title: Two Millbourne Borough Officials and One Former Official Plead Guilty to Election Fraud Offenses

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that MD Nurul Hasan, 48, MD Munsur Ali, 48, and MD Rafikul Islam, 52, all of Millbourne, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to election fraud offenses, at separate hearings before United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III. In February, the defendants were charged in a 33-count indictment with conspiracy to commit voter fraud, giving false information in registering to vote, and fraudulent voter registration, arising from their scheme, ultimately unsuccessful, to steal Millbourne Borough’s 2021 mayoral election for Hasan. Hasan, the vice president of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 33 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 16 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 16 counts of fraudulent voter registration. Ali, a member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all 25 charges against him — one count of conspiracy, 12 counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and 12 counts of fraudulent voter registration. Islam, a former member of the Millbourne Borough Council, pleaded guilty to all seven charges against him — one count of conspiracy, three counts of giving false information in registering to vote, and three counts of fraudulent voter registration. As set forth in court filings, in 2021, Millbourne held elections for mayor, three seats on its borough council, and tax collector. Defendant Hasan entered the majority party’s primary election for mayor. The primary election was held on May 20, 2021, and Hasan was defeated in the primary by a vote count of approximately 138 to 120. In the same primary, Ali was one of three majority party candidates for borough council to advance to the general election, while Islam lost his bid for reelection to the council. After the primary, Hasan decided that he would run as a write-in candidate for mayor in the general election, which was scheduled for November 2, 2021. Ali and Islam agreed to support Hasan in his write-in campaign. As detailed in court documents and admitted by the defendants, in or about 2021, defendants Hasan, Ali, and Islam conspired and agreed with one another, and other persons known and unknown to the U.S. Attorney, to steal the 2021 general election for Mayor of Millbourne for defendant Hasan through a multi-step process, which included: (a) obtaining personal identification information of non-Millbourne residents, such as their names, addresses, and dates of birth; (b) using the personal identifying information to access the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s online voter registration (PAOVR) website and change the voter registration addresses for those non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne; (c) using the PAOVR website to request that mail-in or absentee ballots for those non-Millbourne residents be sent to addresses accessible by one or more of the defendants; (d) retrieving the ballots from the Millbourne mailboxes; (e) impersonating the voters and fraudulently casting write-in votes for defendant Hasan to be mayor; (f) enclosing the fraudulently completed ballots in envelopes and forging the voters' signatures on the envelopes; and (g) submitting the ballots in their envelopes to the Delaware County Board of Elections. The defendants admitted that, to further this conspiracy, they contacted friends and acquaintances whom Hasan and Ali knew did not live in Millbourne, told these non-Millbourne residents that Hasan was running for mayor in Millbourne, asked if they could register the non-Millbourne residents to vote in Millbourne, and then cast mail-in ballots for Hasan to be mayor. Hasan and Ali persuaded many of their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances to provide them with personal identification information so that defendants Hasan and Ali could register them to vote in Millbourne. During many of these conversations, Hasan and Ali told their non-Millbourne friends and acquaintances that they would not get in trouble, as long as they did not vote in another election in November 2021. Hasan and Ali also conspired and agreed to use personal identifying information for other non-Millbourne residents, which the two defendants had obtained from other sources, such as Hasan’s business, to register those nonresidents as Millbourne voters without the knowledge of those non-residents. Hasan personally did almost all of the fraudulent voter registrations himself, using a computer at his place of business to access the PAOVR website and change the voting addresses for non-Millbourne residents to locations within Millbourne. Every time that Hasan accessed the PAOVR website to change a voter registration address, he provided an email address for the voter. Many times, Hasan provided one of four email addresses that he used and accessed. To divert suspicion from himself, however, Hasan sometimes provided email addresses belonging to other people, who knowingly and willfully permitted Hasan to use their email addresses to cover up Hasan’s actions. One of those people was Islam, who allowed Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when Hasan fraudulently changed the voter registration addresses for six individuals. Islam also permitted Hasan to use two of Islam’s email addresses when requesting mail-in ballots for five non-Millbourne residents. In total, the defendants conspired to falsely register nearly three dozen non-Millbourne residents as Millbourne voters and cast ballots for those non-Millbourne residents in the 2021 general election for mayor of Millbourne Borough. Hasan went on to lose the election by a vote of approximately 165 to 138. “Protecting the integrity of our elections is crucial to ensuring a fair result, as well as the public’s continued trust in the process,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “That’s why these cases are a priority for my office and the FBI. Election fraud will not be tolerated in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.” “Trust in the electoral process is the cornerstone of our democracy. When public officials betray that trust through fraud, they don’t just break the law — they erode confidence in the very institutions that uphold our system,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI is proud to stand with our partners in safeguarding the integrity of elections at every level of government.” “This investigation exposed public officials who forgot that their role in a democracy is limited to accepting the voters’ choice. I applaud the hard work and partnership of the United States Attorney’s Office, the FBI and my Special Investigations Unit led by Deputy DA Doug Rhoads. This investigation serves as a reminder that my Office remains committed to election integrity, ensuring that everyone’s vote is counted equally,” said Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer. The defendants are scheduled to be sentenced on June 18 and face maximum possible sentences of five years in prison for each of the charges to which they have pleaded guilty. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark B. Dubnoff.


title: Former Massachusetts State Trooper Has Agreed to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Falsify CDL Test Scores

