of charges. The defendant is presumed innocent under the law unless and until proven guilty. Claymore’s trial has been scheduled for June 23, 2026, before the Honorable Daniel L. Hovland, District Judge of the United States District Court. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Missing and Murdered Unit (MMU) and being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gary Delorme, US Attorney’s Office, District of North Dakota and Troy R. Morley, MMIP Assistant United States Attorney - Great Plains Region Tribal Liaison, District of South Dakota. # # #


title: Russellville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—Douglas Scott Reeves, who has a lengthy criminal history, including a previous federal drug conviction, will spend the next 120 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today, by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr. On December 5, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment charging Reeves, 52, of Russellville, with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, with an enhancement for a prior conviction for a serious drug felony; two counts of distribution of fentanyl; and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. On December 19, 2025, Reeves pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl with an enhancement for a prior serious drug felony conviction. Judge Marshall also sentenced Reeves to serve eight years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Between 2021 and 2023, law enforcement officers received information that Reeves was obtaining fentanyl tablets and fentanyl powder, which he used to manufacture his own fentanyl tablets, for distribution. Officers conducted multiple controlled buys of fentanyl from Reeves at his residence in Russellville, which were recorded. On September 27, 2023, Reeves fled when officers executed a search warrant at his residence. During a search of Reeves’ residence, officers located fentanyl, psilocybin mushrooms, and drug distribution paraphernalia. Reeves admitted he distributed at least 280 grams of fentanyl and that he had used Narcan on at least 18 people while they were overdosing. Reeves has an extensive criminal history that includes a federal conviction out of the Eastern District of Arkansas on February 14, 2013, for possession of equipment/chemicals to manufacture methamphetamine. His sentence included three years’ supervised release, and his supervised release was revoked twice. Reeves’ criminal history dates back to the early 1990s and includes multiple convictions for burglary, theft of property, and theft by receiving, criminal mischief in the first degree, fleeing, two convictions for possession of methamphetamine, and two convictions for delivery of methamphetamine. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Fifth Judicial Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police, and the Russellville Police Department. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Traffic Stop Leads to Federal Drug and Gun Charges Against Illegal Alien from Mexico Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigation

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An illegal alien from Mexico is facing federal drug and gun charges following an investigation by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Bryan Hernandez-Rendon, 30, is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to allegations in the indictment and the criminal complaint, on December 16, 2023, officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hernandez-Rendon for a traffic violation. During the stop, Hernandez-Rendon told the officers that he did not have a driver’s license and that there was a firearm in the vehicle. The officers searched the vehicle and recovered a KAHR Arms CW40 pistol and a clear bag containing 427.1 grams of methamphetamine from the passenger side floorboard. Hernandez-Rendon appeared in court today and he will remain in federal custody. If convicted, Hernandez-Rendon faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for the drug charge and a mandatory minimum term of five years consecutive to any other sentence imposed and a maximum of life in prison on the gun offense. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. The charges against the defendant are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) is an 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 CORE 23 (Charlotte) is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), United States Customers and Border Protection (CBP), United States ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the Naval Criminal investigative Service (NCIS), the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FIDC) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the North Carolina Insurance Bureau, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (SBI), the Raleigh Police Department, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, the Cary Police Department, the Nash Count Sheriff’s Office, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office, the Halifax County Sheriff’s office, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the Craven County Sheriff’s Office, the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, the Brunswick Count Sheriff’s Office, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Currituck County Sheriff’s Office, the Wilmington Police Department, the Nags Head Police Department, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS), the Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Office, Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), the Kannapolis Police Department, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, the Gaston County Police Department, the Gastonia Police Department, the Huntersville Police Department, the Cornelius Police Department, the Matthews Police Department, the Pineville Police Department, the Stallings Police Department, the Kings Mountain Police Department, the Greensville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), the Cherokee County Sheriff’s office, the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) International Airport Police Department, the South Carolina Department of Corrections, the Anderson City Police Department, the Florence County Sheriff’s Office, the Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston County Airport Police Department, the Charleston Police Department, the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, the Summerville Police Department, the Greensboro Police Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad Internal Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of North and South Carolina.


title: Sussex County Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Exploiting a Then-Four-Year- Old Child and Producing Child Pornography

