title: Six Alleged “Unknown Vice Lord Gang” Members Indicted for Attempted Murder in aid of Racketeering and Firearm Charges

body_text: A nine-count indictment was unsealed in the Western District of Tennessee charging six alleged members of a criminal street gang known as Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) – Ghost Mob with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and firearms violations. “As alleged, these individuals showed a blatant disregard for public safety, engaging in a retaliatory gang shooting in a residential neighborhood,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gang violence inflicts profound harm on our communities, fostering fear, destabilizing neighborhoods, and damaging the quality of life for law-abiding residents. The arrest of these violent gang members underscores the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting public safety and the rule of law. We will continue to dismantle these criminal organizations and protect the safety and security of our citizens.” “The premeditated and horrendous acts of violence that these gang members committed demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “The men and women of the ATF, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, remain committed to combatting violent crime and swiftly bringing these individuals to justice before they commit other senseless acts of violence.” According to court documents, the UVL Ghost Mob is a violent, criminal street gang that operates throughout the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere. The UVL Ghost Mob is a subset of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation, which originated in Chicago and eventually spread to other parts of the United States, including Tennessee. Court documents allege that on Sept. 6, 2020, after rival gang members opened fire on UVL Ghost Mob members and their families, injuring four people, UVL Ghost Mob leaders ordered a retaliatory attack. Shortly after midnight on Sept. 7, 2020, the defendants travelled to the residence of the rival gang members, armed with assault style rifles and wearing masks and gloves. The defendants intentionally shot approximately 40-50 bullets into the residence while the rival gang members were inside. Neighborhood security cameras captured the shooting. In the video, the defendants are depicted using, carrying, and firing multiple firearms into the residence. The following defendants were charged for their role in the offense: Antwon Brown, also known as Yayo, 32 of Memphis, Tennessee; Cordera Douglas, also known as Chuckie Dee, 36 of Memphis, Tennessee; Willie Merriweather, 41 of Antioch, Tennessee; Tevin Richardson, also known as Santana, 34 of Memphis, Tennessee; Ricky Rogers, Jr., also known as Double R, RR, 32 of Memphis, Tennessee; and Laraveus Williams, also known as Ray Ray, 32 of Memphis, Tennessee; Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. Conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. The charge of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence carries a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years consecutive to any other sentence. If convicted, a federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF and Memphis Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Dennis Robinson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee, and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: West Sacramento Men Indicted for Firearm and Drug Offenses

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: A federal grand jury returned a 13-count indictment today against James Kenney, 45, and Kevin Leacy, 31, of West Sacramento, charging them with various drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. In addition, Leacy is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2025, Leacy knowingly possessed a .40-caliber Glock 23, a .40-caliber Sig SP 2340, and a .380 Ruger LCP. Because Leacy was previously convicted of second-degree robbery with use of a firearm in 2013, he is prohibited from possessing firearms. According to court documents, in May 2025, law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization located in West Sacramento. Over the course of the investigation, Kenney and Leacy were found to have sold fentanyl powder and methamphetamine. On Aug. 28, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the motel where Kenney and Leacy were residing and discovered additional quantities of drugs including fentanyl powder, cocaine, and methamphetamine. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the West Sacramento Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Harman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew DeMoura are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Kenney faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. If convicted, Leacy faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). This case is also 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 U.S. Department of Justice 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.


component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: WASHINGTON — A nine-count indictment was unsealed in the Western District of Tennessee charging six alleged members of a criminal street gang known as Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) – Ghost Mob with conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and firearms violations. “As alleged, these individuals showed a blatant disregard for public safety, engaging in a retaliatory gang shooting in a residential neighborhood,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gang violence inflicts profound harm on our communities, fostering fear, destabilizing neighborhoods, and damaging the quality of life for law-abiding residents. The arrest of these violent gang members underscores the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting public safety and the rule of law. We will continue to dismantle these criminal organizations and protect the safety and security of our citizens.” “The premeditated and horrendous acts of violence that these gang members committed demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “The men and women of the ATF, along with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, remain committed to combatting violent crime and swiftly bringing these individuals to justice before they commit other senseless acts of violence.” According to court documents, the UVL Ghost Mob is a violent, criminal street gang that operates throughout the Western District of Tennessee and elsewhere. The UVL Ghost Mob is a subset of the Almighty Vice Lord Nation, which originated in Chicago, and eventually spread to other parts of the United States, including Tennessee. Court documents allege that on Sept. 6, 2020, after rival gang members opened fire on UVL Ghost Mob members and their families, injuring four people, UVL Ghost Mob leaders ordered a retaliatory attack. Shortly after midnight on Sept. 7, 2020, the defendants travelled to the residence of the rival gang members, armed with assault style rifles and wearing masks and gloves. The defendants intentionally shot approximately 40-50 bullets into the residence while the rival gang members were inside. Neighborhood security cameras captured the shooting. In the video, the defendants are depicted using, carrying, and firing multiple firearms into the residence. The following defendants were charged for their role in the offense: Antwon Brown, also known as Yayo, 32 of Memphis, Tennessee; Cordera Douglas, also known as Chuckie Dee, 36 of Memphis, Tennessee; Willie Merriweather, 41 of Antioch, Tennessee; Tevin Richardson, also known as Santana, 34 of Memphis, Tennessee; Ricky Rogers, Jr., also known as Double R, RR, 32 of Memphis, Tennessee; and Laraveus Williams, also known as Ray Ray, 32 of Memphis, Tennessee. Assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment. Conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder in aid of racketeering carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. The charge of discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence carries a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years consecutive to any other sentence. If convicted, a federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The ATF and Memphis Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Dennis Robinson of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee, and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### CRM 25-941 If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.


title: Former police officer sentenced to 15 years for having sexual relations with minor female

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old resident of Corpus Christi has been sentenced for enticing a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Daniel Verduzco pleaded guilty May 23. U.S. District Judge David Morales has now sentenced Verduzco to 180 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that Verduzco had met the victim while on duty as a police officer. The court considered Verduzco’s position and his pursuit of the minor female while on duty when determining his sentence. Verduzco will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Verduzco will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be considered at a later date. On Jan. 8, authorities discovered Verduzco was having a relationship with a 15-year-old minor female dating back to May 2024. The two had exchanged more than 3,700 messages which included sexually suggestive images and detailed different times they had engaged in sexual relations and intentions for future sexual acts. The conversations further revealed Verduzco and the minor victim had met in person on multiple occasions. Previously released on bond, Verduzco was taken into custody following the sentencing today where he will remain pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Corpus Christi Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Overman is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Convicted felon who assaulted officer sent to federal prison for illegally reentering U.S.

