title: Former Teacher Admits to Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A former teacher admitted to possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today. Matthew Ozol, 40, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty before Judge Evelyn Padin to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In August 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s home. Ozol’s text messages showed that since 2022, Ozol had sent and received messages on encrypted applications expressing a desire to sexually abuse children, including in a chat group titled “Baby Rapist.” Law enforcement found more than 100 images and 75 videos on Ozol’s electronic devices depicting child pornography, including many involving sexual abuse of infants and toddlers. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 2026. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. 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 U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division. ### Defense Counsel: Eric R. Breslin, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey Sarah Fehn Stewart, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey ozol.information.pdf


title: St. Louis Man Sentenced to 146 Months in Prison for Attempted Armed Robbery and Attempted Carjacking After Drunk Driving Crash

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon to 146 months in prison for attempting to rob a cabdriver at gunpoint after a drunk driving crash and trying to carjack a good Samaritan who stopped to help. Judge Divine also fined Cornell Woolfolk $3,000. Woolfolk, 29, pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that early on the morning of Dec. 4, 2024, officers from the Berkeley Police Department and the Woodson Terrace Police Department were dispatched to a crash on Natural Bridge Road near Interstate 70. A 2008 Pontiac had struck a 2017 Dodge Journet taxicab, causing the cab to roll over onto its roof. Officers spotted Woolfolk removing a large bag from the Pontiac and getting into the rear seat of a 2011 Nissan Altima driven by a good Samaritan who stopped to help after the crash. Woolfolk initially ignored officer’s requests to get out of the car. When the car’s driver got out, Woolfolk began chasing him before Woolfolk was caught and arrested by police, the plea says. Officers found a stolen .380 caliber pistol in Woolfolk’s bag and several half-empty liquor bottles in the Pontiac. Woolfolk’s blood alcohol level was 0.14 percent. Following the introduction of evidence and sentencing testimony from a Berkeley police officer, Judge Divine ruled that Woolfolk attempted to rob the cab driver at gunpoint. Judge Divine also ruled that Woolfolk then attempted to carjack the good Samaritan to escape the scene of the crash. Police intervened before Woolfolk made his escape. The Berkeley Police Department, the Woodson Terrace Police Department, and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.


title: Lackawanna County Man Sentenced To 120 Months’ Imprisonment For Conspiracy And Theft Of Major Artwork

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicholas Dombek, age 55, of Thornhurst Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 10, 2026, to 120 months’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,753,266.3, by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy, theft of major artwork, concealment/disposal of major artwork, and the interstate transportation of stolen property. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, a jury found Dombek guilty of eight counts following a nearly month-long trial earlier this year. The jury found that, along with his co-defendants and other co-conspirators, Dombek was responsible for stealing or concealing/disposing the following: “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” purportedly by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania; Six championship belts, including four belonging to Carmen Basillio and two belonging to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York; The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy belonging to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota; Nine World Series Rings, seven championship rings, and two MVP plaques belonging to Yogi Berra, stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey; The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library; Fourteen trophies and other awards worth approximately $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York; Five trophies worth over $350,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York; Three antique firearms stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey; “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, worth approximately $120,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey; and Antique firearms worth over $150,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey Numerous trophies, including the Milwaukee Open Trophy, Eastern Open Trophy, and Pennsylvania Amateur Cup belonging to Art Wall, Jr., stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, located in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania; Gold nuggets and other precious metals worth over $100,000, stolen in 2011 from a safe in the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey; Gems and other minerals stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, in Franklin, New Jersey; Jewelry, coins, and other valuables stolen between 2018 from the Antique’s Exchange in Hawley, Pennsylvania, Cade’s Coins, in Exeter, Pennsylvania, Basic Irish Luxury, in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Bertoni Galler, located in Chester, New York. Dombek acted as a leader in the eight-person conspiracy to commit the above thefts. After a month-long trial held in 2025, co-conspirators Damien Boland, age 49, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania and Joseph Atsus, age 51, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania were convicted alongside Dombek of conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as multiple related substantive offenses. In December of 2025, Judge Mannion sentenced Damien Boland to 108 months’ imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release and restitution. In January of 2026, Judge Mannion sentenced Joseph Atsus to 48 months’ imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release and restitution. Additional co-conspirators pled guilty pursuant to felony informations and were sentenced by Judge Mannion earlier in 2025. They include: Thomas Trotta, age 50, of Dunmore Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for theft of major artwork; Dawn Trotta, age 53, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania who was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property; Frank Tassiello, age 52, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property; and Ralph Parry, age 47, of Springbrook Township, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to three years of probation as well as a period of home-confinement for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property. After stealing the above-described items, the conspirators would transport the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, significantly less than the sports memorabilia would be worth at fair market value. Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, valued at approximately $125,000, to avoid the painting being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown, however, several antique firearms stolen from the Space Farms: Zoo and Museum and the Ringwood Manor Museum, both in New Jersey, were recovered by investigators, including an antique gun which Damien Boland had earlier hidden at a relative’s house in a different state. After a search warrant was conducted at Dombek’s house in the summer of 2019, he travelled to the homes of two of his fellow co-conspirators and threatened them if they cooperated with the police. In the summer of 2023, after being indicted on the instant federal case, Dombek fled from FBI agents trying to place him under arrest and he remained a fugitive for nearly six months before turning himself into the Lackawanna County Jail on New Years Day, 2024. "Investigating art crime demands skill and persistence as these cases often cross jurisdictions and may span many years" said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. "This sentence sends a clear message: those who steal art or cultural property will be held accountable. Working across our local, state, federal law enforcement partnerships, alongside cultural institutions which play a critical role in these investigations, the FBI will continue to diligently investigate these crimes, identify offenders, recover stolen works, and ensure those responsible face justice." The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Exeter Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milord Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey) the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and multiple other local law enforcement agencies from across the country. Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Buchanan and Jenny Roberts prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Four East Alabama Residents Sentenced for Gun Store Theft in Georgia