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Sussex County, New Jersey woman was sentenced in United States District Court to 20 years in prison in connection with the exploitation of a child and production of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. “There are few crimes more disturbing than the sexual exploitation of a young child. As the defendant admitted in court, she preyed on an exceptionally vulnerable four-year-old child, produced images of that abuse, and then distributed those materials online for others to view and share. This sentence reflects the extraordinary harm the defendant caused and demonstrates this Office’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and pursuing justice for victims who cannot protect themselves.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer “The victim here is the epitome of innocent; a defenseless four-year old. The egregious crime cannot be erased, but this sentence should show others who think they can exploit children, the FBI Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force will track you down and you will be brought to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. Dominique Saczawa, 34, of Sparta, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel in Camden federal court to production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, advertisement of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Judge Kiel imposed the sentence on May 18. According to documents filed in these cases and statements made in Court: In August 2021, law enforcement determined that Saczawa had sexually exploited a then-four-year-old child by engaging in sexual contact with the child and then producing images and videos of that sexual contact. Saczawa also shared these videos and images with others online. Saczawa later admitted to running a group chat within an online messaging application in which participants discussed and shared content and images of child pornography. As an administrator of this group, Saczawa solicited participants to share such content and participants would be expelled from the group if they did not share. The images Saczawa shared included images of toddlers potentially as young as one year old being sexually assaulted. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kiel also sentenced Saczawa to 15 years supervised release. U.S. Attorney Frazer credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy, with the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc . The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit in Newark. Defense counsel: Stephen Natoli, Esq.


title: United States Unseals Superseding Indictment Charging Raul Castro and Five Castro Regime Co-Defendants for 1996 Shoot-Down of Brothers to the Rescue Aircraft

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging Raul Modesto Castro Ruz, 94, of Holguin, Cuba; along with Lorenzo Alberto Perez‑Perez of Las Tunas, Cuba; Emilio José Palacio Blanco; José Fidel Gual Barzaga; Raul Simanca Cardenas; and Luis Raul Gonzalez‑Pardo Rodriguez, for their alleged roles in the Feb. 24, 1996 shoot‑down of two unarmed U.S. civilian aircraft operated by Brothers to the Rescue (BTTR), also known as Hermanos al Rescate, over international waters. “Over three decades later, we are committed to holding those accountable for the murders of four brave Americans: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña, and Pablo Morales,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “For the first time in nearly 70 years, senior leadership of the Cuban regime has been charged in the United States for alleged acts of violence resulting in the deaths of American citizens. President Trump and this Justice Department are committed to restoring a simple principle: if you kill Americans, we will pursue you. No matter who you are. No matter what title you hold.” “Today’s superseding indictment of Raul Castro and five Castro regime co-defendants is a major step toward accountability in the 1996 murders of four Brothers to the Rescue members - including three U.S citizens - Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr, Mario de la Pena, and Pablo Morales,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “For 30 years these families have waited for answers - and this FBI never forgot. We will continue working with our Justice Department partners to bring to justice those who attacked our civilians.” “For 30 years, the families of these men have waited. The Miami community has waited. Our country has waited. Today is a step toward accountability,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This passage of time does not erase murder. It does not diminish the value of these lives. And it does not weaken our commitment to the rule of law.” BTTR was an organization based in Miami that conducted humanitarian flight operations across the Florida Straits to search for Cuban migrants in distress. As alleged, beginning in the early 1990s, Cuban intelligence agents infiltrated the organization and relayed detailed information about its flight operations back to the Cuban government. These reports were allegedly used by military leadership in planning the Feb. 24, 1996 operation. The superseding indictment charges conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals, two counts of destruction of aircraft, and four counts of murder. According to the allegations, on Feb. 24, 1996, three BTTR aircraft flew from South Florida toward Cuba. Cuban military fighter jets under the chain of command overseen by Raul Castro fired air‑to‑air missiles at two unarmed civilian Cessna aircraft — destroying them without warning while they were flying outside Cuban territory, killing four U.S. nationals, including three U.S. citizens: Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre Jr., Mario de la Peña and Pablo Morales. The indictment further alleges that, in the weeks prior to the attack, Cuban military pilots conducted training exercises designed to locate and intercept slow‑moving civilian aircraft. On the day of the incident, three BTTR planes departed from Opa‑locka Airport for a planned humanitarian flight south of the 24th parallel. Two of the aircraft — tail numbers N2456S and N5485S — were allegedly targeted and shot down in international airspace, resulting in the deaths of all four victims. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment on the murder and conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals counts. Castro Ruz and Perez-Perez face up to five years in prison for each of the destruction of aircraft counts. The statutory maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of any defendant will be determined by a judge. Luis Raul Gonzalez‑Pardo Rodriguez , 65, of Havana, Cuba, is in U.S. custody pending sentencing later this month in the Middle District of Florida for making false statements in an immigration document. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also acknowledged the assistance of the Florida Attorney General’s Office. “We are grateful for the support provided by Attorney General James Uthmeier and his team during this investigation,” said U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones. Today’s announcement is in conjunction with a ceremony at the Freedom Tower in Miami to honor the victims. Participants at today’s press conference included Acting Attorney General Blanche, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, U.S. Senator Ashley Moody, Deputy Director Christopher G. Raia of the FBI, and Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman and Michael E. Gilfarb for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case, with the investigation led by the FBI Miami Field Office. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and 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.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov , under case number 03-cr-20685. ###