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former Massachusetts State Police (MSP) trooper has agreed to plead guilty to his role in an alleged conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants even if they failed the CDL test or took less than the full test required by federal law. Calvin Butner, 64, of Halifax, Mass. has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records, three counts of falsifying records and aiding and abetting and five counts of making false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled the plea hearing for April 7. In January 2024 , Butner was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the alleged conspiracy and related schemes. According to the charging document, a CDL is required to drive a commercial vehicle, such as a tractor-trailer, a box truck, or a school bus. Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. However, states administer CDL tests and issue the licenses. The CDL test is a demanding, in-person test. An applicant must not only prove they have detailed knowledge of commercial vehicles, they must also perform certain maneuvers and safely drive on public roadways, including a highway. Only drivers who have passed the test and thereby proved they are qualified to drive a commercial vehicle may be issued a CDL, because public safety is at issue. Test scores reported by members of MSP’s CDL Unit are material to whether applicants meet federal requirements for, and therefore whether the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles may issue, CDLs. According to the charging document, between in on or about May 2019 and January 2023, Butner and three other members of the CDL Unit conspired to give preferential treatment to at least 17 CDL applicants by agreeing to give passing scores on their CDL tests regardless of whether or not they actually passed. Butner and the co-defendants allegedly used the code word “golden” to identify these applicants. The indictment alleges that Butner gave passing scores to applicants about whom he texted the following comments to a co-conspirator: • “This guys a mess. . . . Lol. He owes u a prime rib 6inch.” • “Golden mess. ??????” • “He’s a mess Class A truck 2psi loss with truck running truck cut our again while timing ????” • “Total mess this guy[.] i think some time[s] we should just do what we can but not golden. I’ll tell you about it later.” In addition to the false records conspiracy, Butner has agreed to plead guilty to three counts of falsifying records, aiding and abetting, by giving passing scores to three applicants who failed the CDL test, and five counts of making false statements by giving passing scores to five applicants who did not take the test at all. On March 21 a civilian co-defendant, Eric Mathison, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion. All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the course of this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. The charge of conspiracy to falsify records provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of falsification of records each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of false statements each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Christopher A. Scharf, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. Butner and his-codefendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Laredo man admits to robbing bank which led to dangerous pursuit

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas - A 42-year-old resident of Laredo has pleaded guilty to robbing Falcon International Bank, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. On June 10, 2024, Adrian Hernandez entered the location at 212 Bob Bullock Loop in Laredo. He approached the counter and passed a note to the bank teller which read – “this is a bank robbery, give me all the money.” Hernandez had a gray shirt wrapped around his hand to conceal, or appear to conceal, a weapon. The teller activated the silent alarm and placed the money that was in her teller drawer, including bait money, into a brown paper bag and handed it to Hernandez. He then left the bank, got into his car and sped away. Authorities later observed a car matching the description of Hernandez’s vehicle parked at a motel. They attempted a felony stop but Hernandez evaded, and a chase ensued. Eventually, Hernandez collided with a chain link fence in the vicinity of Salinas Avenue. At the time of his arrest, he was wearing the same clothing as viewed in the security footage from the Falcon International Bank. Law enforcement also found a large amount of cash in the car as well as a yellow note and blue marker. U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Hernandez faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Makens is prosecuting the case.


title: Virginia Beach man sentenced to over six years in prison for federal drug trafficking and firearms crimes

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced yesterday to six years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to court documents, on at least five occasions from February 2024 through May 2024, Jameson Carter, 39, sold cocaine totaling 115.74 grams during controlled buys conducted by Virginia Beach Police (VBPD). On June 5, 2024, investigators with VBPD and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) searched Carter’s residence and recovered approximately 86 grams of cocaine as well as smaller amounts of heroin and fentanyl. They also recovered three loaded firearms, scales, and approximately $964. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ibrar A. Mian, Special Agent in Charge for DEA’s Washington Division; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc W. West and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Miller, both Assistant Attorneys General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. 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. 2:24-cr-100.


title: Justice Department to Surge Resources to Indian Country to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque ; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This surge in resources presents a crucial opportunity to deliver justice for families who have waited far too long for answers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin. “By working hand-in-hand with Tribal law enforcement and the FBI, we are not only advancing investigations and prosecutions but also strengthening public safety in our continued effort to uphold our trust responsibility to Tribal communities.” "We are looking forward to the additional resources Operation Not Forgotten will surge to New Mexico's Indian Country to assist the dedicated Agents and Analysts in their unwavering dedication to move cases closer to resolution," said Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office. "Through our continued strong partnerships with local, state, and tribal agencies our efforts to combat crime and protect the community remain a top priority." Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people. Eliot Neal serves as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southwest Region, covering New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. In this role, he focuses on investigating unresolved MMIP cases and fostering collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement agencies to address this crisis. Prior to this position, AUSA Neal handled cases involving child exploitation, gun crimes, and offenses in Indian Country, and continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to the MMIP cause through ongoing outreach and strategic partnerships.


title: Georgia Man Charged with Operating Sweepstakes Scam

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging JIMMY SMITH, 30, a citizen of Jamaica residing in Hinesville, Georgia, with offenses stemming from an alleged sweepstakes scam. Smith was arrested in Florida on March 17, 2025. He is currently in home detention on electronic monitoring, and is scheduled to be arraigned in New Haven federal court on April 4. As alleged in the indictment, in a sweepstakes scam, scam participants contact victims by telephone and falsely inform them that they have won large sums of money. Victims are told that they need to pay fees or taxes to claim their winnings and they are instructed to send money through the mail to various addresses controlled by scam participants, or to various bank accounts through wires. The indictment alleges that Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize. Smith recruited others to use their bank accounts to deposit money that had been mailed by scam victims. Smith’s co-conspirators then withdrew cash and gave it to Smith, or sent Smith money using bank transfer applications. For example, it is alleged that, in July 2022, a Connecticut victim was contacted by telephone and told that she had won a $2.5 million sweepstakes prize and needed to pay taxes to claim her winnings. In August 2022, the victim mailed a $75,000 check paid to the order of Keshelski & K Transport to an address in Brooklyn, New York. The account was deposited into an account in the name of Keshelski&K Transports LLC, which was controlled by Keshelski Bates, an alleged co-conspirator of Smith. The indictment also alleges that Smith participated in a separate scheme that defrauded an Arkansas resident who believed he was paying for farm equipment. The indictment charges Smith with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conduct illegal monetary transactions. Each offense carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. On January 21, 2025, Keshelski Bates, 30, also of Hinesville, Georgia, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing. This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of Army CID, the Hinesville (Ga.) Police Department, and the Orlando (Fla.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather M. Cherry. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Litchfield for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.