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ga. – Four defendants guilty of smashing a stolen truck into a Harris County, Georgia, gun shop and stealing 31 firearms, then attempting to sell them, were sentenced for their crimes in federal court this week. “Stealing and selling firearms online poses a serious threat to community safety and will not be tolerated by our office and law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Thanks to local and federal collaboration, these defendants are being held accountable for trafficking illegal firearms into our community.” “Criminals who engage in the theft and illegal sale of firearms are not only violating the law; they are endangering the safety of our communities. The ATF is committed to pursuing these individuals relentlessly,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka. “Harris County Sheriff’s Office was proud to partner up with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF to obtain a successful outcome to this type of investigation and prosecution. It is gratifying to take criminals off the street and place them behind bars,” said Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley. The following defendants were sentenced to prison on Feb. 10: Jareco Green, 27, of Eufala, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee on July 23, 2025; Darious McCall, 22, of Eufala, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee on Oct. 27, 2025; Zyrion Fryer, 23, of Eufala, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee on July 23, 2025; and Shamonica Davis, 25, of Phenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to serve five years of probation after she pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm on Nov. 18, 2025. U.S. District Judge Clay Land presided over the case. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents and statements in court, a stolen truck smashed through the front door of Alan’s Armory, a federal firearms licensee, in Harris County, in the early morning of Sept. 16, 2022. Co-defendants Green, McCall and Fryer, all wearing ski masks, were filmed by security cameras emerging from the truck and stealing 31 pistols and rifles from the gun store. Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigators recovered evidence at the scene and confirmed the stolen truck. Using the Flock camera system, police in Troy, Alabama, alerted the stolen truck in their jurisdiction on Sept. 22, 2022. Law enforcement found the vehicle parked near the Family Firearms gun shop, then observed the truck drive to a nearby apartment complex, where Green then ran from the truck into the woods. Inside the truck, officers found a black sweatshirt, two camouflage gloves, a pack of cigarettes, a black ski mask and a red Apple iPhone directly behind the truck. They seized a gym bag matching the description of a bag carried by one of the Alan’s Armory burglars. Inside was a semi-automatic pistol stolen from Alan 's Armory. A search warrant executed on the iPhone, belonging to McCall, found a plethora of evidence, including searches for pawn shops; pistols; gun shops; directions to Alan’s Armory 20 minutes before the burglary; missed calls from Green’s girlfriend, codefendant Davis, during the burglary; photos of McCall brandishing a stolen firearm the day after the burglary; and more. Green’s DNA was found on the black ski mask found outside the stolen truck. Law enforcement discovered the defendants were selling the guns online, with codefendant Davis referring to them as “shoes” and sharing photos of the stolen firearms when asked for images of the “shoes.” 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). The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Eufala, Alabama, Police Department and the Troy, Alabama, Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the case for the Government.


title: Eagle Pass Man Sentenced to Over 17 Years for Role in Alien Smuggling Conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 212 months in prison for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy. According to court documents, Juan Antonio Flores, 36, coordinated smuggling trips for an alien smuggling organization (ASO), making $4,000 per alien smuggled from Mexico to San Antonio. The aliens were often transported to Austin, where co-conspirator Pedro Ruiz Gonzalez would receive them. Flores and Gonzalez worked together on 15-20 illegal alien smuggling events. Another co-conspirator, Armando Garcia-Martinez aka “Leche,” had been a driver for Flores and Gonzalez, undertaking an average of two to three smuggling trips per week. As part of one smuggling event, the ASO took a family of illegal aliens hostage and continuously demanded payments from their relatives in the form of electronic wire transfers. The family consisted of a man, a pregnant woman, and their seven-year-old child. On July 9, 2023, a relative paid at least $1,000 to the ASO due to the threats made toward the family. Still, the ASO continued to demand payment to different accounts as a condition for the release of the aliens. Flores was named in a six-count indictment on April 24, 2024, and arrested on June 12, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 7, 2024. Co-defendants Edwin Alredo Barrientos-Mateo aka “Waches” and Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya were sentenced to 360 months and 180 months, respectively. All other co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case. ICE Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case with assistance from the Eagle Pass Police Department, Austin Police Department, Houston Police Department and the Comal County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: El Paso Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Deadly Fentanyl Deal

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 188 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl causing death, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, on July 16, 2021, Isaiah Rene Acosta, 28, sold three counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl to an individual, who purchased the pills on behalf of herself and another person. The pill recipients used the counterfeit M-30 pills the next day and shortly thereafter, one of the individuals died of fentanyl poisoning. Further analysis determined that the deceased “would not have died but for acute intoxication of fentanyl.” An investigation revealed that Acosta sold fentanyl pills and marijuana to both of the individuals on more than one occasion. Acosta was indicted on Feb. 5, 2025, and arrested Feb. 21, 2025. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 18. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower presided over the case. “Substance abuse in our communities—particularly fentanyl abuse—has been a persistent problem that has affected so many Americans. It’s important that we stay engaged and continue to find and prosecute dealers like this to curtail the flow of illegal and harmful substances on our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Many thanks to our law enforcement partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, for their work on this case and so many cases like it. The DEA works tirelessly to use every tool at their disposal to stop fentanyl from coming into the U.S., but, when it does, they then work to ensure those responsible for the distribution of this terrible drug are held to account. The investigation and successful prosecution of these cases lets the American people know that their government is working to make this country a place where Americans cannot just survive but thrive.” “This case serves as a stern warning to other drug dealers,” said Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “If the drugs you sell kill someone, the DEA will investigate, build a case against you, and see that you face the consequences. As part of Fentanyl Free America, the men and women of the DEA are committed to protecting and supporting the communities we serve.” The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case. ###


title: Milford Man Who Threatened Federal Law Enforcement Officer is Sentenced

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that HAMILTON CLARK SMITH, 61, of Milford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 43 days of imprisonment, time already served, and one year of probation for threatening a federal law enforcement officer. According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 10 and 11, 2023, Smith sent a series of threatening text messages to a Deputy U.S. Marshal, including threats to harm and kill the Deputy U.S. Marshal, and to harm the Deputy U.S. Marshal’s family. Smith was arrested on January 12, 2023, and was detained until February 16, 2023, when he was released on bond. On April 22, 2024, he pleaded guilty to making repeated harassing communications. This investigation was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark.