title: Former Doctor Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child Pornography

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A former doctor pleaded guilty today to receipt of child pornography, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division. Pleading guilty was Lincoln Erickson, 32, of Farmington Hills, Michigan. Erickson was arrested by FBI agents on December 10, 2025, and has remained in custody. Prior to his arrest, Erickson was a medical resident at a public university and worked in the Detroit metropolitan area. According to court records, agents discovered on Erickson’s phone videos of minors engaged in sex acts and AI-generated pornography depicting nude children touching adult men. Erickson also attempted to convince another man to allow Erickson to bathe the other man’s children and admitted to making plans to travel to the man’s house for that purpose. “This pervert was lurking among our trusted medical professionals. At the same time, he was feeding his disgusting appetites and plotting to abuse little children. Thankfully, the FBI caught him when they did,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said. “Any individual who records, possesses, or distributes child sexual abuse material should expect severe consequences under federal law,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “This defendant, a former doctor, possessed videos of children engaged in sexual activity. We look forward to seeing this predator sentenced. Our FBI Detroit Crimes Against Child Squad, alongside our partner task force officers from the Detroit Police Department, continues to do outstanding work to safeguarding our youth and holding accountable those who seek to harm our most vulnerable citizens in Michigan.” Erickson is scheduled to be sentenced on September 15, 2026. As part of his sentence, Erickson will be required to register as a sex offender. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Zurek.


title: Richmond County men sentenced to prison for federal firearms charges

body_text: SAVANNAH, Georgia: Two Richmond County men have been sentenced to prison after investigators uncovered an illegal firearms accessory importation scheme. Jafere Deshon Elliott , 23, and Korbynn Jevon Jackson , 23, both of Augusta, each pled guilty to Illegal Importation of Firearms or Ammunition and Illegal Possession of a Machinegun, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Dudley H. Bowen sentenced both defendants to 48 months in prison, and each man also must pay a fine of $2,000 and serve three years of supervised release upon completion of their prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system. “The extensive collaboration between multiple law enforcement and investigative agencies in this case is a shining example of exemplary police work and was instrumental in holding these criminals accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “These devices have no place on the streets or in the hands of those that would cause harm in the community.” In February 2024, investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were contacted by Homeland Security Investigations agents to inform them that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers intercepted a package shipped from China that contained 13 Machinegun Conversion Devices (MCD’s). The MCD’s were destined for an apartment in Augusta and agents learned that two weeks prior to the initial seizure, a package addressed to the same address and recipient was intercepted at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. “The illegal importation and possession of machinegun conversion devices pose a significant threat to public safety, and Homeland Security Investigations is proud to have worked alongside our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt this dangerous scheme,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI remains committed to protecting our communities by preventing illegal firearms and accessories from reaching our streets and ensuring those who violate federal law are brought to justice.” The investigation found that the defendants would order the MCD’s, commonly referred to as ‘auto sears,’ from a distributor to be packaged as toys and delivered to the defendants’ home. The MCDs were analyzed by the ATF and determined to meet the definition of an MCD. "The interception of these weapon conversion devices demonstrates the vigilance and dedication of our CBP officers in preventing dangerous items from entering our communities," said Gregory Alvarez, Director of Field Operations for CBP’s Atlanta Field Office. "Through close collaboration with our federal partners, we are committed to protecting public safety and ensuring those who attempt to circumvent the law are brought to justice." The case was investigated by the ATF, HSI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey L. Scanlon.


title: Florence man and woman sentenced to prison for drug trafficking in Missoula