body_text: HOUSTON - A 34-year-old Honduran national has been sentenced for unlawfully returning to the country after a prior removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jose Leon Cruz-Lanza pleaded guilty April 7. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Cruz-Lanza to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. “The defendant in this case took a bad situation and made it much, much worse,” said Ganjei. “You don’t come to this country illegally, and you don’t assault law enforcement. And you certainly don’t do both of these at the same time. Hopefully this sentence serves as a lesson to other would-be lawbreakers.” Cruz-Lanza was first removed from the United States in 2017, but later illegally returned. He was convicted of illegal reentry and removed again. In May 2022, authorities found him in the United States again, this time in The Woodlands, after he had assaulted two members of law enforcement – a local police officer and a deputy constable. He will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant. U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Weinhold and Amanda Alum prosecuted the case.


title: Former Washington state employee sentenced to prison for embezzling nearly $900,000

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A 48-year-old Olympia resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 18 months in prison for wire fraud in connection with his scheme to steal nearly $900,000 from his former employer – the State of Washington – announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Matthew Randall Ping pleaded guilty in June 2025 to wire fraud and making and subscribing a false tax return. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, “Your crime was very serious but was driven by severe addiction…. Gambling addiction can destroy the life of someone who is otherwise an upstanding citizen.” “This theft was not just the largest insider embezzlement from Washington State in the last 15 years, it also undermines trust in our state financial safeguards,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “Mr. Ping not only cheated state taxpayers, he cheated on his federal taxes as well by failing to pay the income taxes he owed on ill-gotten gain.” According to records filed in the case, Ping began working for the Washington State Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) in 2009. By 2017 he had been promoted to the role of Management Analyst and served as the department’s credit card custodian. Between 2019 and 2023, Ping used a sophisticated scheme to abuse his credit card access so he could embezzle at least $878,115 from the state agency. The plea agreement, charging information, and sentencing memo detail how Ping hid the fraud from his employer. Ping opened accounts with payment processors and gave the accounts display names that indicated the accounts were associated with legitimate OAH business vendors. Between 2019 and 2021, Ping secretly charged more than $330,000 to OAH credit cards as purported payments to these vendors. In fact, the money went to accounts Ping controlled. In 2021, Ping set up an account via a different payment processor and continued the fraud, stealing approximately $530,000 in additional funds from OAH. Ping also used OAH credit cards to buy $17,359 in personal items from Verizon and Walmart. Ping also circumvented state procedures designed to detect credit card fraud. For example, OAH required that Ping’s co-workers review and approve Ping’s credit card transactions, but Ping would provide false or incomplete lists of transactions during that review process. After the review, Ping would add in his fraudulent charges and upload and approve payment himself without the required oversight on his fraudulent transactions. He also took steps to manipulate the accounting data to make it more difficult to determine that he had violated protocol by uploading, reviewing, and approving his own transactions In all Ping secretly executed 210 transactions with the phony vendors he created for a total loss to the state of $860,756. The improper charges on his state issued credit card total $17,359, bringing the total loss to the State of Washington to $878,115. In asking for a 33-month prison sentence, Assistant United Staes Attorney Dane Westermeyer noted that much of the money Ping stole was gambled away at casinos. “He used this stolen taxpayer money to fuel his gambling habit, fund at least six trips to Las Vegas, pay off a luxury vehicle loan, and otherwise support his lifestyle. And, perhaps not surprisingly, he failed to report any of the income from his theft on his federal tax returns, which resulted in a tax loss of nearly $250,000,” Westermeyer wrote in his sentencing memo. Speaking to the court Matthew Ping said he tried to get help for his gambling addiction, but that resources for that addiction are very limited. Ping will be on three years of supervised release following his prison term. Judge Cartwright urged him to be active advocating for services and regulations that would benefit those struggling with a gambling addiction. The embezzlement was first discovered by the Washington State Auditor’s Office. Ping resigned his position in 2023 when the theft was discovered. For tax years 2020-2023, the resulting tax loss totals $240,247. Ping has agreed to pay full restitution to the state, to its insurer, and to the IRS for his tax obligation -- a total of $1,118,362. The FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) worked with the Auditors Office on the criminal investigation. The case is being Prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dane A. Westermeyer.


title: SDSU Men’s Basketball Team to Host Fentanyl Awareness/Three-on-Three Basketball Tournament with U.S. Attorney’s Office and City Attorney’s Office

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Attorney’s Office, San Diego City Attorney’s Office and the non-profit MESA (Mentoring and Empowering Student Athletes) Foundation will host a three-on-three basketball tournament featuring San Diego State University Men’s Basketball student athletes as referees and members of the SDSU Greek System as participants to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. Media is invited to cover the tournament, to be held on September 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Aztec Recreation Center on the SDSU campus (5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182) will highlight the urgent threat fentanyl poses to the community, particularly to college students and young adults. The tournament will feature educational booths with information on fentanyl awareness, prevention and resources on how to obtain free naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. Naloxone is an opioid overdose reversal medication, available either as a nasal spray or an injector. In California, naloxone can be purchased from a pharmacist without a prescription. It is also possible to get naloxone from community-based distribution programs, local public health groups, or local health departments at no cost. For more information about naloxone and how to get training on using it, visit: Naloxone Information . This is the third time that the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the City Attorney’s Office have teamed up to feature SDSU student athletes in partnership with an SDSU NIL organization. In 2024, the SDSU Women’s Soccer Team participated in a social media campaign to spread fentanyl awareness, and in 2023 the SDSU men’s basketball team participated in the first-ever social media campaign between law enforcement and collegiate athletics to promote fentanyl prevention. “This tournament is about more than basketball – it’s about educating young people on the dangers of fentanyl and how to respond in the case of an overdose,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We are proud to partner with SDSU, the City Attorney’s Office, and the MESA Foundation to reach students with these terrific SDSU basketball ambassadors”. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have attacked the fentanyl crisis through aggressive prosecutions at every level of the supply chain – from cartel leadership to cross-border trafficking organizations, to money launderers, to street level dealers who are selling drugs that result in overdose deaths. “Fentanyl has taken too many lives, and prevention starts with awareness,” said San Diego City Attorney Heather Ferbert. “By partnering with SDSU, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the MESA Foundation, we’re reaching students directly with life-saving information and resources. Our goal is to empower young people to make safe choices and help keep our campuses and communities healthy.” MESA is the official partner of San Diego State Athletics dedicated to the advancement of Aztec Basketball and community outreach. Through this partnership, MESA connects Aztec basketball student-athletes with community-based organizations, charitable initiatives, and local businesses across San Diego. More information about the MESA Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, can be found here https://www.mesa-aztecs.org/ For further information, please contact Logan Manning, Law Enforcement Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (619) 546-7344, or Special Assistant U.S. Attorney/Deputy City Attorney Mark Robertson at (619) 533-5500. Press officials are permitted to film the participants in the tournament only. Press please RSVP to logan.manning@usdoj.gov


title: Federal Investigation Of Orlando Smoke Shop Charges Five Men With Drug Trafficking And Firearm Offenses