title: Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation

component: USAO - Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé sentenced Byron Andújar-Ramos to 17 years and six months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a female minor, who is deaf and mute, when she was 12 to 14 years old, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Andújar-Ramos was indicted on November 25, 2024, arrested on December 9, 2024, and plead guilty on November 10, 2025. According to court documents, in or about June 2022 to in or about August 2024, Byron Andújar-Ramos used a cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor between the ages of 12 and 14 years old to engage in sexual activity. According to the facts admitted during the change of plea hearing, from June 2022 to August 2024 Andújar-Ramos engaged in a sexual act with the female minor victim. In a cellular phone used by the victim, HSI special agents found a WhatsApp chat between the minor and defendant Andújar-Ramos. The communications were sexually explicit. In the communications, the defendant persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the female minor victim to engage in sexual activity. Andújar-Ramos wrote that he wanted to make love to her, told her he was in love with her, requested to engage in sexually explicit video calls with the female minor, asked her to call him through video camera, asked the victim if she wanted to have sexual activity with him, and asked her if she wanted to see his privates. “The Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and prosecute those criminals who exploit and harm children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I thank the dedicated HSI agents and prosecutors who investigated and charged this case for their tireless efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our community. Exploitation of our children has no place in civilized society.” HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos said: “The court’s decision to impose a significantly higher sentence than initially agreed upon underscores the seriousness of these crimes and the unwavering commitment of our justice system to protect vulnerable victims. This outcome sends a clear message: those who commit such heinous acts will face severe consequences. HSI San Juan remains steadfast in our pursuit of justice and in supporting survivors every step of the way.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969. This case was 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 the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . # # #


title: Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms Charge

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national, living unlawfully in the United States, pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to unlawful possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. Luis Alberto De Los Santos, 23, pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He will be sentenced on April 27, 2026, and faces possible deportation. The sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to information presented to the court, De Los Santos is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the country on a travel visa in 2021 and was required to depart the U.S. in 2022. On April 25, 2025, Providence Police observed De Los Santos with a group of individuals in the Hartford neighborhood. De Los Santos, who was wearing a ski mask, fled from police with the firearm before discarding the weapon behind a building and continuing to flee. Through their investigation, law enforcement discovered the defendant had been in possession of a .22 caliber pistol. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman. The matter was investigated Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Providence Police Department. This investigation 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.


title: Fake Music Producer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing PPP Loans in Nationwide Scheme

component: Criminal - Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Federal Judge sentenced Larico D. Steele, 53, to 1 year in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay over $150,000.00 restitution to the Small Business Administration. Steele pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Steele participated in a nationwide multimillion-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. The EDNC United States Attorney’s Office has obtained over thirty prison sentences over the course of the investigation. “Congress enacted this program to assist real American businesses who suffered when the governments forced the economy to close related to perceived COVID health scares. Greedy grifters descended like crabs to pick away these funds for illicit gain. Do what your mamma taught you, don’t steal. Cheaters never win.” said U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle. “Today’s sentencing reflects our commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government," said Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents, alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partners, will continue to target those who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain.” According to evidence presented in court, Steele worked with Edward Whitaker to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan based on bogus payroll information related to Steele’s purported music business, Steele Entertainment, LLC. Steele lied, grossly inflating both the number of purported employees and their salaries. After obtaining the loan, Steele then laundered 25% of the PPP proceeds back to Whitaker through cashier’s checks through a shell bank account. Last December, a federal judge in the EDNC sentenced Whitaker to 10 years in federal prison for his role as a ringleader in the scheme. Other defendants that have been sentenced in the broader “Loanstarters” PPP scheme include: Albert Eugene Miller, Jr. [Case No. 5-22-CR-00290-D] Jonathan Fleming [Case No. 5-22-CR-00337-D] Nekita Hooks [Case No. 5-23-CR-00025-D] Denise Coit Alston [Case No. 5-23-CR-00077-D] Monica Faye Barnes [Case No. 5:23-CR-00094-D] Dontrell Barnes [Case No. 5-23-CR-00094-D] Isaac Lamont Dawson [Case No. 5:23-CR-0097-D] Irene Edwards [Case No. 5-23-CR-00098-D] Natosia Jerome Jenkins [Case No. 5:23-CR-00167-D] Ronald L. Jones [Case No. 5:23-CR-00339-D] Delvin Dashavone Felder [Case No. 5:23-CR-00198] Shun Lamont Gibbs [Case No. 5:23-CR-00346-D] Teresa Ann McRae [Case No. 5:23-CR-00313-D] Dontae Antonio Murphy [Case No. 5:24-CR-00072] Jackson Ndoyo [Case No. 5-23-CR-00118-D] Terron Cortez Parker [Case No. 5-23-CR-00081-D] Ayyub Abdur Rasheed [Case No. 5:23-CR-00314-D] Karim Aziz Razzak [Case No. 5:23-CR-00324] Toni A. Smith [Case No. 5:23-CR-00312-D] Darian Casteele Tyler [Case No. 5:23-CR-00338-D] Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson [Case No. 5-23-CR-00027-D] Anthony S. Whitaker [Case No. 5:23-CR-00311-D] James Elton Watson Case No. 5:23-CR-00323-D] Shara Monique Wells [Case No. 5:23-CR-00323-D] Kami D. Woodard [Case No. 5-23-CR-00095-D] Lenille Woodard [Case No. 5-23-CR-00138-D] Quentin Jackson [Case No. 5-22-CR-180-D] Everett M. McBride [Case No. 5:24-CR-00036-D] Hanif Abdul-Hakim [Case No. 5:24-CR-00109-D] Schunda Coleman [Case No. 5-22-CR-00257-D] Edward Whitaker [Case No. 5-22-CR-00257-D] The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III announced the sentence. IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00123-D.


title: Two Individuals Sentenced for Child Exploitation

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 10, 2026, United States District Court Judge Gina R. Méndez-Miró sentenced David Montes-García, 49, from San Juan to 12 years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for possession of child pornography. David Montes-García was indicted on February 20, 2025, and arrested on October 15, 2025. According to court documents, from August 2023 to June 2024, Montes-García knowingly possessed sexually explicit images and videos of minors and minors engaging in sexual acts, including images of infants and prepubescent minors or minors who had not attained 12 years of age. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Human Exploitation Investigation Group executed a search warrant on Montes-García’s mobile device and found a total of 367 images, including pictures and videos of infants, prepubescents minors, and adolescents engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant plead guilty on October 9, 2025, to one count of possession of child pornography. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. In a second unrelated case, on February 5, 2026, defendant Derek Orengo-Delgado, of Ponce, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Aida M. Delgado-Colón, to 13 years and 4 months in prison for transportation of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to court documents, in January 2025, Orengo-Delgado knowingly transported a 15-year-old female minor to a motel in Juana Díaz to engage in sexual activities and had taken sexually explicit images of the minor. Defendant Orengo-Delgado was indicted on May 7, 2025, arrested on May 8, 2025, and pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Y. Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Section, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Yariel Ramos, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Juan made the announcement. ###


title: Guatemalan National Sentenced in Illegal Reentry Case

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Domingo Aguilar, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala, who has been living illegally in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Malachy Mannion to time served (approximately six months) and possible deportation based upon his guilty plea to Illegal Reentry. According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Domingo Aguilar illegally reentered the United States and was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on September 23, 2025, after being charged and pleading guilty to one count of Driving Under the Influence (DUI), one count of DUI (Blood Alcohol Content +0.16), two summary counts of driving with a suspended license, and one summary count of disregard for traffic laws. Those DUI related charges were filed by the Chambersburg Police Department in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Domingo-Aguilar was previously removed three times from the United States, most recently through Texas in 2015, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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 Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw prosecuted the case. # # #


title: HONDURAN AND EL SALVADORIAN NATIONALS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION WITH THE INTENT TO DISTRIBUTE METHAMPHETAMINE