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA – A man and woman from Florence who trafficked methamphetamine in Missoula were sentenced to prison today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said. Megal Vincienzo Daricek, 30, and Summer Dawn Walraven, 28, both pleaded guilty in January 2026, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Daricek also pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Walraven was sentenced today to 48 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Daricek was sentenced to 140 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The government alleged in court documents that both Walraven and Daricek had traveled to Spokane, Washington, to pick up methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it in Missoula. Members of the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force executed a search warrant on April 4, 2025, on Walraven’s room at the Liv-A-Way Suites in Missoula after receiving a tip that she and Daricek were trafficking methamphetamine. While searching Walraven’s room, officers found over a pound of meth, numerous baggies, scales and other items that could be used in the distribution of illicit substances. Walraven told officers she had purchased approximately two pounds of meth in Spokane with plans to traffic it in Missoula. A month later, officers pulled over Daricek on May 2, 2025, continuing the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force investigation into the transportation of methamphetamine from Spokane to Missoula. After initially denying that he had drugs in the car, Daricek admitted to officers that he used meth and had picked up “pound quantities” of it in Spokane. He also acknowledged that he had obtained a Glock .40 firearm during one of his transactions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the United States

body_text: A man who illegally reentered the United States from Guatemala pled guilty today in federal court in Sioux City. Rigoberto Hernandez-Corado, also known as Rigoberto Corado-Hernandes, age 63, who was living in Rock Valley, Iowa, was convicted of illegal reentry. At the plea hearing, Hernandez-Corado admitted he illegally reentered the United States without permission after having been previously removed from the United States on August 3, 2018. Hernandez-Corado was convicted in Sioux County, Iowa, in 2024 of domestic abuse assault, first offense, with a dangerous weapon. He was found in the Sioux County jail on January 13, 2026, where he was being held on a probation violation stemming from the 2024 sentence. While in custody, officials determined he was a citizen of Guatemala and had previously been deported from the United States to Guatemala. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hernandez-Corado remains in custody pending sentencing. He faces a possible sentence of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 26-CR-04011. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Trail Creek Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison For Controlled Substance Offense

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Tevin Keyshawn Lewis, 26 years old, of Trail Creek, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. According to documents in the case, on four separate occasions between December 2024 and May 2025, Lewis sold blue M30 pills containing fentanyl to another person in Michigan City. For each transaction, Lewis sold at least 50 pills. He distributed over 1300 pills across all the transactions. Lewis was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release. “Tevin Keyshawn Lewis sold fentanyl, which remains one of the deadliest drugs on the market,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “He compounded his crime by selling fentanyl in pill form, which makes the poison look both safer and easier to ingest to his customers. Thankfully, our excellent team of investigators from DEA and the La Porte County Drug Task Force ended his illicit trade.” “Illicit fentanyl remains the primary driver of fatal drug overdoses and poisonings in Indiana and across the United States. Anyone who is pushing this deadly, synthetic opioid drug into the hands of Hoosiers is a danger and a nuisance to our communities. Mr. Lewis committed evil and immoral acts through his drug dealing, which included the selling of counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, all containing illicit fentanyl. His cowardly, greedy actions brought him to the attention of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the La Porte County Drug Task Force, and the United States Attorney’s Office. And as a result, Mr. Lewis is being held accountable for his crimes. Drug dealers will never find a sanctuary for their criminal actions in northern Indiana,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the DEA North Central Laboratory and La Porte County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.


title: Two Defense Contractors Arrested for Bribery and Major Fraud Conspiracy Scheme Affecting Department of War Technology Innovation Contracts