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida– United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging five individuals with drug trafficking and firearms offenses stemming from an investigation into Smoke Break Productions, an Orlando Smoke Shop, that operated as a drug and gun marketplace. The indictment alleges the following federal charges: Charge Offense Dates Defendants Maximum Penalties Drug Trafficking Conspiracy 11/14/24–07/23/25 Angel Luis Carrasquillo (42, Orlando) Rogelio Vidal, Jr. (30, Orlando) Andrew Abbott (35, Brooksville) 20 years (each) Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon 01/16/25 Angel Luis Carrasquillo 15 years Drug Trafficking 04/07/25 Angel Luis Carrasquillo Rogelio Vidal, Jr. 20 years (each) Using or Carrying a firearm in a Drug Trafficking Crime 04/07/25 Angel Luis Carrasquillo 5 years to life Drug Trafficking 06/06/25 Angel Luis Carrasquillo Andrew Abbott 20 years (each) Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon 02/26/25–03/07/25 Jahmil Lally (29, Orlando) 15 years Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon 11/21/24–08/01/25 Christopher Alonnzo (23, Orlando) 15 years According to court documents, Carrasquillo operated Smoke Break Productions, an Orlando area Smoke Shop that functioned as a drug and gun marketplace. At Smoke Break, Carrasquillo and his co-defendants distributed narcotics and firearms to various individuals. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman. 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 Project Safe Neighborhoods.


title: Mexican National Sentenced To 30 Months In Prison For Illegal Reentry By Deported Alien

body_text: Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell has sentenced Pedro Lucas-Cruz (31, Mexico) to 30 months in federal prison for illegal reentry by a deported alien. Lucas-Cruz pled guilty to the offense on June 30, 2025. According to court documents, Lucas-Cruz had been previously convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill and felony battery on or about February 12, 2015. He was previously deported and removed from the United States on September 21, 2017, and reentered thereafter. Lucas-Cruz was convicted of illegal reentry by a deported alien on March 11, 2021, and was again deported and removed from the United States on February 4, 2022. Sometime thereafter, Lucas-Cruz again illegally reentered the United States and was found in the Middle District of Florida on January 6, 2025. This case was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan.


title: Ecuadorian Drug Smuggler Caught On The High Seas With 1,092 Kilograms Of Cocaine Sentenced To 108 Months In Prison

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Tanyl Damian Anchundia-Rezebala, an Ecuadorian national, to 108 months’ imprisonment for smuggling 1,092 kilograms of cocaine in the Pacific Ocean following his prior guilty plea on the charges. Court documents show that on September 24, 2024, while on routine patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO located a drug smuggling vessel operating in international waters, approximately 160 nautical miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. The vessel displayed no indicia of nationality, was operating northbound at a high rate of speed in a known drug trafficking area and had visible suspect packages on deck. The USCG helicopter fired warning shots which were ineffective in stopping the vessel. The helicopter then used disabling fire and shot out the engines to stop the smuggling boat. The MUNRO helicopter then observed, and recorded a video, of the drugs smugglers jettisoning packages in the ocean while the boat was disabled. USCG personnel boarded the vessel from a Zodiac-style boat launched from the Cutter. USCG personnel recovered 24 bales from the water surrounding the vessel, which yielded an at-sea weight of approximately 1,092 kilograms of cocaine. Anchundia-Rezebala and four other smugglers were taken into custody from the vessel and transferred to USCG Cutter MUNRO with the cocaine and brought to the United States for prosecution under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. The vessel was deemed a danger to navigation due to no suitable tow points and its distance from land and was sunk upon completion of law enforcement activities. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Texas Resident Sentenced For Conspiring To Defraud The Chickasaw Nation Department Of Health

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nnamdi Felix Udeagha, age 39, of Humble, Texas, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and ordered to pay $214,908.34 in restitution. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. On February 5, 2025, Udeagha pleaded guilty to the charge. Between April and December of 2021, Udeagha conspired with others to obtain money and property from the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health through materially false and fraudulent pretenses. According to investigators, the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health received emails claiming to be from a legitimate vendor with instructions to wire payments to certain bank accounts. It was later determined the emails were created and sent by a member of the conspiracy, and the bank accounts were opened by conspirators to receive and distribute the fraudulently obtained funds. Udeagha facilitated the fraud by providing the bank account information to the co-conspirator who sent the bogus emails to the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health. “This defendant tried to hide in the shadows of the internet to steal money from the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health, which was needed for vital medical programs and services,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “The FBI is committed to holding fraudsters accountable for the harm they cause the American people and our government institutions.” “Fraudsters like the defendant employ email compromise schemes to prey on even the most sophisticated business enterprises,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend the FBI for the skilled investigative work which uncovered Udeagha’s criminal enterprise, and the Chickasaw Nation Department of Health for its work with law enforcement. This sentence demonstrates the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s commitment to pursuing white collar criminals who seek to exploit businesses in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.” The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Udeagha will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Weleetka Resident Of Murder

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Michael Wayne Lambert, age 56, of Weleetka, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of charges relating to an Okfuskee County murder in 2024. The federal jury returned a guilty verdict on three charges: one count of Murder in Indian Country, punishable by life imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine; one count of Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by up to ten years imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine; and one count of Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 924(c), punishable by up to life imprisonment and a $250,000.00 fine. The jury trial began with testimony on September 8, 2025, and concluded on September 11, 2025, with the guilty verdicts. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on June 30, 2024, Lambert unlawfully killed the victim with premeditation and malice aforethought. At trial, the Government presented evidence that Lambert shot the victim multiple times on the stairs of an Okemah apartment complex, then fled the scene. The crime occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation of Oklahoma, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The guilty verdicts were the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okemah Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial in Muskogee and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Lambert was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals until sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lewis M. Reagan and Ryan Conway represented the United States.