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jostin Antonio Orellana-Romero, age 22, a citizen and national of Honduras, and Edenilson Alexander Castaneda-Del Valle, age 18, a citizen and national of El Salvador, both aliens removable from the United States, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to the Indictment, on or about February 7, 2026, deputies with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop along Interstate 12 of a vehicle being operated by Orellana-Romero and Castaneda-Del Valle. During a search of the vehicle, a hidden compartment was located, along with two digital scales, numerous rubber bands, plastic baggies, approximately $7,100 in U.S. currency, and approximately 164 kilograms, or over 361 pounds, of a mixture containing methamphetamine. If convicted, Orellana-Romero and Castaneda-Del Valle each face a minimum of ten years and up to life imprisonment, a significant period of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. They are also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of their sentences. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III. An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.


title: Mexican National Illegally in the United States Sentenced for Drug Trafficking and Gun Crimes

component: USAO - Alabama, Middle

body_text: MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced today the sentencing of a Mexican national for federal drug and firearm offenses stemming from his unlawful reentry into the United States. On February 10, 2026, a federal judge sentenced Agustin Osorio-Lopez, 42, originally from Hidalgo, Mexico, to 120 months in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Following his ten-year term of imprisonment, Osorio-Lopez will be subject to removal proceedings. The sentence follows Osorio-Lopez’s guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully present in the United States, and illegal reentry after deportation. “The defendant repeatedly violated federal law by illegally reentering the United States and engaging in serious drug and firearm offenses,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Davidson. “This case demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships between federal, state, and local law enforcement in the Middle District of Alabama, and the sentence imposed should serve as a warning to those who disregard our immigration laws and threaten public safety.” According to court records, law enforcement officers in Elmore County began investigating suspected drug-trafficking activity in July 2025. During the investigation, agents identified Osorio-Lopez as a person of interest and determined that he was unlawfully present in the United States after having been previously deported on two occasions. On September 22, 2025, federal agents, along with deputies from the Elmore County Drug Task Force, executed an arrest warrant at a residence in Elmore, Alabama, where Osorio-Lopez was located. During the arrest, law enforcement officers seized methamphetamine, marijuana, multiple handguns, digital scales, and other items commonly associated with drug distribution. The Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration Southeast Laboratory in Miami, Florida. Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Counts prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Winter Haven Tax Preparer Sentenced to More than Six Years in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay Over $1.6 Million in Restitution to the IRS

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – Timothy Smith has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to six years and six months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $274,000, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and ordered Smith to pay restitution in the amount of $1,637,829.64.64 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Smith entered a guilty plea on September 26, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, beginning in January 2023 and continuing through February 2024, Smith engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS. Smith prepared or assisted in the preparation of 97 false and fraudulent tax returns for 92 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2022 and 2023. The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A, C, and 1, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G. The returns contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive. The total intended tax loss from the tax returns Smith prepared was $17,612.039. The actual loss totaled $1,637,829.64, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts. Smith personally profited $274,000 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients. This is the fourth individual to be sentenced as part of this scheme. All sentences are reflected below. Name Term of Imprisonment Restitution to IRS Forfeiture Jeffrey Dixon 4 years, 9 months $12,964,382 $1,093,552.50 Sean Laster 5 years, 3 months $6,359,046.23 $1,234,605.56 George Tucker 7 years, 6 months $15,028,309.89 $1,354,757.64 Timothy Smith 6 years, 6 months $1,637,829.64 $274,000 “These defendants orchestrated a deliberate scheme to steal from American taxpayers,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Their calculated, malicious conduct showed complete disregard for the rule of law. These sentences affirm a core principle: those who abuse our tax system for personal gain will be held accountable. IRS Special Agents continue to safeguard the integrity of the tax system and deliver justice for American taxpayers.” These cases were investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation. They were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Roberts and Jennifer Peresie. The forfeitures are being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys James Muench and Suzanne Nebesky.


title: Real Estate Broker, 2 Others Arrested on Complaint Charging Them with Fraudulently Selling $1.5 Million Home Owned by Victim

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A licensed real estate broker and two other defendants were arrested today on a federal criminal complaint alleging they fraudulently sold a $1.5 million Burbank house – whose owner had his home sold out from under him – by using the stolen identifies of that victim homeowner and that of a purported buyer to obtain a near-$1 million loan. The following defendants are expected to make their initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles: Glenis Cardona, 63, of Highland, a licensed real estate broker who operates an escrow business; Ivan Reyes, 50, of Van Nuys; and Arshak Akopyan, 46, a.k.a. “John Akopyan,” of Northridge. Law enforcement continues to search for defendant Basil Tikriti, 54, of Marina del Rey, who is at large. According to an affidavit filed on January 30 with the complaint, the defendants in late 2023 and January 2024 successfully executed the fraudulent sale of a $1.5 million home in Burbank, through which they secured approximately $975,000 in loan proceeds. To complete this transaction, they used the stolen identities of the victim homeowner and a purported buyer. Through her company – Golden Escrow, which has offices in Downey and Sherman Oaks – Cardona obtained a report to evaluate whether the Burbank property was encumbered with liens, such as legal judgments. The defendants also prepared fraudulent documents, including false identity cards, a purchase agreement, a grant deed, a deed of trust, and loan applications, and falsely notarized the deeds. These false documents and information were submitted to a lender who funded the loan. Cardona purported to represent the victim seller and the victim buyer – even though neither authorized the transaction – and controlled escrow. Tikriti used the victims’ stolen identities to impersonate both the victim seller and the victim buyer. Reyes and Akopyan acted as mortgage brokers and submitted fraudulent loan applications to solicit lenders to fund the illicit transaction. After the victim lenders deposited the funds in escrow, Cardona directed the funds to various third-party entities so the schemers could collect their fraudulently obtained money. The scheme’s victims include the owner of the Burbank house, who lost ownership of the home; the victim buyer, who became obligated to pay back the $975,000 mortgage; the lender, a mortgage lending business that unwittingly approved the funded the loan; and the title company, who unwittingly insured the transaction. A complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. The FBI is investigating this matter with the help of the Burbank Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Larocque of the Transnational Organized Crime Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Mooresville Man Sentenced For Mail Fraud And Money Laundering In $1.9 Million Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Mooresville man was sentenced to 41 months in prison today for stealing more than $1.9 million from his employer, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Gene Christopher Acuff, 62, was ordered to serve one year of supervised release after he is released from prison, to pay restitution in the amount of $1,997,150.29, and to forfeit $400,000 as a penalty for his crimes. Steven Gutierrez, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court documents and court proceedings, Acuff was employed as a senior manager by Company A, a large retailer with stores throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. As part of his duties, Acuff was responsible for reviewing property tax assessments on Company A’s stores and retaining real estate appraisers and other professionals to evaluate tax assessments on company stores. Businesses that provided those services to Company A would submit invoices which Acuff paid through Company A’s bill pay system. According to court records, between January 2020 and June 2024, Acuff created five businesses with names related to real estate appraisal and consulting services. As part of the scheme, Acuff submitted false and fraudulent invoices to Company A in the names of his businesses for appraisals and other services that were never provided to Company A. Acuff then used his authority and access to Company A’s billing system to authorize payments of the false invoices. Through this scheme, Acuff issued payments totaling more than $1.9 million, which he deposited into bank accounts he controlled. In announcing the sentence, U.S. District Judge Matthew E. Orso said, “A slap on the wrist in a case like this won’t establish true deterrence.” Acuff pleaded guilty to mail fraud and money laundering. He will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bain-Creed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Bloods Gang Member On Federal Supervised Release Sentenced To Prison For Gun Charge