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against Leonard Pick, 62, of Palm Beach Shores, Florida, and Brian Kent, 59, of Tampa, Florida, for orchestrating a bribery and major fraud conspiracy that corrupted the competitive procurement process for a Department of War technology innovation lab in the Pacific. The defendants’ alleged conduct specifically affected the construction and operation of the U.S. Army Pacific Command’s Hawaii-Pacific Innovation Campus, which was intended to be a hub for testing new technologies for the Department of War. The indictment, filed in the District of Hawaii on May 14 and unsealed today, alleges that, from January 2021 to October 2022, Pick and Kent conspired to bribe a U.S. Army employee with approximately $1.25 million over five years and fraudulently inflated government contracting costs to include the U.S. Army employee’s bribe payments. The indictment further alleges that, from approximately September 2020, up to and including October 2022, defendant Kent further defrauded the government by inflating government contract costs to include approximately $680,000 in payments intended for and sent to Kent’s personal consulting business. “When defense contractors obtain government-funded work through bribery and fraud, they rob our military and the American people of the benefits of a fair, competitive procurement process,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel W. Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its partners in the Procurement Collusion Strike Force will vigorously prosecute those that seek to profit at the expense of American taxpayers.” “Government contracts must be awarded based on fair competition, not secret bribes hidden in inflated costs,” said Acting Director of Criminal Enforcement Paul V. Courtney of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Those who corrupt the procurement process and defraud the American taxpayer should know this: we will find you, prosecute you, and hold you accountable.” “Corruption in our military procurement processes harms honest companies seeking to compete fairly, steals from our taxpayers, and erodes faith in our government institutions,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “We remain committed to holding accountable in federal court any defense contractors who attempt to undermine fair competition through bribery and corrupt practices.” “The criminal conduct uncovered in this investigation represents a profound betrayal of the public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “The defendants used bribery and fraud to obtain significant defense contracts, prioritizing personal profit over national security. Let this serve as a clear warning — the FBI and our federal partners will aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone who attempts to corrupt government procurement processes for personal gain.” “Those who scheme for ill-gotten profits through unscrupulous and shady dealings should take heed of these very serious charges,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley A. Newell of the Department of War, Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Transnational Operations Field Office. “Swindling the American taxpayers through corruption and fraud will never be tolerated by the dedicated professionals of DCIS and our partner agencies. We are steadfast in our commitment to ensure the integrity of the U.S. military procurement system and hold those who threaten it accountable.” “Those who attempt to corrupt government processes for personal gain undermine public trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bjornstad of the U.S. General Services Administration Office of Inspector General Western Investigations Division. “GSA OIG special agents will continue working with our law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate those who abuse positions of trust and responsibility.” “Bribery and conspiracy within the defense supply chain are more than just financial crimes; they represent a direct threat to our mission readiness and the safety of our service members,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS will continue working tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle corrupt networks and safeguard the resources necessary to support our warfighters.” Defendants Pick and Kent are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and major fraud against the United States, one count of bribery, one count of major fraud against the United States, and one count of wire fraud. Kent is also charged with a second count of major fraud against the United States. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit bribery and major fraud is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for bribery is 15 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or three times the monetary value of the bribe, whichever is greater. The maximum penalty for major fraud against the United States is 10 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. The maximum penalty for wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. These indictments result from ongoing federal investigations into fraud and collusion in the defense contracting industry in Hawaii. The investigation is being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Office of Inspector General, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Trial Attorneys Nolan Mayther, Andrew Schupanitz and Kylie McLaughlin, and Senior Litigation Counsel Mikal Condon, are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Kanawha County Woman Sentenced for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Misty Dawn Baisden, 48, of St. Albans, a convicted sex offender, was sentenced today to time served for failing to update her registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about September 17, 2025, through on or about October 30, 2025, Baisden failed to report that she had begun working at a St. Albans business. Baisden is required to register as a sex offender and keep her information current because of her conviction for conspiracy to engage in the sex trafficking of a minor in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on October 19, 2017. Baisden remains on supervised release as a result of that conviction. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS). United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case. SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-2. ###


title: Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Over a Decade in Federal Prison after Armed Robbery at Metro Apartment

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY – CHANSE TREYVON BURGE , 32, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 137 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. According to public records, on March 18, 2025, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to an armed robbery at a metro apartment. The victim reported that after a knock at the door, three individuals forced their way into the apartment. Burge held a firearm to the victim’s head while the other two searched the apartment. Burge also threatened to shoot the victim and struck her in the head multiple times with the firearm before the intruders fled. He was later arrested in a vehicle at a nearby hotel, where officers recovered a firearm. On May 6, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Burge with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Burge pleaded guilty on September 26, 2025, and admitted he possessed a firearm despite his previous felony convictions. At a sentencing hearing on May 18, 2026, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick sentenced Burge to serve 137 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Wyrick noted the need to protect the public from further crimes by Burge. Public records reflect that Burge has a lengthy criminal history with previous felony convictions that include: possession of a stolen vehicle in Blaine County District Court case number CF-2015-93; possession of a firearm after juvenile adjudication and possession of marijuana in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2016-2176; possession of firearms after conviction or during probation in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2019-1958; and felon in possession of a firearm and obstructing an officer in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2019-4393. This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and OCPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Laney Ellis prosecuted the case. SAUSA Ellis is an attorney with the City of Oklahoma City who is assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office as part of a partnership to enhance federal efforts to address and reduce violent crime within Oklahoma City. Reference is made to public filings for additional information.