title: Seven Sentenced for Fentanyl Drug Trafficking Operation

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Seven people have been sentenced for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that spanned from Baltimore to the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. The indictment, returned in January 2024 against Gary Brown, Jr., and eighty-one others, charged the defendants with distributing substantial amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. Those sentenced this week include: James Beau Baker, age 29, of Charles Town, West Virginia, sentenced to 97 months; Amanda Nicole Albert, 32, of Knoxville, Maryland, sentenced to 46 months in prison; Kendall Axavier Baker, age 32, of Winchester, Virginia, sentenced to time served; Kaitlyn Ashley Knight, age 32, of Falling Waters, West Virginia, sentenced to three years' probation; Ryan Brennan, age 33, of Strasburg, Virginia, sentenced to five years' probation; April Dawn Wentzell, age 37, of Ranson, West Virginia, sentenced to time served; Aaron Joshua James, age 31, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, sentenced to 70 months in prison; Of the 82 defendants, 80 have been convicted. Including today’s seven, 44 defendants have been sentenced. One defendant, Charles Delroy Singletary, age 44, of Baltimore, Maryland, remains a fugitive. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government. U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided. Investigative agencies include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Pittsburgh Field Division and Baltimore Field Division); the Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations; the United States Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the United States Marshals Service; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office; Ranson Police Department; Martinsburg Police Department; Charles Town Police Department; the Berkeley County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; Stafford County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Maryland); Frederick County Sheriff's Office (Virginia); Winchester Police Department; and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office (Virginia). This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Former Military Contractor Pleads Guilty for Deleting Text Messages in Antitrust Division Investigation

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: Today, a Federal Judge accepted a guilty plea to destruction of records in a federal investigation from a former employee of a contractor that provided operation and maintenance services to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for U.S. military installations in South Korea. According to the information filed in the Western District of Texas, in or about July 2021, David Cruz, 37, deleted text messages with Hyuk Jin Kwon and Hyun Ki Shin. Kwon and Shin were separately charged for fraud and conspiring to rig bids and fix prices on millions of dollars in maintenance and repair subcontracting work provided to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in South Korea and remain fugitives . At Kwon’s suggestion, Cruz deleted text messages after receiving a litigation hold notice from his employer requiring him not to destroy or delete communications. Cruz then covered up the deletion of those text messages after being specifically advised by his employer that there was an ongoing federal investigation. In the deleted text messages, Cruz discussed with Kwon and Shin the need to get additional bids from their competitor to satisfy the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer’s competitive bidding requirements for subcontract work. Kwon had previously told Cruz that Cruz should contact him instead of requesting bids directly from Kwon’s competitors. “The Procurement Collusion Strike Force’s commitment to safeguard taxpayer dollars from collusion and fraud is unwavering,” said Director Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF). “The Antitrust Division will not hesitate to prosecute individuals who unlawfully impede our investigations by destroying or covering up evidence.” “Bid rigging and other acts of fraud against the U.S. Army not only undermine the integrity of critical procurement efforts but also put our Soldiers at risk by providing them capabilities and services which do not meet the high standards necessary to maintain peak lethality,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael DeFamio of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID), Far East Field Office. “Army CID is grateful for the collaborative efforts of our federal partners at the FBI and the Department of Justice, and we will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who attempts to defraud the U.S. Government, regardless of where they are in the world.” “The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is steadfast in its mission to protect taxpayer funds from fraud and collusion,” said Special Agent in Charge Stanley Newell of DCIS’ Transnational Field Office. “We are equally committed to relentlessly pursuing those who attempt to obstruct our investigations through the destruction or concealment of evidence.” “Mr. Cruz knowingly destroyed records that were part of an ongoing criminal investigation and has now acknowledged his crime” said Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI is committed to holding accountable military contractors who flout the bidding process and intentionally destroy evidence of their guilt.” Destruction of records in a federal investigation carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other relevant factors. The Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section, Army CID, DCIS, and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant Chief Daniel E. Lipton and Trial Attorney Daniel P. Chung of the Antitrust Division prosecuted the case with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Devlin for the Western District of Texas. In November 2019, the Justice Department created the PCSF, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above.


title: Slidell Man Guilty Of Machine Gun Possession

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

body_text: Correction: The captain of the vessel, TRAN , was subsequently interviewed by agents from the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on March 27, 2025, CUONG QUOC TRAN (“TRAN”) , age 39, of Slidell, La, pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(o). Sentencing is set for July 17, 2025. According to documents filed in court, on January 5, 2022, the Coast Guard Cutter Tiger Shark intercepted a fishing vessel named the “Lucky Jean” approximately four nautical miles south of Southwest Pass within the Eastern District of Louisiana. During the safety search, Coast Guard personnel found multiple rifles capable of fully automatic fire. The captain of the vessel, TRAN , was subsequently interviewed by agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. TRAN admitted to possessing seven weapons found on the vessel which he had converted into weapons capable of being fully automatic, in other words, a machine gun. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives subsequently tested the weapons, and found them to be fully automatic. TRAN faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Orange, Texas man guilty of federal violation in investment scheme

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange, Texas man has pleaded guilty to a federal violation related to a fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr. Bradley Morgan Holts, 54, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025, to wire fraud before U.S. Magistrate Judge Zack Hawthorn. According to information presented in court, Holts, a financial advisor and stockbroker, was previously a financial advisor at Capital One Bank and World Capital Brokerage. In 2021, Holts opened a bank account in the name “Bradley Morgan Holts dba Invesco Investment Texas” (ITT). Using this account, Holts deceived investors intending to make investments in Invesco, Ltd., a global investment firm, and used the client funds for his own personal use. Holts faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here only for informational purposes. The ultimate sentence will be determined by the court, based on advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office. This case is being investigated by FBI’s Beaumont Field Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chris Jackson and Reynaldo P. Morin. ###


title: Joint Law Enforcement Operation leads to the Indictment of Nine Mississippi Men for Drug and Firearm Trafficking