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A previously-convicted Bloods gang member on federal supervised release was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for illegal gun possession, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Christopher O’Brien Moore, 30, of Shelby, N.C., was also ordered to serve three years under court supervision upon completion of his prison sentence. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Alan Norman of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. According to court records, in January 2019, Moore was convicted of RICO conspiracy in the Western District of North Carolina and sentenced to prison and a term of supervised release. Court documents show that, on June 6, 2024, while Moore was under court supervision, Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to initiate a traffic top of his vehicle after Moore picked up another individual who ran from deputies earlier that day. Moore initially refused to stop, but after a short pursuit he pulled over his vehicle. Deputies detained Moore. During a search of Moore, deputies retrieved a hidden .40 caliber magazine loaded with 10 rounds of Winchester, .40 S&W caliber ammunition and five rounds of CCI, .40 S&W caliber ammunition from his crotch area. Inside the vehicle, deputies located a Glock, model 22, .40 caliber pistol with a loaded extended magazine under the driver’s side floormat. The magazine from the .40 caliber pistol had 21 rounds of ammunition. Deputies also discovered 14 rounds of New Republic, .357 magnum ammunition in the driver’s side door. As a convicted felon, Moore is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. On November 26, 2025, Moore pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.


title: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Fraud Scheme Targeting Seniors

body_text: PROVIDENCE, RI – A Georgia man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to charges related to his role in a wide-ranging lottery and sweepstakes scam that defrauded senior citizens in Rhode Island and several other states out of at least one million dollars, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. Patrick Dallas, 38, of Atlanta, GA, pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dallas is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2026. A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, Dallas, of Cumming, GA, and two co- conspirators defrauded elderly individuals through a bogus “Publishers Clearing House” (PCH) or similar sweepstakes scam and laundered the proceeds through entities and bank accounts they controlled. Victims were told they had won large sums of money, often millions of dollars, in a PCH lottery or sweepstakes. They were told that in order to collect their winnings, they were required to provide personal identifying information for prize verification purposes, and that they had to pay upfront fees or taxes. Some of the victims were directed to send money, gift cards, and/or high value items such as Rolex watches and iPhones, purportedly to cover these fees, to various addresses controlled by the defendants. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Warwick Police Department. Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, Georgia State Patrol, Forsyth County Sherriff’s Office, Fulton Count Sherriff’s office, the U.S. Marshalls Service, and the East Providence Police Department also assisted in the investigation.


title: Last Defendant in Akron Meth Trafficking Case Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

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

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – The last defendant in a drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to prison for his role as an illegal supplier of a schedule II controlled substance throughout Summit County and the surrounding areas. Maurice A. Stewart, 31, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge David A. Ruiz after pleading guilty in October of the following charges: Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine Distribution of Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. According to court documents, in October 2022, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) opened an investigation into suspected drug and firearms trafficking in the Akron area. Investigators learned that three individuals, including Stewart, were conspiring with one another to obtain large amounts of methamphetamine for the purpose of sale and distribution throughout Northeast Ohio. A search warrant was subsequently executed at Stewart’s residence on West Long Street in Akron. There, agents seized 379.1 grams of methamphetamine, 87.5 grams of fentanyl, four cellphones, and a Glock, Model 19 Gen 5, semiautomatic pistol. Two residences located at East Archwood Avenue and Tonawanda Avenue, and connected to his co-conspirators, were also searched and resulted in additional seizures of methamphetamine, a firearm, drug scales and paraphernalia, and cellphones. The following co-defendants in the case, also of Akron, are currently serving sentences in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine: Kevin R. McQuain, age 46, was sentenced to 100 months; additionally pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Kenneth L. Pitman, age 54, was sentenced to 90 months; additionally pleaded guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Portage County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Violent Crime Unit. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.


title: Chinese Graduate Student Charged with Receiving Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that Chinese national, JIAXIN TIAN (“TIAN”) , age 29, of New Orleans, was indicted on February 6, 2026, for Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). If convicted, TIAN faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. The case against TIAN began with an undercover online investigation initiated by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office (“PRCSO”) that was searching for individuals who were sharing Child Sex Abuse Material (“CSAM”) on the internet. The PRCSO investigation led them to a subject in New Orleans resulting in the PRCSO notifying the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”) of their findings. According to court documents, on December 12, 2025, agents with the LBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“HSI”) executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in New Orleans. During the search, agents recovered an MSI laptop computer, Apple I-Phone, Huawei cell phone, and various other electronic storage devices, in TIAN’s bedroom. TIAN admitted to the agents that he had downloaded images and videos of prepubescent CSAM. Thereafter, LBI and HSI located images and videos depicting the victimization of children on TIAN’s computer. Although TIAN was initially arrested on state child pornography charges, through a partnership between state and federal authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is now prosecuting TIAN federally. U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced in Connection With Drug Trafficking Charges