title: Kechi man indicted for arson

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas man with arson and firearms offenses and charging a woman for assisting him to commit a crime. According to court documents, Johnny E. Griffith, 34, of Kechi was indicted on one count of arson, three counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Serenity O. Napier, 22, of Wichita was indicted on one count of aiding and abetting possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Griffith allegedly intentionally and maliciously damaged duplexes on South Victoria Road in Wichita, Kansas, in October 2025. He is also accused of various crimes related to firearms. Napier allegedly assisted Griffith in possessing a firearm while knowing he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms based on a prior felony conviction. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Wichita Police Department, and the Wichita Fire Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. OTHER INDICTMENTS Salvador Bermudez-Herrera, 39, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case. Marcus S. Castillo, 45, of Wichita was indicted on four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Jesseca M. Granados-Diaz, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Jose Juarez-Gutierez, 40, an illegal alien from Mexico, was indicted on one count of reentry by a previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hines is prosecuting the case. Vincent Michael Knackstedt, 37, of Wichita was indicted on one count of theft of government property and one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm. The Wichita Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) are investigating the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


body_text: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing 2.5 Kilograms of Fentanyl and Possessing with Intent to Distribute 1.2 Kilograms of Cocaine CONCORD – A Manchester resident pleaded guilty today to distributing over 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl and possessing with intent to distribute over 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Xavier Santana, 22, pleaded guilty to four counts of distributing at least 400 grams of fentanyl, three counts of distributing at least 50 grams of fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for August 31 st , 2026. According to the record, in late 2024 law enforcement learned that the defendant was selling drugs. Between January and May 2025, an undercover officer engaged in seven controlled purchases of fentanyl from Santana totaling over 2.5 kilograms. The quantities of fentanyl purchased each time ranged from 91 grams to a half kilogram. In July 2025, law enforcement searched the defendant’s residence and found over 1.2 kilograms of cocaine in Santana’s bedroom. The charge of distribution of at least 400 grams of fentanyl provides a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $10 million. The charge of distribution of at least 50 grams of fentanyl provides a sentence of at least 5 years and up to 40 years, a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $5 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine provides a sentence of at least 5 years and up to 40 years, a term of supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $5 million. 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 led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cesar A. Vega and Alexander S. Chen are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Superseding Indictment Returned for New Jersey Pastor and Self-Proclaimed Prophet Who Compelled Labor and Sex from Congregants

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. — A grand jury in the District of New Jersey returned a superseding indictment today charging Treva Edwards, 61, of Orange, New Jersey with two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, three counts of forced labor, and conspiracy to commit forced labor. The superseding indictment also charged his wife, Christine Edwards, 64, of Orange, New Jersey with conspiracy to commit forced labor. According to the superseding indictment, Treva and Christine Edwards were the founders and pastors of a church they named “Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost,” which they operated out of a multi-unit apartment building in Orange, New Jersey, and where they conspired with each other and others to obtain the compelled labor of church members. “Treva Edwards allegedly exploited faith, fear, and coercion to control vulnerable victims for his own benefit. As alleged in the superseding indictment, Edwards manipulated members of his church into providing uncompensated labor and subjected victims to physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual abuse under the guise of religious authority. This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals who, as alleged here, use positions of trust and influence to traffic, exploit, and abuse vulnerable people.” - U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer As charged in the superseding indictment, between 2010 and 2025, the defendants identified and recruited victims who were facing struggles in their personal lives, including financial and familial struggles, to join the church and live and worship at the church building. Treva Edwards told the victims that he was a prophet who could communicate directly with God and that disobeying him would result in spiritual retribution, as well as physical, emotional, and financial harm. The Edwardses secured labor contracts to provide manual labor in and around Orange, New Jersey, including cleaning and gutting commercial and residential properties, shoveling snow, removing bulk trash, moving furniture, cleaning raw sewage, and exterminating rodent infestations. The Edwardses dispatched the victims to perform the contracted labor. They did not pay wages to the victims for their work and kept the money earned from their labor. Treva Edwards preached to the victims that he communicated God’s will, that it was God’s will for them to work, and that members had to perform labor to serve God. The Edwardses convinced the victims that they would lose favor with God and “the Prophet” if they did not perform labor. Treva Edwards spread fear among the victims through verbal and emotional abuse and threats of reputational harm, homelessness, hunger, spiritual retribution, punishments, and more hard labor to gain their obedience and compel them to perform unpaid labor. The Edwardses instituted and enforced strict rules about when and whether the victims could eat or sleep, when and for how long they were to pray and work, and whether they could speak to non-members or leave the church building. They isolated the victims, monitored their communications and whereabouts, and convinced them that non-members were evil or possessed by the devil. They also deprived the victims of sleep and typically fed them only once a day after they completed their work. According to the allegations in the superseding indictment, Treva Edwards controlled and subjected two victims to repeated physical and sexual assaults, impregnating one victim and instructing her to get an abortion, and telling the other victim that having sex with him was God’s will and would prevent her from becoming mentally ill. The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion against Treva Edwards carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The forced labor charge against Treva Edwards carries a maximum penalty of twenty years or life in prison if the violation included aggravated sexual abuse. The conspiracy to commit forced labor charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to this indictment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trevor Chenoweth and Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. The charges and allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. HSI Newark is asking anyone with information about Treva Edwards, Christine Edwards, or their organization known as Jesus is Lord by the Holy Ghost (JLHG), to contact its tip line at (866) 347-2423 or email HSINewarkHumanTrafficking@hsi.dhs.gov. The tip line is monitored 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Additionally, there is an online tip form. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888. #### Defense counsel: Treva Edwards: Laura Sayler, Esq., Newark, New Jersey Christine Edwards: Wanda Akin, Esq., Newark, New Jersey edwardsetal.supersedingindictment.pdf