title: Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial in Connection With Violent Home Invasion Robbery

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

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tyreek Byrd, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted today by a federal jury of conspiring to commit armed home invasion robberies, robbery affecting interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and using and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. The defendant was charged with those offenses by second superseding indictment in February 2022. As proven at trial, from November 2019 through January 2020, Byrd and three co-conspirators conspired to carry out a series of robberies that targeted business owners and another individual that they believed would keep cash in their home. The offenders researched their victims and their businesses, using a GPS tracking device to learn where the victims lived, and used zip ties, duct tape, and firearms to commit these crimes. On the night of December 31, 2019, Byrd and two co-conspirators accosted the owner of a nail salon in Delaware County, Pa., as the owner returned to the business. The offenders forced the victim inside, and repeatedly demanded money, placing zip ties on the owner’s wrists, covering his mouth with duct tape, and striking his face with their fists and a gun. The men took cash from the business, then forced the owner to his residence, where they encountered his wife, their children, and their nanny. The men zip-tied the wife and children, then continued to beat the owner and demand money. They ransacked the residence, while making statements like “we have been watching you for weeks” and threatening to drown the victims’ three-year-old daughter. After approximately 40 minutes of terrorizing the family, the robbers fled with thousands of dollars in business proceeds, jewelry, and other items of value. Byrd is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a statutory maximum of life in prison. One of Byrd’s co-conspirators, Willie Singletary, previously pleaded guilty to offenses related to this conspiracy and was sentenced to 17 years’ incarceration on May 20, 2025. Another co-conspirator, Shaquan Brown, was convicted on April 15, 2024, after a trial and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20. 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. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Haverford Police Department, with assistance from the FBI and the Montgomery County Detective Bureau, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Carissimi and Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.


title: McCurtain County Resident Pleads Guilty To Failing To Register As Sex Offender

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Allan Wayne Hilton, a/k/a Alan Wayne Hilton, a/k/a Terry L. Leonard, a/k/a Allen Wayne Hilton, age 67, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. The Indictment alleged that Hilton was required to register as a sex offender after being convicted of three counts of Rape in Miller County, Arkansas, on February 25, 1993, and that from June 20, 2023, until June 10, 2025, Hilton failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hilton will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Wittlinger and Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.


title: Wagoner Resident Pleads Guilty To Federal Firearms Crimes

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyson Gene Goins, age 21, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of a Stolen Firearm, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine, and one count of Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment or Information, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine. The Indictment charged Goins with knowingly possessing two semi-automatic pistols on April 19, 2025, knowing and having reasonable cause that the firearms were stolen. The Indictment also alleged that on April 6, 2025, Goins received the same two firearms while under Indictment and Information for a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year. The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Checotah Police Department. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Goins will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Transportation of Child Pornography

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Miguel Angel Rodriguez Ramirez, 40, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 3, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for transportation of child pornography. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Rodriguez Ramirez to 150 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Rodriguez Ramirez’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. On May 1, 2024, Google LLC made a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating a Google user uploaded 13 videos depicting child pornography. The IP address associated with the CyberTip resolved to an Omaha residence where Rodriguez Ramirez resided. A Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation obtained a search warrant for Rodriguez Ramirez’s Google account and, in reviewing the Google account’s contents, confirmed Rodriguez Ramirez uploaded the videos referenced in the CyberTip to his Google Drive in March 2024. On August 8, 2024, the FBI executed a residential search warrant at Rodriguez Ramirez’s Omaha residence. Agents seized his iPhone and several electronic devices from within the residence. Rodriguez Ramirez informed agents he received the child pornography videos from a link someone sent him via Telegram and then uploaded the images to his Google Drive. Agents forensically extracted and analyzed Rodriguez Ramirez’s electronic devices. The content of Rodriguez Ramirez’s Google account and his device extractions revealed he possessed at least 270 child pornography image files and 13 child pornography video files. The files included pornographic images and videos depicting prepubescent children, including an infant, and contained masochistic conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. This case was investigated by the the Omaha FBI's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Bank Fraud

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jonathan Ayer, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 5, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for bank fraud. Chief Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Ayer to 60 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ayer’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release. Additionally, Chief Judge Rossiter ordered Ayer to pay $6,406.89 in restitution. On January 31, 2023, a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail delivery man was delivering mail in a neighborhood near North 25th and Crown Point avenues in Omaha when he was robbed at gunpoint. The armed robbers demanded his arrow key and were able to obtain it. An arrow key is like a mastery key, allowing the holder to gain access to secure publicly accessible USPS drop boxes, such as blue collection boxes. U.S. Postal Inspectors canvassed the area of the robbery and obtained surveillance video from several neighboring homes, which captured a black sedan that appeared to be following the mail carrier on his route. Footage identified the black sedan leaving the area at an accelerated speed around the time of the robbery. No suspects were immediately identified, but the investigation into the robbery continued. In April 2023, a victim placed two checks in the blue collection box at the Florence Post Office in Omaha. In May 2023, the victim checked his bank account and saw that one of the checks, originally made out to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), had cleared his bank account. The check was originally made out to the IRS in the amount of $15,171. The image of the deposited check had been altered. The victim indicated the writing on the check was all fraudulent and the only thing that was the same was his signature. The victim reported another check was attempted to be cashed; however, the payment was declined by the bank as a stop payment was placed on the check. The check was in the amount of $10,913 and written out to the Nebraska Department of Revenue. The attempted cashing showed the check was altered and the payee was also changed. In May 2023, a U.S. Postal Inspector had contact with the Florence Post Office. The clerk indicated they believed they were having issues with an arrow key being used at the location as the volume of mail picked up from the blue collection box outside the Post Office was lower than normal. Investigation into the bank fraud ultimately identified two addresses in Omaha of interest, which were neighboring homes. The investigation also revealed two possible suspects who were captured on surveillance video cashing checks at ATMs and in Walmart stores. One of the suspects drove a black sedan. Investigation ultimately revealed Jonathan Ayer and Ronnie Colvin, III were suspects in both the robbery and bank fraud. A search and arrest warrant were simultaneously executed on both Ayer and Colvin in the early morning hours of December 7, 2023. Colvin was pulled over in a vehicle away from the home. Subsequent searches revealed thousands of checks, stolen mail matter and firearms. Colvin was charged with the firearm, robbery, and bank fraud offense. Ayer was charged with bank fraud. This scheme involved obtaining legitimate checks from the mail and altering the original payee and amount of the check, replacing it with names and identities of individuals whose banking account information Ayer and Colvin had access. Ayer and Colvin would pass the fraudulent checks, obtaining cash. As a result of this scheme, the intended loss amount was over $4.4 million, and the actual loss was more than $200,000. Colvin was sentenced on August 14, 2025, to a total of 126 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, assaulting a USPS mail carrier, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.