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced a Baltimore man to prison today, in connection with a federal investigation that led to law enforcement seizing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. Marvin Miller, 38, received an eight-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Miller’s sentence also covers a possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS). According to the guilty plea, in 2023, the DEA began investigating a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Starting in April 2023, law enforcement ran surveillance on one of the DTO’s stash houses Miller operated in Baltimore. Investigators maintained surveillance on Miller and his stash house via a covert camera and electronic surveillance. Surveillance revealed that Miller frequented his stash house daily and met with co-conspirators at the stash house. Then on December 19, Miller met with a customer, Elroy Johnson, inside his stash house. After meeting with Miller, Johnson left the stash house concealing an item inside his clothing and drove away in his vehicle. Law enforcement then stopped Johnson’s vehicle for a traffic infraction, searched the vehicle, and recovered one kilogram of cocaine underneath the driver’s seat. With evidence of Miller’s drug trafficking, investigators applied for a warrant to search his stash house and vehicle. Later, law enforcement attempted to approach Miller as he walked out of the stash house to his vehicle. Then Miller spotted law enforcement, so he attempted to flee but they quickly appended him. Miller then admitted to possessing cocaine and bulk cash inside his stash house. In the stash house, investigators uncovered one kilogram of cocaine and approximately $671,685 stored in two suitcases. Authorities also recovered three cell phones from Miller’s vehicle. A search of his phones revealed additional evidence of Miller’s drug trafficking in a WhatsApp message exchange. Based on the WhatsApp exchange, investigators believe that Miller arranged to purchase approximately 60 kilograms of cocaine with the approximately $671,685 they found stored in his suitcases. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Miner and Stanton Lawyer who are prosecuting this federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement Reforming Alabama’s System for Educating Students with Disabilities in Foster Care

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department announced that it reached a landmark agreement with the State of Alabama to address allegations of discrimination against children in foster care with disabilities, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This first-of-its-kind agreement ensures that young Alabamians in or transitioning out of the foster care system have the tools they need to be successful as adults and advances the commitment of this Administration to foster children and families set forth in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14359, entitled, “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.” “Children in foster care should not be treated differently because of their circumstances,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We applaud Alabama for reaching this agreement so that all students may benefit from an education that equips them for a promising future.” The settlement agreement requires that students with disabilities in foster care who are placed in psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs) attend school in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs and that students educated on site at PRTFs are provided with equal educational opportunities. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat disability discrimination is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ .


title: Illegal Venezuelan Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Larceny Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Paducah, KY – Two men from Venezuela were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an attempted theft from a Calvert City, Kentucky ATM. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department made the announcement. Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio , 27, illegally entered the United States in September 2022. He was apprehended at the border but released into the United States. Yirvel Yonaiker Rios-Castro , 21, illegally entered the United States in November 2024. He was also apprehended at the border and also released into the United States. On January 31, 2025, Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro, both citizens of Venezuela and illegal aliens in the United States, attempted to steal money from an ATM located in Calvert City, Kentucky. That day, the Calvert City Police Department responded to an ATM alarm, and the men fled the scene traveling between 70 and 80 mph in a vehicle driven by Jimenez-Barrio . The men struck another vehicle and fled the wreck on foot. The Calvert City Police Department apprehended the men at a nearby service station. A search of their vehicle yielded a cordless drill, drill bits, latex gloves, a mask, and duct tape. Jimenez-Barrio was sentenced yesterday to 32 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. On November 17, 2025, Rios-Castro , 21, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro were ordered to pay $67,039.67 in restitution. United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “This case is a prime example of the damage catch-and-release of illegal aliens has done to the United States. Both of these men illegally entered the United States and committed a serious felony crime resulting in a substantial loss to the victim of their crime. Moreover, American taxpayers are now saddled with the cost of incarcerating criminals who should not have been in the United States in the first place. Kentucky’s citizens lost because these criminals were released into our community.” There is no parole in the federal system. The FBI Paducah Satellite Office, HSI, and the Calvert City Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case. ###


title: Windsor Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Extortion and Threats

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Windsor man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield for making online threats and extortionate demands. Michael Andrew Rodgers, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In November 2025 , Rodgers pleaded guilty to one count of threatening interstate communications and one count of extortionate interstate communications. Rodgers was arrested and charged in September 2024. On April 5, 2023, Rodgers posted a threat on the Google review page of a Springfield medical practice that stated: “They gonna get what’s coming soon. […] Will be there in the morning to get them myself one way or another. Locked and loaded.” Beneath this text, Rodgers included an image of a hand holding a gun. On April 6, 2024, Rodgers submitted a threat through a fraud reporting website for the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General with the intent to extort Social Security disability benefits. Specifically, Rodgers stated: “I m gonna start taking what I need. By any means nessacary. […] GIVE ME MY MONEY OR IM GONNA START DROPPING PEOPLE. YOULL NEVER FIND MY WEAPONS SO STOP LOOKING AND GIVE ME MY CHECK. […] NEXT TIME I SLICE SOMETHING OPEN. IT WONT BE ME. ITLL BE ONE OF YOUR CHILDREN ILL MERC A WHOLE SCHOOL AND NOT GIVE A F***. […] SO YOULL BE MY FIRST TARGET IF YOU KEEP REFUSING TO HELP ME.” United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, Springfield Police Department, Windsor Police Department and Federal Protective Service. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Chicago Area Tax Return Preparer Enjoined from Preparing Returns for Others

component: Civil Division

body_text: On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a permanent injunction against Chicago area tax return preparer Stacy Thomas, formerly known as Stacy Sorrel, both individually and doing business as Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Pros LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc. The injunction bars Thomas from preparing tax returns for others, working for or having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, and advising anyone about the preparation of a tax return or setting up business as a preparer. Thomas agreed to the terms of the injunction. According to the complaint, Thomas prepared and filed tax returns that falsely understated her customers’ federal income tax liabilities by fabricating, among other things: Fictitious residential energy credits; Fictitious or inflated Schedule C business expenses; and Exaggerated or completely fabricated charitable deductions. As a result of the court’s order, Thomas must post a copy of the injunction at all locations where she conducts business and post a link to the injunction on her business’s website. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement. Tax Litigation Branch attorney Kimberly Parke handled this matter. Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information. In the past decade, the Department of Justice has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website . An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page . If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Civil Division, Tax Litigation Branch with details.


title: Virginia Beach man sentenced to over five years in prison for latest felony conviction