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Gulfport, Miss. – A federal grand jury in Gulfport, Mississippi returned indictments charging nine men—Alvonta Demarcus McCray, Melvin McCray, Cameron Fairley, Christopher Chase Brown, Cleon Johnson, Roderick Victor Minter, Tracy Antoine McCall, Nathaniel Jackson, and Jeremy Young—for their involvement in narcotics and firearm trafficking. These indictments are the result of a joint investigation among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”); Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”); Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics (“MBN”); U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and the Stone County Sheriff’s Department. During the investigation, law enforcement conducted more than 30 operations that resulted in the seizure of 3.98 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 4,000 fentanyl pills, 18 grams of powder fentanyl, and over 20 firearms. According to the indictments, Alvonta Demarcus McCray was charged in a six-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute-methamphetamine and fentanyl, and five counts of possession with intent to distribute; he is facing up to life in prison. Melvin McCray was charged in a five-count indictment charging him with trafficking firearms, and four counts of possession of a firearm by convicted felon; he is facing up 15 years in prison. Cameron Fairley and Christopher Chase Brown were charged in a joint indictment charging them with trafficking firearms. Fairley is also charged with two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Fairley is facing up to life in prison and Brown is facing up to 15 years in prison. Nathaniel Jackson is charged in a six-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and fentanyl analogue, he is facing up to 20 years in prison. Cleon Johnson is charged with possession of a short-barreled shotgun and is facing up to 10 years in prison. Roderick Victor Minter, and Tracy Antoine McCall are charged in a joint indictment charging them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Minter and McCall are facing up to life in prison. Jeremy Young is charged in a two-count indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and is facing up to 20 years in prison. 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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of ATF; Special Agent in Charge Eric P. DeLaune of HSI, Sean Tindell, Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety; and Todd Stewart, Sheriff of the Stone County Sheriff’s Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hunter McCreight is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: United States Attorney’s Office and Task Force Honored for Dismantling Violent Criminal Enterprise

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Washington-Baltimore HIDTA has recognized two Assistant United States Attorneys from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of West Virginia and members of the Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force for an investigation that dismantled a tri-state drug trafficking operation. Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard announced that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane received the Outstanding Community Impact Investigation award at the HIDTA ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland today for their work on a case which dismantled a violent criminal enterprise that was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. The investigation led to the indictment of 82 co-conspirators and the seizure of nine kilograms of fentanyl/heroin, large amounts of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, $250,000 in cash and other assets. “I express my heartfelt thanks to HIDTA for honoring these Assistant United States Attorneys and members of the task force who work tirelessly to remove fentanyl and these other agents of death from our community,” stated Acting United States Attorney Randolph J. Bernard. “The AUSAs and the task force members are on the front lines, days, nights, and weekends using their skills and the most advanced technology to serve the mission of eliminating these poisons and the organizations who distribute them from our country.” The Eastern Panhandle Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force is a HIDTA-funded initiative and consists of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the West Virginia State Police-Bureau of Criminal Investigations; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; the Martinsburg Police Department; the Ranson Police Department; and the Charles Town Police Department. Washington-Baltimore HIDTA (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) provides support and guidance to reduce drug trafficking and misuse by improving interagency collaboration, promoting accurate and timely information and intelligence sharing, and specialized training and other resources to law enforcement, intelligence, treatment, and prevention initiatives. To learn more, go to https://www.hidta.org . This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Arizona Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Methamphetamine Trafficking in Southwest Missouri

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: Springfield, Mo. – A Phoenix, Ariz. man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri. Joseph A. Gilbert, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 240 months in federal prison without parole. The Court also ordered Gilbert to forfeit to the government $616,756 which represents the proceeds of Gilbert’s drug trafficking. On Nov. 19, 2024, Gilbert pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Gilbert admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Barry, Stone, Polk, Lawrence, Green, Jasper, and Newton Counties from Nov. 1, 2020, to April 28, 2022. According to court documents, Gilbert served as a source of methamphetamine supply for the drug trafficking organization. During the conspiracy Gilbert distributed more than 220 pounds of methamphetamine from Arizona into southwest Missouri. On April 23, 2022, MSHP attempted a traffic stop of a red Chevrolet Captiva Gilbert was driving on eastbound Interstate 44. Gilbert fled from the scene and led law enforcement on high-speed pursuit on the interstate to southbound Missouri Hwy 43 near Seneca, Mo. During the pursuit, Gilbert failed to stop at red lights, overtook traffic at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour, and swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid a tire deflation device. Later that day, Gilbert was located in Ottawa County, Okla. in possession of methamphetamine and approximately 100 M-30 pills (containing fentanyl). Gilbert is among 18 defendants in this case who have pleaded guilty. Gilbert is the seventh defendant to be sentenced. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Stone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, COMET (the Combined Ozark Multi-Jurisdictional Enforcement Team), the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Polk County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Ottawa County, Ok., Sheriff’s Department, the Bolivar, Mo., Police Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the Kimberling City, Mo., Police Department, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: GULFPORT MAN SENTENCED FOR TWO ARMED ROBBERIES

body_text: Gulfport, MS – A Gulfport man was sentenced today to 87 months in prison for his role in the commission of two armed robberies. According to court documents, Ladarius Callahan, 26, participated in the commission of an armed robbery of a Dollar General store in Long Beach, Mississippi, on May 8, 2022, and a Texaco in Long Beach, Mississippi on November 6, 2022. Callahan and his co-defendants, Christopher Collins and Gabriel Johnson, were originally charged by Indictment on January 23, 2024. Callahan pleaded guilty to two counts of the Indictment on November 21, 2024. Collins previously pleaded guilty to one count of the Indictment related to the Texaco robbery and was sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Johnson has also pleaded guilty to a single count of the Indictment and is awaiting sentencing. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon and Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Long Beach and Gulfport Police Departments, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner prosecuted the case. 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 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crimes in West Virginia and Montana