title: Walthill Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

body_text: United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Arthur Marr, Sr., 48, of Walthill, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 8, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Marr to 24 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Marr’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. In October 2024, Marr assaulted a man on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation, repeatedly striking the victim and causing serious bodily injury, including broken bones and internal damage. Marr’s assault caused the victim to be hospitalized for two days, during which time Marr messaged the victim and threatened to come to the hospital and assault the victim again. This case was prosecuted in federal court because the offense was a felony and occurred on the Omaha Nation Indian Reservation in Nebraska. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Unlawful Reentry

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Luis Cuellar-Martinez, a/k/a Luis Cueller, a/k/a Luis Martinez, a/k/a Luis Martinez Cueller, age 32, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Poteau, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00. The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. The Indictment alleged that on July 31, 2025, Cuellar-Martinez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed in 2014. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violehttps://Operation Take Back Americant crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Cuellar-Martinez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.


title: Repeat Offender Under Federal Supervision Is Sentenced To Over 15 Years for Drug And Gun Crimes

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: ASHEVILLE, N.C. – John Quentin London, 39, of Hendersonville, N.C., was sentenced today to 188 months in prison followed by six years of supervised release for drug and gun offenses, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. London’s 15+ year sentence will run at the expiration of an additional 24 months he was ordered to serve for violating his federal supervised release. Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Lowell S. Griffin of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement. According to court records and the sentencing hearing, in early 2024, law enforcement learned that London was distributing drugs in the Henderson County area while on federal supervised release for a firearm conviction. On April 18, 2024, deputies with the HCSO conducted a traffic stop of London’s vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, deputies seized two clear plastic bags containing 9.08 grams of methamphetamine and digital scales. The items were found in a magnetic case under the hood. On June 13, 2024, deputies with the HCSO attempted to pull over London’s vehicle. Initially, London pulled over but then fled the scene, driving in a reckless manner. London eventually slid into a ditch and wrecked his vehicle before fleeing on foot. London was arrested a short time later. Deputies searched London and seized a clear plastic bag containing 1.26 grams of cocaine from his pocket. According to court documents, deputies subsequently executed search warrants at London’s residence and the car from the vehicle chase. Detectives seized from London’s basement a small amount of suspected marijuana, a digital scale with residue, and a stolen .38 Smith and Wesson model 649 revolver loaded with five rounds. Deputies also seized from behind London’s driver’s seat a Puma backpack. Inside the backpack, deputies found a total of 58.17 pure grams of meth, 5.06 grams of psilocin, five suspected Xanax pills inscribed with “21,” suspected marijuana, two digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia. On July 25, 2024, deputies with the HCSO initiated a traffic stop on London and located 17.74 grams of pure meth in the center console and a digital scale in the driver’s door pocket. On August 27, 2024, deputies with the HCSO and members with United States Marshals Service attempted to arrest London on an outstanding warrant. They found London hiding in a camper in Henderson County and he placed under arrest. A loaded 9mm pistol with a round in the chamber and 0.589 grams of pure meth were seized from the camper. London pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by felon. Court records indicate London has two prior felony state convictions for possessing with the intent to distribute controlled substances and as a result he qualified for an increased sentence as a career offender. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. 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: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Prison for His Role in Violent Armed Carjacking

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Leevah Mills, 25, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 135 months in prison, five years’ supervised release, and $42,909 in restitution by United States District Judge Paul S. Diamond for taking part in a violent armed carjacking. The defendant was charged by indictment in August 2023 with one count of carjacking and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He pleaded guilty to both charges in February of this year. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in the early morning hours of July 11, 2023, Mills and two others carjacked a 26-year-old man who had just parked his car near his Northeast Philadelphia home, with the defendant and others pointing their semiautomatic pistols directly at the victim, at very close range. The carjackers then pistol-whipped the man, took his cell phone, and drove off in his Dodge Charger. Philadelphia police officers soon located and followed the stolen vehicle. As Mills and his codefendants were trying to flee police in the Charger, they collided with another vehicle and crashed into a pole on Castor Avenue, where the stolen car caught fire and was destroyed. Police quickly apprehended all three carjackers after the crash. Mills’ co-defendants, Emmanuel Sia and Kysime Brown, also pleaded guilty to the charges against them and are scheduled to be sentenced in October. “This roving crew of criminals ambushed and assaulted an innocent victim just trying to park his car and get home,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “My office and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force will continue to target violent individuals like Leevah Mills, to improve public safety and the quality of life in our city.” “Armed carjackings are brazen crimes that leave victims with lasting trauma and communities living in fear,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a measure of justice, but more importantly, it is a promise to our community that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will not relent in protecting innocent people from senseless violence.” The case was investigated by the Philadelphia Police Department and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. Zaleski.


title: Naasón Joaquín García Charged With Racketeering Conspiracy, Sex Trafficking, And Child Exploitation Of Members Of La Luz Del Mundo Church