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to five years and six months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on May 25, 2024, Virginia Beach Police (VBPD) officers observed Khyri Jamar Whitehead, 33, remove a handgun from the trunk of a vehicle, place it in the front of his waistband, and then conceal it with his shirt. Officers continued watching Whitehead until he entered another vehicle as a passenger. VBPD then conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, removed Whitehead from the vehicle, and recovered the handgun. Whitehead, a member of the Bounty Hunter Watts gang, has 18 previous felony convictions. As a convicted felon, Whitehead cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Virginia Beach Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke Bresnahan and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-120.


title: Foreign National Residing in Chicago Suburb Indicted for Allegedly Bringing Illegal Aliens Into United States and Forcing Them To Work

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — A foreign national residing in a Chicago suburb has been indicted in federal court for allegedly bringing illegal aliens into the United States for private financial gain. FREDY HERNANDEZ knowingly brought four illegal aliens from Honduras into the United States in 2022 and 2023, according to an indictment returned on Feb. 2, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Once in the United States, Hernandez forced the victims to work for his private financial gain, the indictment states. Hernandez threatened the victims and made them believe that if they did not perform the work, they or others would suffer serious harm, the indictment states. Hernandez, 46, is a citizen of Honduras who resided in Waukegan, Ill. The indictment charges him with four counts of bringing illegal aliens to the United States for commercial advantage, four counts of harboring illegal aliens, and four counts of forced labor. Each count of bringing in and harboring aliens is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while each forced labor count is punishable by up to 20 years. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled. The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner. hernandez_indictment.pdf


title: Salvadoran National Who Illegally Reentered U.S. is Sentenced

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that FREDDY ALEXANDER MORALES TEJADA, 25, a citizen of El Salvador last residing in Vernon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to nearly four months of imprisonment, time already served, for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. According to court documents and statements made in court, in October 2023, Morales Tejada was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of carrying a pistol without a permit and failure to appear in the first degree. In February 2024, he was deported to El Salvador. Morales Tejada unlawfully reentered the U.S. and was found in South Windsor on May 19, 2025, when he was arrested for engaging in a police pursuit, reckless driving, operating motor vehicle without license, and illegal operation of motor vehicle under suspension. Morales Tejada was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on October 23, 2025. On November 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to illegally reentering the U.S. Morales Tejada, who has been detained since his federal arrest, will remain detained pending his removal to El Salvador. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. 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.


title: Jefferson County Businessman Admits Failing to Pay Taxes on Behalf of Employees

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A Jefferson County, Missouri businessman on Wednesday admitted failing to pay 10 years of employment taxes totaling $774,081. Danny L. Nickelson Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to pay over trust fund taxes. Employers are required to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes and federal income taxes. These “trust fund taxes” are held in trust by employers until paid over to the United States on a quarterly basis. Employers are also required to match the Social Security and Medicare taxes and pay that to the IRS. Nickelson owned General Physiotherapy, a manufacturer and distributor of massage and percussion devices used in medicine and physical therapy. For tax years 2013 through 2022, Nickelson withheld money from employees’ pay but did not pay that to the IRS. He also did not pay the employer’s share. Instead, he used the money for the business’ operational expenses and personal expenditures including food, travel, retail purchases and credit card bills. Nickelson did the same thing for tax years 2013-2015 for Tomichi Industries, a small plastic distributor and supplier for General Physiotherapy. Nickelson was sole shareholder of Tomichi. Nickelson admitted failing to pay 40 quarterly employment tax payments, resulting in a tax loss of $774,081. He has agreed to repay the money to the IRS. Nickelson is scheduled to be sentenced May 12. The charges carry a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both prison and a fine. The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Men Indicted in Transnational Human Smuggling and Money Laundering Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the District of Vermont charging a Dominican national and a U.S. citizen with conspiring to smuggle foreign nationals from Mexico and Central and South America into the United States via the U.S.-Canada border. According to court documents, Francisco Antonio Luna Rosado, 27, an illegal alien from the Dominican Republic, and Jesus Hernandez Ortiz, 37, of Puerto Rico, are charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and 12 counts of illegally bringing aliens to the United States for the purpose of private financial gain related to a Sept. 17, 2023, smuggling event. Luna Rosado is also charged with two counts of transactional money laundering for engaging in monetary transactions involving property derived from smuggling activities. Image captured during the movement of alien groups that Luna Rosado allegedly guided through the Canadian and Vermont border to his human smuggling drivers. Luna Rosado allegedly directed smuggling operations from at least Aug. 2022 through at least March 2024, coordinating the illegal transport of aliens across the U.S.-Canada border into northern Vermont. Aliens arrived by airplane, from their origin country to southern Canada. Luna Rosado then used live shared cellular location data to guide the aliens across the Canadian border to northern Vermont. From northern Vermont, Luna Rosado used an approximate 70-person encrypted chat platform to communicate and arrange for drivers, including Hernandez Ortiz, to pick up aliens at the northern border. The drivers then drove the aliens from Vermont to New York City. Upon arrival in New York City, the aliens paid Luna Rosado in U.S. currency. Luna Rosado deposited and withdrew this money into and through the U.S. financial system, in amounts exceeding $10,000. Images of the rented Home Depot van, which Hernandez drove during an alleged smuggling event, that law enforcement stopped. Text messages between Luna Rosado (left side in blue) and Hernandez (right side in green), with translations into English, discussing the alleged smuggling operation. Text messages between Luna Rosado and aliens during an alleged smuggling event. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt for the District of Vermont and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of the Swanton Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made the announcement. Agents from the Swanton Sector Intelligence Unit assigned to the U.S. Border Patrol Newport Station and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Derby Line Office led U.S. investigative efforts, with assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force. Trial Attorneys Jake Drucker and Emily Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Chet Kirkham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia Cowles for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case. The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 435 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 385 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Jury Convicts Three Men of Methamphetamine and Cocaine Conspiracies Across Multiple States