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jardan Donaldson, 36, of Mount Clemens, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possessing with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine in West Virginia and to possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine in Montana. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 4, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence on the 1400 block of Quarrier Street in Charleston, West Virginia. Officers seized approximately 14.1 pounds of methamphetamine during the search. Donaldson admitted that he intended to assist in the distribution of the seized methamphetamine within the Southern District of West Virginia. Donaldson further admitted that he assisted in preparing methamphetamine for distribution at the residence the day before officers executed the search warrant. Donaldson also admitted that he intended to assist in the distribution of additional quantities of fentanyl and metonitazene, a synthetic opioid, seized by law enforcement officers as a result of this investigation. On July 24, 2024, a law enforcement officer in McCone County, Montana, conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Donaldson was a passenger. The officer encountered Donaldson laying across the rear floorboard of the vehicle on top of multiple bags of methamphetamine. The officer arrested Donaldson after determining he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued in the Southern District of West Virginia. The officer also obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and seized approximately 6.9 pounds of methamphetamine. As part of today’s guilty pleas, Donaldson admitted to possessing the seized methamphetamine and consented to the disposition of the Montana offense in the Southern District of West Virginia. Donaldson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. Co-defendant Justin Saunders, 28, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on February 12, 2025, to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Saunders admitted to selling approximately 896 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential source at the Quarrier Street residence in Charleston, where he lived, on February 3, 2024. Saunders is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2025. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Montana Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Samuel D. Marsh is prosecuting the case. Assistant United States Samuel D. Marsh is prosecuting the case in coordination with Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey A. Sabol of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-32 in the Southern District of West Virginia and 1:24-cr-153 in the District of Montana. ###


title: Former Cleveland City Council Member Sentenced to Prison

body_text: CLEVELAND – Basheer Jones, 40, of Cleveland, Ohio, has been sentenced to 28 months in prison by U.S. District Judge J. Philip Calabrese, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud by using his role as a public official for personal financial gain by seeking to defraud multiple community stakeholders out of more than $200,000. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $143,598.47 in restitution to local nonprofits. According to court documents, from about December 2018 to June 2021, the former Cleveland city councilman for Ward 7 persuaded several local nonprofits to enter into arrangements that benefitted Jones and his romantic partner and co-conspirator. Jones sought and obtained funds from the nonprofits under the guise of working on projects to redevelop Ward 7. Throughout the scheme, he took steps to ensure that his personal connection to his romantic partner, through whom he benefited from these arrangements, was not discovered. “Mr. Jones used his position to dishonestly line his pockets with tens of thousands of dollars,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Carol M. Skutnik for the Northern District of Ohio. “He betrayed the city of Cleveland and its citizens, who elected him to serve as a leader in our community. With his deceptive actions, he also violated federal laws. Anyone who thinks they can use a public office to defraud nonprofits and obtain bribes will face consequences and pay the price for those decisions, and my office will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” The defendant’s schemes worked by convincing nonprofits to make payments toward projects they believed were for Ward 7 revitalization projects, including to buy real estate from purported third parties. Instead, the money went into bank accounts that his romantic partner controlled. Jones then instructed her to divert those funds to herself, to himself, and to others he chose. Jones also convinced a nonprofit to make payments to an entity controlled by his co-conspiring partner, all while knowing that the funds would flow back to himself. Jones recommended that the nonprofit should hire a consultant for community outreach. Unbeknownst to the nonprofit, the consultant was actually Jones’s romantic partner. She submitted invoices to the unsuspecting nonprofit and was subsequently paid through her consulting business. Jones later defrauded the same nonprofit out of an additional $50,000, again through his partner’s consulting business. Jones claimed that he needed $50,000 to plan a community event, which included buying backpacks for schoolchildren, and falsely promised that the city would reimburse the organization. Instead, after the funds were paid, no event was held, and Jones again directed his romantic partner to divide the money amongst herself, Jones, and others Jones chose. “Public corruption at any level of government will not be tolerated. Jones abused his position of trust for personal gain while scheming against the people he was elected to serve, including non-profit entities and well-meaning leaders,” said FBI Cleveland Acting Special Agent in Charge Charles Johnston. “Elected officials who demonstrate a reckless disregard for violating the oath they swore to uphold is detestable. Today’s sentence underscores the FBIs commitment to ensuring that those who engage in fraud and corruption will be investigated and held accountable. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to root out corruption and ensure elected officials are serving with honesty, fairness, and integrity.” Some of the projects Jones pushed included seeking community funding to rehabilitate certain distressed properties while concealing his financial interest in them. In one instance, Jones devised a bribery scheme under which he arranged for co-conspirators, including his romantic partner, to acquire a dilapidated property on Superior Road, and used his position as councilperson to pass ordinances allocating city funds to buy that property from them. Jones arranged for a co-conspirator to buy the property a minimal cost. After asking a nonprofit to purchase and rehabilitate the property, and promising city funding, Jones sponsored an emergency ordinance to fund the nonprofit’s purchase and renovation of the property. When Jones was unable to convince the nonprofit to proceed, he arranged to transfer the property to his romantic partner’s consulting business, with the understanding that she would share the proceeds of the sale with him. After sponsoring another ordinance to reauthorize city funding for the same project, Jones sought to finalize the nonprofit’s purchase of the property from his partner’s entity for $80,000. Ultimately that scheme failed when the nonprofit decided not to proceed with the purchase. However, Jones and his romantic partner did succeed in obtaining funds for the sale of a different property to another nonprofit. He misled them to believe that he was assisting with the acquisition of the property from the original owner. Instead, he was simultaneously arranging for his partner to acquire the property from the original owner in the name of another business entity, and then immediately to resell it to the nonprofit. Jones and his romantic partner arranged to purchase the property for only $1, promising to pay a $40,500 city demolition bill. But without paying that bill or disclosing it, Jones’s romantic partner immediately re-sold the property to the nonprofit for $45,000. “Basheer Jones abused his position of trust by deliberately engaging in fraudulent schemes to divert HUD money – funds meant to improve the community— for his own personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). "HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement to investigate and hold accountable bad actors who exploit HUD-funded programs for their own benefit.” “As an elected official, the crimes Basheer Jones committed are particularly flagrant. He not only stole from nonprofits that serve the local community, he stole from the people of Ward 7, the same citizens that had voted for him to advocate for their best interests on the Cleveland City Council,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd, Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI is committed to holding those accountable who betray the public trust and use municipalities as their personal piggy bank. Status as an elected official does not make you immune from federal prosecution.” This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS – Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Barnhill and Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio. To report fraud, visit justice.gov/action-center/report-crime-or-submit-complaint .