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Communicado de prensa en espanol . United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton; Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Ricky J. Patel; and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA (“NAASÓN”), ROSA SOSA, AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, and SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA with sexual, financial, and related criminal conduct victimizing members of the La Luz del Mundo (“LLDM”) Church over many years. As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants engaged in a racketeering enterprise (the “Joaquín LLDM Enterprise”) that exploited the LLDM Church and persisted for decades to facilitate the systemic sexual abuse of children and women—including the creation of photos and videos of sadistic child sexual abuse. For decades, the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise operated for the sexual gratification of NAASÓN and his father, the former leader of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise, Samuel Joaquín Flores (“Samuel”), who died in 2014. NAASÓN was taken into federal custody earlier today in Chino, California where he is serving a state sentence for the sexual abuse of minors. GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN was arrested in Los Angeles this morning and is expected to be presented later today in the Central District of California. NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN was arrested outside of Chicago this morning and is expected to be presented later today in the Northern District of Illinois. SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, and GARCÍA PEÑA are at large and believed to be in Mexico. The U.S. government will seek their arrest and extradition to face these charges in the U.S. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska. “As alleged in the Indictment, for decades, Naasón Joaquín García and the other members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise used their position in and the resources of the La Luz Del Mundo Church to sexually abuse girls, boys, and women,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “They exploited the faith of their followers to prey upon them. When they were confronted, they leveraged their religious influence and financial power to intimidate and coerce victims into remaining silent about the abuse they had suffered. The Indictment includes charges against those who systemically aided Naasón’s alleged sexual exploitation of teenagers and young women, including creating photos and videos of abuse and other unspeakable criminal conduct. We commend the victims who have come forward for their extraordinary courage and desire to bring an end to decades of abuse. This Office will hold Naasón and others who aided this alleged abuse fully accountable.” “A yearslong investigation that spanned the country and involved the support of dozens of courageous victims culminated with today’s charges stemming from decades of alleged exploitation and outright abuse of young woman and children,” said HSI Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel. “The defendants are accused of targeting individuals who gave LLDM Church their unquestioning trust and devotion and who in turn endured unimaginable crimes. Make no mistake, the defendants’ alleged cycle of victimization ends today. I thank the brave survivors who provided law enforcement with vital information related to these allegations, and I encourage others with helpful information to do the same.” “Behind the legitimacy of a church and their many believing congregants, Naasón and his co-conspirators built an alleged criminal empire on the sexual abuse of women and children,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “This illicit enterprise hid in the shadows of La Luz del Mundo church while engaging in sex trafficking, child pornography, forced labor, and unlawful financial dealings. Each person involved is complicit in promoting then hiding these insidious acts, but it is this investigation that will bring all the years of mistreatment and sexual abuses to light. IRS-CI and HSI special agents partnered on this case and worked closely with the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York to bring Naasón and his co-conspirators’ alleged crimes out of the dark for all the world to see.” As alleged in the Indictment and documents made public in court: [1] For decades, in the United States, Mexico, and elsewhere around the world, NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, and GARCÍA PEÑA abused the power, doctrine, and structure of the LLDM Church to threaten, coerce, and sexually abuse girls, boys, and women in the LLDM Church; to engage in financial crimes; and to obstruct criminal investigations into their misdeeds. These defendants and their co-conspirators were part of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise that carried out this scheme over the course of decades, abusing generations of Church members and then destroying evidence to evade detection by law enforcement. The defendants and their co-conspirators used the LLDM Church as a vehicle to commit sex trafficking of women and children; to induce victims, including minors, to travel to engage in forced and unlawful sex acts; to produce, receive, distribute, and possess child pornography; to employ forced labor of Church members; to illegally structure cash transactions and bulk cash smuggling; and to obstruct justice to hide their crimes. NAASÓN, the leader of the Enterprise, managed a close circle of co-conspirators who facilitated his abuse of teenagers and young women. NAASÓN also directed his co-conspirators to produce images and videos of child sexual abuse and send them to him for his own sexual gratification. Law enforcement has seized many of these images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors that were created at NAASÓN’s direction. NAASÓN also instructed co-conspirators to select young teenagers in his church for abuse and to systematically introduce the minors to NAASÓN’s illegal sexual desires through personal interactions with NAASÓN under the guise of Church activities. NAASÓN and his co-conspirators manipulated the doctrine of the LLDM Church to facilitate this abuse. Through LLDM doctrine, NAASÓN and his co-conspirators developed a culture of unquestioning faith and obedience to NAASÓN, including by teaching congregants from birth that they would be eternally damned and ostracized from their family and friends in the community if they did not obey NAASÓN or if they questioned him. NAASÓN leveraged that fear to prevent the many teenagers and young women on whom he preyed from rejecting his sexual advances and from reporting the sexual abuse to law enforcement. NAASÓN’s exploitation of the church and its members follows a deeply disturbing tradition established by his father (Samuel Joaquín Flores) and his grandfather (Eusebio Joaquín González, known as “Aarón”), who founded the church in Guadalajara, Mexico, in approximately 1926. Beginning with Aarón and continuing with Samuel and then NAASÓN, each member of the Joaquín family who has served as the leader or “Apostle” has taken advantage of his position of power and control over the LLDM Church to sexually abuse, exploit, and rape its congregants. Each leader manipulated girls and young women by conveying that they could earn a special “blessing” by serving him, which often ultimately included sexual activity, including oral sex, manual stimulation, and ultimately, penetrative sex with the victims. This abuse occurred over the course of generations. SOSA was one of the principal co-conspirators of Samuel and groomed for his sexual abuse and directly herself sexually abused many minors and young women for years, which grooming continued after NAASÓN became the leader of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise. GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, Samuel’s wife and NAASÓN’s mother, groomed for her husband’s sexual abuse and directly herself sexually abused minors and young women, similarly for years. RANGEL GARCÍA was one of the principal co-conspirators of NAASÓN and groomed for his sexual abuse and directly herself sexually abused multiple minors and young women for years. NAASÓN and other members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise have also corruptly used LLDM Church congregants’ money to fund NAASÓN’s sexual abuse. Many congregants made financial contributions to the LLDM Church on the belief that their money would fund legitimate Church activities in the U.S.; in Mexico, where the Church is based; and in multiple other countries around the world where the Church is active. NAASÓN used these donations to fund international travel, including expensive flights and hotels, for himself, his family, and young women he and his co-conspirators arranged to travel with NAASÓN to ensure he always had someone available to sexually abuse. NAASÓN and his co-conspirators also used the funds to purchase sex toys used in the abuse and cleaning supplies to destroy evidence of the sexual abuse. NAASÓN also used donations to fund his lavish lifestyle, including expensive cars, jewelry, clothing, luxury vacations, and private jet charters. NAASÓN and his co-conspirators have threatened and punished victims and destroyed evidence to prevent law enforcement from discovering their crimes. After NAASÓN was arrested in California in 2019 on state charges related to his sexual abuse of LLDM children and young women, members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise executed a scheme to pressure survivors of his sexual abuse into falsely stating that NAASÓN did not abuse them. NAASÓN’s co-conspirators, acting at his direction, punished those who tried to speak out. Members of the Joaquín LLDM Enterprise also destroyed evidence, which included shredding paper files, setting evidence on fire, and submerging electronic devices in water. NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN falsely held himself out as a lawyer working on behalf of the LLDM Church, and he used that position to prevent and attempt to prevent victims of sexual abuse from reporting the abuse to law enforcement. GARCÍA PEÑA acted as the head of public relations for NAASÓN and the LLDM Church and abused that position to prevent victims of sexual abuse from reporting the abuse to law enforcement. This investigation is ongoing. If you have been victimized by the defendants in any way or have any information about their alleged illegal behavior, please call 212-637-1033 or email USANYS.LLDM@usdoj.gov. * * * A chart containing the defendants’ names, ages, charges, and the maximum and minimum penalties is set forth below. The statutory minimum and maximum penalties are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of special agents of HSI and IRS-CI. Mr. Clayton also thanked HSI Riverside, HSI Los Angeles, HSI Chicago, IRS Los Angeles, the New York City Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Riverside Sheriff’s Office, the Redlands Police Department, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central District of California and the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the Government of Mexico for their assistance. This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent & Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Lisa Daniels, Elizabeth A. Espinosa, and Michael R. Herman are in charge of the prosecution. The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Count Charge Defendants Maximum Penalty 1 Racketeering Conspiracy NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA, 56 ROSA SOSA, 59 AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, 46 EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, 79 JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, 37 SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA, 43 Life in prison for NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, and GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN; 20 years in prison for NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, and GARCÍA PEÑA. 2 Sex Trafficking Conspiracy NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA ROSA SOSA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUN Life in prison 10 years mandatory minimum 3 Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA Life in prison 10 years mandatory minimum 4 Inducement to Travel to Engage in Unlawful Sexual Activity NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA 20 years in prison 5 Conspiracy to sexually exploit children NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA 30 years in prison 15 years mandatory minimum 6 Child Exploitation Enterprise NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA Life in prison 20 years mandatory minimum u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._indictment_-_english.pdf u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._superseding_indictment_-_spanish.pdf [1] As the introductory phase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Naasón Joaquín García Acusado De Una Conspiración De Crimen Organizado, Tráfico Sexual Y Explotación Infantil De Miembros De La Iglesia La Luz Del Mundo