title: Texas Man Sentenced For Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – COREY TOLIVER, a/k/a “Woog” (“TOLIVER”) age 46, a Texas resident, was sentenced on May 19, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute five hundred (500) grams or more of cocaine. TOLIVER was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, eight years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court documents, in April 2025, TOLIVER transported and possessed approximately two (2) kilograms of cocaine with intent to distribute them into, and within, the Eastern District of Louisiana. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit. * * *


title: Former Corrections Employee Pleads Guilty To  Sexually Abusing A Detainee

body_text: DETROIT – A former federal corrections employee pleaded guilty yesterday to sexually abusing a federal inmate, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Matthew Loux, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General’s Midwest Region, and Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit FBI Field Office. On February 5, 2025, Arthur Foster, 41, of Detroit, Michigan, while serving as a corrections employee at Cherry Health Community Treatment Center, a federal residential reentry center, told Victim Inmate-1 (VI-1) to meet him in the restroom. At the time, VI-1 was under Foster’s custodial authority. When she arrived in the restroom, Foster sexually abused her. Federal law and prison rules mandate a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse, sexual assault and harassment in all U.S. correctional facilities. “This defendant abused the public trust in the worst way by sexually assaulting a person under his care. This is crime hurts the victim, the institution, and our system of justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “Sexual abuse by anyone, especially someone entrusted with the custody and care of inmates, is an intolerable abuse of power,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Today’s guilty plea makes clear that this former corrections employee betrayed public trust and violated the most basic standards of human dignity. Our office will continue to pursue every individual who abuses their position to commit acts of sexual violence against those in federal custody.” “Inmates should never experience sexual abuse by corrections employees. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of sexual abuse by federal correctional employees and work with our partners to bring perpetrators to justice,” stated DOJ OIG Special Agent in Charge Loux. The charge, sexual abuse of a detainee, carries a maximum sentence of up to 15 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton P. Brown.


title: New Jersey Man Indicted for Making Interstate Threats

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey man was charged with making interstate threats to a Jewish organization located in New York, NY, United States Attorney Robert Frazer and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced. Cameron Patterson, 34, of Newark, New Jersey, was indicted on May 18, 2026 for transmitting interstate threats to injure another person. According to court records, Patterson sent three emails threatening physical harm to a New York-based Jewish non-profit organization on October 6, 2024. The individuals who received these emails feared for their safety and reported the communications to law enforcement. A search of Patterson’s iCloud account revealed multiple images depicting or referencing violence, threats of violence, and mass shootings. Patterson, who was previously charged by complaint and released, will be arraigned on a date to be determined. The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum fine of $250,000. United States Attorney Frazer and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to these charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky of the Criminal Division in Newark and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. 26-083 ### patterson.indictment.pdf


title: Woman Sentenced for Assault on the  Choctaw Indian Reservation

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – On May 20, 2026, a Pearl River woman was sentenced to 50 months in federal prison for an assault that occurred on the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Additionally, once she is released, she will be placed on supervised release for three years. According to court documents, Amery Renee Ketcher, 31, used a knife to assault another tribal member resulting in serious bodily injury. Ketcher was indicted by a federal grand jury in March of 2025 and pleaded guilty to the charge in February of 2026. U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger and Gabriel Billie, Director of Choctaw Public Safety, made the announcement. The Choctaw Police Department investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.