title: St. Louis Man Admits Armed Robbery of Store

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon from St. Louis on Tuesday admitted robbing a store with a shotgun in 2023. Divontay Scott, 34, pleaded guilty to three felony counts: robbery, possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Scott admitted entering the Family Dollar store on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis on Oct. 17, 2023, armed with a shotgun. Scott ordered an employee to open the cash register and stole about $114. Although Scott’s face was partially covered, witnesses recognized him as a regular customer. He was also caught on video during a visit to the store earlier that day. A witness spotted him that evening at a nearby business and called police. Scott had texted his paramour his plans to rob the store, as well as a picture of the money that he took, his plea agreement says. Scott is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8. Both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Scott’s lawyer have agreed to recommend a sentence of 11 years in prison. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun Charges After Absconding

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Nathan Nickless, 40, from Dakota City, Iowa, pled guilty on April 1, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Nickless was convicted of two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and one count of failure to appear. Nickless had multiple prior felony convictions which prohibit a person from possessing a firearm, including a prior 2008 drug felony for possession of marijuana with the intent to deliver. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that on August 12, 2023, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, law enforcement attempted a traffic stop on a truck Nickless was driving. Nickless ignored and attempted to evade law enforcement onto a river road. After ramming his truck into a non-law enforcement vehicle, Nickless stopped his truck and fled on foot but was apprehended while trying to climb a river embankment. During the flight, Nickless was in possession of a backpack. In the backpack, law enforcement found a loaded 9mm pistol, multiple bags of narcotics including approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, pills, THC gummies, ammunition in sanitizing wipes, a scale, and multiple small baggies. Nickless was federally charged but was allowed to remain released pending his July 8, 2024, federal trial. Nickless failed to appear as required for trial and absconded from law enforcement over the next several months. On September 28, 2024, in Humboldt County, Iowa, law enforcement became aware Nickless was in the area. Law enforcement located Nickless and attempted to stop the vehicle he was driving. He refused to stop and began a vehicle pursuit with law enforcement where he again abandoned the vehicle he was driving in a field by a river. Law enforcement lost sight of Nickless when he went on foot along the river. The abandoned vehicle was seized, and a search warrant was granted. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found methamphetamine, multiple baggies of marijuana, pills, a scale, empty baggies for distribution, a methamphetamine pipe, and a marijuana pipe. On October 2, 2024, Nickless was found hiding inside a residence in Humboldt County and was arrested. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Nickless remains in custody of the United States Marshals Service and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Nickless faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $20,000,000 fine, and at least ten years of supervised release following imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick T. Greenwood, and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Dodge Police Department, Iowa DCI Laboratory, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the U.S. Marshals Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-3040. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, alongside our federal, state, and tribal law enforcement partners, has for decades been fiercely committed to responding to violent crime in Indian country,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “These additional resources will aid in our effort to hold offenders accountable and achieve justice on behalf of victims.” Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.


title: Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Meth Convictions

body_text: A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced on March 28, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Blake Putnam, 39, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty on December 3, 2024, to one count of conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from January 2021 through March 2024, Putnam and others conspired to distribute 4500 grams (nearly 10 pounds) of methamphetamine in the Sioux City area. On February 5, 2024, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle Putnam was driving. Putnam attempted to elude law enforcement at high speeds and was apprehended when his vehicle blew a tire and stopped after hitting a curb. During the eluding attempt, Putnam was observed by a concerned citizen throwing packages out of his vehicle attempting to discard drug evidence. In the area identified, agents located and seized nearly one pound of methamphetamine in two packages. Agents also seized an eight-ball of methamphetamine, and 50 Adderall pills from defendant’s person. On March 5, 2024, after obtaining a search warrant, law enforcement seized approximately one pound of meth in one bag and about one ounce of meth in another bag from a backpack in a rental storage unit leased by Putnam in Sioux City, Iowa. Putnam brought this backpack to the storage unit on or about March 5, 2024, as evidenced by video recordings at the storage unit business. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Putnam was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following the imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Putnam remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office, with assistance of Iowa State Patrol. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-4009. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Members of Hampton Roads drug trafficking organization sentenced to prison

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – The final member of a Hampton Roads drug trafficking conspiracy was sentenced today to 35 years in prison. According to court documents, Donte Demille Hampton, aka Messiah, 38, of Suffolk, is a member of the violent Gangster Disciples gang and was the leader of a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for selling large-scale amounts of methamphetamine and marijuana in the Hampton Roads area. Hampton, Mandi Marie Green, 42, of Norfolk, and Antonio Romya Beale, 49, of Norfolk, received, stored, packaged, and distributed meth and marijuana as well as firearms at a residence in Norfolk. On June 10, 2021, investigators searched the residence and recovered 514 grams of meth, 16.7 pounds of marijuana, THC edibles, four firearms, $5,553 in drug trafficking proceeds, a digital scale, and packaging materials to prepare the drugs for distribution. Other members of the DTO include Joseph Grullon, 34, of Norfolk; Benjamin Adam Hogan, 42, of Norfolk; Kenneth Eric Mack, 47, of Chesapeake; William Blake Stennett, 38, of Virginia Beach; Robert Donald Tippit II, 29, of Chesapeake; and Dashawn Fonail Walker, 34, of Norfolk. Hampton enforced his territory by ordering organization members to ruthlessly assault his enemies as well as his own employees who stole narcotics from him. Hampton’s employees video recorded themselves violently pistol whipping and beating an employee because he failed to pay for two ounces of meth. On Oct. 27, 2021, Beale pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and was sentenced on March 31, 2022, to 30 years in prison. On Nov. 16, 2021, Green pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced on May 26, 2022, to 25 years in prison. On April 22, 2022, Walker pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced on Sept. 1, 2022, to 24 years and seven months in prison. On June 28, 2022, Mack pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2022, to eight years and five months in prison. On Aug. 17, 2022, Stennett pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on Dec. 13, 2022, to nine years and seven months in prison. On Aug. 12, 2022, Tippit pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on Dec. 6, 2022, to eight years and 10 months in prison. On Nov. 9, 2022, Grullon pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on April 26, 2023, to 11 years and nine months in prison. On June 15, 2022, Hogan pled guilty to interference with commerce by means of robbery and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and was sentenced on July 20, 2023, to 12 years and six months in prison. On Oct. 17, 2024, Hampton pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams of more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced today to 35 years in prison. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Patrick O'Brien, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Christopher Heck, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Ramin Fatehi, Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham M. Stolle, an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney with the Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph E. DePadilla and Luke Bresnahan, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney William B. Jackson prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF. 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. 2:21-cr-115. This release was revised on April 2, 2025, to update the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Norfolk Field Office.