body_text: English version of release . El Fiscal federal del Distrito Sur de Nueva York, Jay Clayton; El agente especial a cargo de la Oficina Local de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) en Nueva York, Ricky J. Patel; y el agente especial a cargo de la Oficina Local de Investigaciones Criminales del Servicio de Impuestos Internos (IRS-CI) en Nueva York, Harry T. Chavis, Jr., anunciaron hoy la revelación de una acusación formal contra NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA («NAASÓN»), ROSA SOSA, AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN y SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA por conducta sexual, financiera y delictiva relacionada con la victimización de miembros de la Iglesia La Luz del Mundo (LLDM) durante muchos años. Según se alega en la acusación formal, los acusados participaron en una organización criminal (la «Empresa Joaquín LLDM») que abusó de la Iglesia LLDM y persistió durante décadas para facilitar el abuso sexual sistemático de niños y mujeres, incluyendo la creación de fotos y vídeos de abusos sexuales sádicos a menores. Durante décadas, la Empresa Joaquín LLDM operó para la gratificación sexual de NAASÓN y su padre, el antiguo líder de la Empresa Joaquín LLDM, Samuel Joaquín Flores («Samuel»), fallecido en 2014. NAASÓN fue detenido hoy por las autoridades federales en Chino, California, donde cumple una condena estatal por abuso sexual de menores. GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN fue detenido esta mañana en Los Ángeles y se espera que comparezca hoy mismo ante el Distrito Central de California. NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN fue detenido esta mañana en las afueras de Chicago y se espera que comparezca hoy mismo ante el Distrito Norte de Illinois. SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA y GARCÍA PEÑA siguen en libertad y se cree que se encuentran en México. El Gobierno de los Estados Unidos solicitará su detención y extradición para que se enfrenten a estos cargos en los Estados Unidos. El caso ha sido asignado al juez federal de distrito Loretta A. Preska . «Según se alega en la acusación, durante décadas, Naasón Joaquín García y los demás miembros de la Empresa Joaquín LLDM utilizaron su posición y los recursos de la iglesia La Luz Del Mundo para abusar sexualmente de niñas, niños y mujeres», afirmó el fiscal federal Jay Clayton. «Se aprovecharon de la fe de sus seguidores para abusar de ellos. Cuando se les confrontó, utilizaron su influencia religiosa y su poder financiero para intimidar y coaccionar a las víctimas para que guardaran silencio sobre los abusos que habían sufrido. La acusación incluye cargos contra quienes ayudaron sistemáticamente a Naasón en la presunta explotación sexual de adolescentes y mujeres jóvenes, incluyendo la creación de fotos y vídeos de los abusos y otras conductas delictivas indescriptibles. Elogiamos a las víctimas que han dado un paso al frente por su extraordinario valor y su deseo de poner fin a décadas de abusos. Esta Oficina exigirá responsabilidades a Naasón y a otras personas que ayudaron en estos presuntos abusos». «Una investigación de varios años que abarcó todo el país y contó con el apoyo de docenas de valientes víctimas culminó con los cargos presentados hoy, derivados de décadas de presunta explotación y abuso descarado de mujeres jóvenes y niños», dijo el agente especial a cargo de HSI, Ricky J. Patel. «Los acusados están acusados de atacar a personas que dieron a la Iglesia LLDM su confianza y devoción incondicional y que, a cambio, sufrieron crímenes inimaginables. Que no quepa duda: el presunto ciclo de victimización de los acusados termina hoy. Agradezco a las valientes sobrevivientes que proporcionaron a las fuerzas del orden, información vital relacionada con estas acusaciones, y animo a otras personas que tengan información útil a que hagan lo mismo». «Tras la legitimidad de una iglesia y sus numerosos feligreses creyentes, Naasón y sus cómplices construyeron un presunto imperio criminal basado en el abuso sexual de mujeres y niños», afirmó Harry T. Chavis, Jr., agente especial a cargo de IRS-CI. «Esta empresa ilícita se ocultaba en las sombras de la iglesia La Luz del Mundo mientras se dedicaba al tráfico sexual, la pornografía infantil, el trabajo forzoso y las transacciones financieras ilegales. Todas las personas involucradas son cómplices de promover y luego ocultar estos actos insidiosos, pero es esta investigación la que sacará a la luz todos los años de maltrato y abusos sexuales. Los agentes especiales del IRS-CI y del HSI colaboraron en este caso y trabajaron en estrecha colaboración con el fiscal federal del Distrito Sur de Nueva York para sacar a la luz los presuntos delitos de Naasón y sus cómplices para que todo el mundo los vea». Según se alega en la acusación y en los documentos hechos públicos en el tribunal: [1] Durante décadas, en Estados Unidos, México y otros lugares del mundo, NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA, GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN y GARCÍA PEÑA abusaron del poder, la doctrina y la estructura de la Iglesia LLDM para amenazar, coaccionar y abusar sexualmente de niñas, niños y mujeres de la Iglesia LLDM; para cometer delitos financieros; y para obstruir las investigaciones penales sobre sus fechorías. Estos