component: USAO - Arkansas, Eastern

body_text: LITTLE ROCK—A federal jury has convicted three men involved in methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracies that spanned from California to Texas to Arkansas and involved multiple pounds and kilograms of drugs. The trial, which spanned six days, ended Tuesday evening with guilty verdicts for Bruce McArthur Smith, 54, of Hesperia, Calif., Kevin Langel, 54, of Pine Bluff, and Larry Rogers, 71, of Benton. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the verdicts. The three men were initially indicted in November 2022. A federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment on January 6, 2026, charging Smith with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Langel and Rogers were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, with Langel’s charge involving more than five kilograms of cocaine and Rogers’ charge involving more than 500 grams, but less than five kilograms of cocaine. The evidence at trial proved that the controlled substances the three men were selling were ultimately being purchased, and redistributed, by Roderick Toney, 58, of Little Rock. Toney pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and is awaiting sentencing. At trial, the United States played phone calls between Smith and Toney that detailed multiple methamphetamine transactions. The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and North Little Rock Police Department, revealed that Smith knew individuals in Pine Bluff and came to Arkansas several times during the conspiracy period of 2020 through 2022. Toney received multiple pounds of methamphetamine directly from Smith at an apartment complex in Little Rock several times during that period. In June and July 2022, at the same time Smith was selling methamphetamine to Toney, Toney was purchasing kilograms of cocaine from Rogers. Evidence at trial detailed Toney and Rogers’ movements on July 14, 2022, when Rogers obtained money from a relative of Toney’s at a car wash and then traveled to a business off Geyer Springs Road in Little Rock where he met with Langel and obtained a kilogram of cocaine. Rogers then returned to the same car wash and distributed the cocaine to Toney. Evidence at trial showed that Rogers and Toney were involved in multiple cocaine transactions. In addition to the evidence that Langel was the source of supply of cocaine that Rogers obtained for Toney in June and July 2022, the United States presented evidence that Langel was engaged in numerous multiple-kilogram transactions of cocaine sourced out of Houston and Dallas in late 2022 and early 2023. All three men were detained following the jury’s verdict and will be sentenced at a later date. Smith and Langel’s conspiracy charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a minimum of five years’ supervised release to follow. Rogers’ charge exposes him to a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years, and four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The defendants who were convicted at trial were the last of 18 individuals involved in the case, which began in North Little Rock before expanding to California. All 18 defendants have now been convicted, with sentencing hearings for several defendants still pending. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division, North Little Rock Police Department, and the Sherwood Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and North Little Rock Police Department, with assistance from the Sherwood Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Amanda Fields. # # # 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: Second KC Man Pleads Guilty to Cyberstalking That Resulted in Murder

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to using a GPS tracking device to surveil an individual who was shot to death in a grocery store parking lot. Michael Smith, also known as “Black Mike,” 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to one count of cyberstalking resulting in death. Co-defendant Dontay Campbell, 36, formerly of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to the same offense on Nov. 6, 2023. By pleading guilty today, Smith admitted that he was hired to kill the victim in late January or early February 2019. To carry out the murder, Smith and Campbell obtained a GPS tracking device and on March 5, 2019, Smith and Campbell deployed the GPS device on the victim’s red Chevrolet Tahoe by placing the device under the vehicle. Smith used the GPS device to track the victim through the movements of the Tahoe. On several occasions, Smith used the GPS tracking service to physically locate the victim. On March 16, 2019, Smith surveilled the victim as they drove to a Kansas City grocery store. When the victim left the store and walked back to the Tahoe, Campbell and a co-conspirator pulled up next to the Tahoe in a Chrysler Sebring. The co-conspirator exited the Sebring and shot at the victim several times with a Ruger .40-caliber handgun that belonged to Campbell. During the shooting spree, Campbell attempted unsuccessfully to remove the GPS tracker from the vehicle. Campbell and the co-conspirator then ran back to the Sebring, briefly drove around the parking lot, and parked again near the Tahoe. The co-conspirator again fired multiple shots into the Tahoe while Campbell again tried unsuccessfully to retrieve the GPS tracker. Campbell and the co-conspirator then sped out of the parking lot in the Sebring. The victim died from multiple gunshot wounds, and Smith was paid in cash for the murder. Under the terms of today’s plea agreement, the government and Smith agreed to a sentence of 30 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford, Nicholas Heberle, and Matthew Wolesky. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Operation Take Back America 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.


title: Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty To Making And Selling Counterfeit Coupons

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to manufacturing and selling counterfeit store coupons with inflated values, then selling those coupons online and via social media to co-conspirators. According to court documents, from August 23, 2017, to September 17, 2019, Serena Reamy Hedden manufactured nearly 3.5 million counterfeit coupons at her residence. The counterfeit coupon values were often created with inflated values, far in excess of what an authentic coupon would offer, in order to receive items from retail stores for free or for a greatly reduced price. As part of the scheme, she sold the counterfeit coupons to co-conspirators via social media and online and would mail the counterfeit coupons through the United States Postal Service. Hedden sold the merchandise she unlawfully obtained by using the counterfeit coupons she manufactured from shelves in her garage. On September 17, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Hedden’s residence. During that search, agents found electronic equipment she used to manufactured counterfeit coupons, along with large quantities of specialized paper, specialized printers, a large number of counterfeit coupons, unused packing boxes, and binders containing spreadsheet ledger pages. Analysis of bar codes show that Hedden’s scheme produced nearly 3.5 million counterfeit coupons that caused losses of at least $20,833,517. “This case demonstrates the serious impact of large-scale counterfeit coupon schemes on retailers and consumers alike,” said Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “Serena Hedden’s actions not only defrauded businesses out of millions of dollars, but also undermined the integrity of the marketplace. We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in such fraudulent activity.” Hedden pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2026. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Wang for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. This case was investigated by HSI. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Frayn is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Jamaican National Charged with Offenses Stemming from Sweepstakes Scheme Targeting Elderly Victims

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that RICHARD MURRAY, 31, a citizen of Jamaica, has been charged with fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from his alleged participation in a sweepstakes scam that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars. The indictment alleges that, since at least 2018, Murray and others used a sweepstakes scheme to induce primarily elderly victims to provide them with money. As part of this scheme, scammers notified victims, typically by telephone, that they won a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. The victims were told that in order to collect their winnings, they must pay fees and taxes. Following the initial phone call, Murray and others mailed the victims fake documents, including a “winning notification” letter from Publishers Clearing House and a letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that the victims were required by law to pay taxes on their winnings. Victims sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut and throughout the U.S. The indictment also alleges that Murray and others used a network of “money mules” to receive funds obtained from victims and transfer them to Murray and other members of the conspiracy. Some of the money mules were themselves victims of the scam who had also been deceived into accepting and transferring funds on behalf of members of the conspiracy. Murray and his co-conspirators also recruited people to provide accounts that count be used to launder money, moved money received from victims through various accounts in different companies’ names, and provided co-conspirators in Jamaica with ATM cards for U.S. bank accounts that allowed them to withdraw funds generated through the scam. On April 16, 2024, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Murray with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each of these offenses carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Murray was located and arrested in Hampton, Georgia, on January 22, 2026. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and pleaded not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Forces in Connecticut and Georgia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.