component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: Operation Not Forgotten Will Surge 60 FBI Personnel to 10 FBI Field Offices to Support Investigations of Indian Country Violent Crimes OKLAHOMA CITY – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s announcement provides necessary additional resources to seek justice for victims of violent crime and families of missing loved ones in Indian Country,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Whether it’s a family mourning a murder victim, or a community searching for a missing friend or neighbor, there have been countless lives touched by violent crime in Indian Country. FBI Oklahoma City is proud to continue our collaboration with our Tribal law enforcement partners, BIA, OSBI, OHP, Tulsa PD, and other state and local agencies, in addition to the US Attorney’s Offices to investigate Indian country matters, and to find sustainable solutions that will improve public safety for our tribal communities.” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.


title: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Appoints Gregory W. Kehoe As Interim United States Attorney

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – Attorney General Pamela Bondi has appointed Gregory W. Kehoe as Interim United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 546, which provides that “the Attorney General may appoint a United States Attorney for the district in which the office of United States Attorney is vacant.” This appointment took effect on March 31, 2025. Mr. Kehoe worked for the U.S. Department of Justice as a prosecutor for over 20 years with postings in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America. While serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he was responsible for prosecuting a number of high-profile cases involving financial institutions and corporate fraud allegations, as well as racketeering charges. Mr. Kehoe also led the team of lawyers and investigators which advised the Iraqi Special Tribunal, an ad hoc court formed to prosecute Saddam Hussein and members of his former regime. Most recently, Mr. Kehoe was a shareholder at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. Mr. Kehoe received his bachelor’s degree from Boston College, summa cum laude, and his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University.


title: Three arrested after 182-kilogram cocaine seizure

body_text: BROWNSVILLE, Texas – Three people have been charged after authorities seized a large amount of cocaine over the weekend destined for the Houston area and northern states, announced U.S. Attorney Nicolas J. Ganjei. Pablo Luis Fuentes-Rivas, 40, Baytown, Efren Pinales-Hernandez, 51, Weslaco, and Daniel Teniente-Marfileno, 39, an illegal alien residing in Houston, made their appearances in Houston and will be transferred to Brownsville for further criminal proceedings. The charges allege that on the early morning hours of March 29, law enforcement observed the three men at a truck lot in Baytown offloading a large amount of narcotics from a semi-tractor trailer onto a vehicle. As Teniente-Marfileno drove off with the cocaine bundles, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and seized the cocaine, according to the charges. Authorities then immediately arrested Fuentes-Rivas and Pinales-Hernandez as they attempted to leave the truck lot. The seized narcotics had total weight of 182.25 kilograms and an estimated street value of nearly $2.3 million. All are charged in a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and conspiracy to do so. If convicted, each face up to life in prison as well as a possible $10 million fine. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage . The Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety, Houston Police Department, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, and the Baytown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: U.S. Justice Department to Surge Resources to Indian County to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

body_text: BILLINGS — The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. The FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Oreg.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “We are very pleased that the FBI is dispatching additional resources to the Salt Lake City Division, which covers Montana, to assist our ongoing efforts to find missing indigenous persons and hold violent offenders accountable. I want to thank the agents already working on these cases in Montana from both the FBI and the BIA’s Missing and Murdered Unit. Together with the Tribal Community Response Plans facilitated by DOJ for each Montana reservation community and DOJ’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, this deployment will help address this critical problem. Missing and murdered indigenous people will not be forgotten.” said U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme. Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.


title: Standoff with pipe bomb and firearm lands felon in prison

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing unregistered pipe bombs, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for 90 minutes following a three-day trial before finding Robert Spencer guilty Nov. 6, 2024. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Spencer to serve a total 180-month-term of imprisonment to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about the firearm Spencer possessed, being the firearm used in a murder that occurred earlier the same day. On Aug. 3, 2022, authorities were investigating a call about shots fired in the area of Nueces and Van Loan Avenue in Corpus Christi. At the sight of law enforcement, Spencer fled into his nearby home, sparking an hour-long standoff. He appeared to be armed. During that time, Spencer yelled at law enforcement to leave the area. Authorities also heard two gunshots. Ultimately, they arrested him after he exited his home, but he did not have a firearm. Authorities obtained a search warrant for Spencer’s residence and discovered a rifle just outside the home as well as six pipe bombs, three firearms and boxes of ammunition in the attic. He admitted he personally assembled the pipe bombs. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law. Testing confirmed the pipe bombs were destructive devices as the law defines. The pipe bombs were not properly registered to Spencer in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The defense tried to convince the jury he didn’t know of the firearms in his attic, and that the pipe bombs were not effective enough to be considered explosive devices. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged. “The standoff in this case was fortunately resolved peacefully. Nevertheless, this defendant needlessly created a dangerous situation for himself, the police, and the community at large,” said Ganjei. “I would like to thank the jury for their attention and service in this case.” He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. The Corpus Christi Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Overman and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.