title: Philadelphia Men Receive Lengthy Prison Sentences for Multiple Gunpoint Robberies and Robbery Attempts

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two Philadelphia men have been sentenced to prison for carrying out a string of commercial armed robberies and robbery attempts in and around the city. Tyler Nichols, 31, was sentenced today to 20 years’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and $5,158.72 in restitution by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer. Co-defendant Dadisi Williams, 33, was sentenced by Judge Weilheimer last month to 15 years in prison, two years of supervised release, and $5,158.72 in restitution. Nichols and Williams were charged by indictment in April of 2025 with four counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Williams pleaded guilty to all charges against him this January; a federal jury convicted Nichols of all charges the same month. As detailed in court filings and statements, Williams and Nichols committed the following offenses, all at gunpoint: the September 19, 2024, robbery of a Family Dollar on Lancaster Avenue in Philadelphia the September 27, 2024, robbery of an AutoZone on City Avenue in Lower Merion Twp. the October 6, 2024, attempted robbery of a Family Dollar on City Avenue in Philadelphia the October 11, 2024, attempted robbery of a Family Dollar on Haverford Avenue in Philadelphia This case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department, Lower Merion Township Police Department, and FBI Violent Crimes Task Force and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amanda Reinitz and Sandra Urban.


title: Florissant Man Accused of Stealing Over $250,000 from Grocery Chain

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A Florissant man who has been accused him of stealing more than $250,000 from a grocery chain was arrested Wednesday. Richard Lind, 39, of Florissant, was indicted with five counts of wire fraud on April 22. He appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty. The indictment says Lind worked as the site manager for a logistics company at the grocer’s distribution center. Lind’s employer supplied the physical labor and heavy equipment to unload trailers containing the grocer’s inventory, as well as software for tracking shipments. Lind defrauded the grocery chain by creating false records for inventory shipments that had never occurred and false invoices seeking payment from the trucking companies for unloading those shipments, the indictment says. The trucking companies then sought reimbursement from the grocery chain. Lind voided the false records to conceal his scheme from his employer. He used the electronic payment authorization codes that resulted from his scheme to obtain cash payments at truck stops, triggering more than 600 fraudulent payments totaling more than $250,000, the indictment says. Charges set forth in the indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.


component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that a New Jersey man was charged with making interstate threats to a Jewish organization located in New York, NY. Cameron Patterson, 34, of Newark, New Jersey, was indicted on May 18 for transmitting interstate threats to injure the person of another. According to court records, Patterson sent three emails threatening physical harm to a New York-based Jewish non-profit organization on Oct. 6, 2024. The individuals who received these emails feared for their safety and reported the communications to law enforcement officers. A subsequent search of Patterson’s iCloud account revealed multiple images depicting or referencing violence, threats of violence, and mass shootings. Patterson, who was previously charged by complaint and released, will be arraigned on a date to be determined. The charge of transmitting a threat in interstate or foreign commerce carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer for the District of New Jersey and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI Newark Field Office with the investigation leading to these charges. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Millenky for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Tahlequah Resident Sentenced For Unlawful Possession Of Firearm And Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jonathon Roy Philpott, age 45, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to fourteen months in prison for one count of Unlawful User of Controlled Substance in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On July 9, 2025, Philpott pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on February 4, 2025, knowing that he was an unlawful user of a controlled substance, Philpott knowingly possessed a semi-automatic rifle, a semi-automatic pistol, and 39 rounds of ammunition. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Philpott will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.


title: North Carolina Woman Sentenced To Prison For Contraband Introduction

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Kanyhi Roberson, age 32, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to four months of imprisonment for providing contraband to a federal prison inmate. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, in August 2022, Roberson was visiting an acquaintance at the Federal Correctional Complex – Allenwood. During the visit, Roberson prepared a food item for the inmate and passed it to him with several napkins, which the inmate then placed against his face. Corrections officers found this behavior suspicious and searched the inmate, finding 75 strips of Suboxone (a Schedule III narcotic) in his cheek. Roberson previously entered a guilty plea in this case in December 2025. The Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case. # # #