title: Justice Department to Surge Resources to Indian Country to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Justice Department today announced that it will surge FBI assets across the country to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country, including crimes relating to missing and murdered indigenous persons. FBI will send 60 personnel, rotating in 90-day temporary duty assignments over a six-month period. This operation is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland, Ore.; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. The FBI will work in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Tribal law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and they will use the latest forensic evidence processing tools to solve cases and hold perpetrators accountable. U.S. Attorney’s Offices will aggressively prosecute case referrals. “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Violent crime has no borders and the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Utah remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to seek justice in Indian Country cases and protecting public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Felice John Viti of the District of Utah. Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.


title: Arizona to Receive Additional Resources from Justice Department to Investigate Unresolved Violent Crimes

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-046_Operation Not Forgotten

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Justice Department today announced that it will boost FBI assets across the country over the next six months to address unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country through Operation Not Forgotten. The FBI will send a total of 60 personnel, rotating in temporary duty assignments over a six-month period to select FBI field offices across the United States, including Arizona. Operation Not Forgotten is the longest and most intense national deployment of FBI resources to address Indian Country crime to date. The detailed FBI personnel will support field offices in Albuquerque; Denver; Detroit; Jackson, Miss.; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Phoenix; Portland; Seattle; and Salt Lake City. FBI Phoenix will receive 11 agents on a rotating basis over the next six months, who will be spread across offices in Arizona. FBI personnel will be assisted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, and will work in partnership with Tribal law enforcement agencies across the country. “Protection of the public is one of the key responsibilities of the Department of Justice. Here in Arizona, the United States Attorney’s Office and the FBI have a special trust relationship with the 22 federally recognized tribes in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Operation Not Forgotten reflects the continued commitment of the federal government to pursue justice for crime victims in all Native American communities.” “Our FBI personnel and Safe Trails Task Forces work closely every single day with our law enforcement partners to investigate crimes of violence throughout the many tribal territories in Arizona,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez. “We are responsible for investigating the most serious crimes in Indian Country and this initiative will provide much needed additional resources to help us better serve those same communities by assisting victims and bringing criminals to justice.” “Crime rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities are unacceptably high. By surging FBI resources and collaborating closely with US Attorneys and Tribal law enforcement to prosecute cases, the Department of Justice will help deliver the accountability that these communities deserve,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “The FBI will manhunt violent criminals on all lands – and Operation Not Forgotten ensures a surge in resources to locate violent offenders on tribal lands and find those who have gone missing,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. Indian Country faces persistent levels of crime and victimization. At the beginning of Fiscal Year 2025, FBI’s Indian Country program had approximately 4,300 open investigations, including over 900 death investigations, 1,000 child abuse investigations, and more than 500 domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations. Operation Not Forgotten renews efforts begun during President Trump’s first term under E.O. 13898, Establishing the Task Force on Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. This is the third deployment under Operation Not Forgotten, which has provided investigative support to over 500 cases in the past two years. Combined, these operations resulted in the recovery of 10 child victims, 52 arrests, and 25 indictments or judicial complaints. Operation Not Forgotten also expands upon the resources deployed in recent years to address cases of missing and murdered indigenous people. The effort will be supported by the Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which places attorneys and coordinators in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the United States to help prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered indigenous people. RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-046_Operation Not Forgotten # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Repeat sex offender sentenced for failing to register as a sex offender in Alaska

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to three and a half years in prison and will serve 10 years on supervised release for failing to register as a sex offender in Alaska after moving to the state in 2021. According to court documents, in 1995, Norman Otto, 61, was convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old and sentenced by a court in Nebraska to three years in prison. He was released from custody on May 15, 1997. Just over a year after his release, Otto sexually abused another 13-year-old. He was sentenced to 15-20 years in prison and was released in August 2008. In 2020, Nebraska law enforcement began investigating Otto again after receiving information that Otto began abusing yet another minor victim shortly after his 2008 release. In April 2021, however, Otto disappeared from Nebraska and his whereabouts were unknown. Law enforcement discovered Otto was residing in Alaska and he was arrested in January 2024. During the three years he absconded, Otto never registered as a sex offender in Alaska or any other state. Otto never disclosed his prior child sexual abuse convictions to the owner of a hostel where Otto lived. Otto spent time with young teenagers, including the hostel owner’s minor child, claiming he was a math tutor. On May 23, 2024, Otto pleaded guilty to one count of failing to register as a sex offender. In handing down the sentence, the Court commented that, “people in communities need to be aware of the predators among us,” and that this sentence should deter other sex offenders from evading their registration requirements. Upon his release from custody, Otto must comply with court-ordered conditions of supervised release aimed at preventing his unsupervised contact with children. “Mr. Otto is a recidivist sex offender who preyed on innocent victims for many, many years by using deceit and grooming behavior to get close to children,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman of the District of Alaska. “This is a significant sentence under the statute for the crime at hand, and I want to thank the investigators and prosecutors who brought this case to justice. Although child predators might think the Last Frontier is a place to vanish, they are wrong. Law enforcement will find them, and we will prosecute.” “The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to enforce the requirements of the Sex Offender Registry as one of our primary tools to help ensure the safety of our community from sex offenders in Alaska. We are committed to enhancing the protection of the public from sex offenders, abductors, and sexual predators,” said U.S. Marshal Rob Heun. The Sex Offender Task Force, comprised of the U.S. Marshals Service, Anchorage Police Department and Department of Public Safety-Sex Offender Registry investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Illegal alien with 7 DWIs sent to federal prison after reentering the United States

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 44-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States after a previous removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Arturo Cruz-Badillo pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2024. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Cruz-Badillo to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his previous driving while intoxicated (DWI) convictions and how they are very dangerous for communities and the citizens that live there. Cruz-Badillo has seven prior DWI convictions in addition to a conviction for battery. He removed from the country three times between 2012 and 2023. However, on Aug. 22, 2024, law enforcement at the Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint near Sarita discovered Cruz-Badillo again in the country along with 10 other illegal aliens being smuggled in a commercial cargo trailer. Cruz-Badillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Thorpe is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations 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 .