acusados y sus cómplices formaban parte de la Empresa Joaquín LLDM, que llevó a cabo este plan durante décadas, abusando de generaciones de miembros de la Iglesia y destruyendo luego las pruebas para evadir la detección por parte de las fuerzas del orden. Los acusados y sus cómplices utilizaron la Iglesia LLDM como vehículo para cometer tráfico sexual de mujeres y niños; para inducir a las víctimas, incluyendo menores, a viajar y a participar en actos sexuales forzados e ilegales; para producir, recibir, distribuir y poseer pornografía infantil; para emplear la mano de obra forzada de miembros de la Iglesia; para estructurar ilegalmente transacciones en efectivo y contrabando de grandes cantidades de dinero en efectivo; y para obstruir la justicia con el fin de ocultar sus delitos. NAASÓN, el líder de la empresa, dirigía un círculo cercano de cómplices que facilitaban su abuso de adolescentes y mujeres jóvenes. NAASÓN también ordenaba a sus cómplices que produjeran imágenes y vídeos de abuso sexual infantil y se los enviaran para su propia gratificación sexual. Las fuerzas del orden han incautado muchas de estas imágenes y vídeos que muestran el abuso sexual de menores y que fueron creados bajo las órdenes de NAASÓN. NAASÓN también ordenó a sus cómplices que seleccionaran a adolescentes de su iglesia para abusar de ellas y que introdujeran sistemáticamente a las menores en los deseos sexuales ilegales de NAASÓN a través de interacciones personales con él bajo el pretexto de actividades de la Iglesia. NAASÓN y sus cómplices manipularon la doctrina de la Iglesia LLDM para facilitar este abuso. A través de la doctrina LLDM, NAASÓN y sus cómplices desarrollaron una cultura de fe y obediencia incondicionales a NAASÓN, incluso enseñando a los feligreses desde su nacimiento que serían condenados eternamente y excluidos de sus familias y amigos en la comunidad si no obedecían a NAASÓN o si lo cuestionaban. NAASÓN aprovechó de ese miedo para evitar que las numerosas adolescentes y mujeres jóvenes de las que abusaba rechazaran sus insinuaciones sexuales y denunciaran los abusos sexuales a las fuerzas del orden. La explotación de NAASÓN de la iglesia y sus miembros sigue una tradición profundamente inquietante establecida por su padre (Samuel Joaquín Flores) y su abuelo (Eusebio Joaquín González, conocido como «Aarón»), quienes fundaron la iglesia en Guadalajara, México, aproximadamente en 1926. Comenzando con Aarón y continuando con Samuel y luego NAASÓN, cada miembro de la familia Joaquín que ha servido como líder o «apóstol» se ha aprovechado de su posición de poder y control sobre la Iglesia LLDM para abusar sexualmente, explotar y violar a sus feligreses. Cada líder manipulaba a las niñas y mujeres jóvenes haciéndoles creer que podían obtener una «bendición» especial si le servían, lo que a menudo incluía actividades sexuales, como sexo oral, estimulación manual y, en última instancia, sexo con penetración con las víctimas. Estos abusos se produjeron a lo largo de varias generaciones. SOSA fue una de las principales cómplices de Samuel y preparó a muchas menores y mujeres jóvenes para su abuso sexual, además de abusar sexualmente de ellas directamente durante años, lo que continuó después de que NAASÓN se convirtiera en el líder de la empresa Joaquín LLDM. GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, esposa de Samuel y madre de NAASÓN, acicalaba a menores de edad y a mujeres para que su marido cometiera abusos sexuales y ella misma igualmente, abusó sexualmente de menores y mujeres jóvenes también durante años. RANGEL GARCÍA fue una de las principales cómplices de NAASÓN y preparó el terreno para sus abusos sexuales, además de abusar sexualmente de múltiples menores y mujeres jóvenes durante años. NAASÓN y otros miembros de la empresa Joaquín LLDM también han utilizado de forma corrupta el dinero de los feligreses de la Iglesia LLDM para financiar los abusos sexuales de NAASÓN. Muchos feligreses dieron sus diezmos a la Iglesia LLDM creyendo que su dinero financiaría actividades legítimas de la Iglesia en Estados Unidos, en México, donde tiene su sede la Iglesia, y en muchos otros países del mundo donde la Iglesia está activa. NAASÓN utilizó estas donaciones para financiar viajes internacionales, incluyendo vuelos y hoteles caros, para él, su familia y las jóvenes que él y sus cómplices organizaban para viajar con NAASÓN con el fin de asegurarse de que siempre tuviera a alguien disponible para abusar sexualmente. NAASÓN y sus cómplices también utilizaron los fondos y diezmos para comprar juguetes sexuales utilizados en los abusos y productos de limpieza para destruir las pruebas de los abusos sexuales. NAASÓN también utilizó las donaciones para financiar su lujoso estilo de vida, incluyendo coches caros, joyas, ropa, vacaciones de lujo y vuelos en jets privados. NAASÓN y sus cómplices amenazaron y castigaron a las víctimas y destruyeron pruebas para evitar que las fuerzas del orden descubrieran sus delitos. Después de que NAASÓN fuera detenido en California en 2019 por cargos estatales relacionados con el abuso sexual de niñas y jóvenes de LLDM, los miembros de la organización Joaquín LLDM ejecutaron un plan para presionar a las sobrevivientes de su abuso sexual para que declararan falsamente que NAASÓN no las había abusado. Los cómplices de NAASÓN, actuando bajo sus órdenes, castigaron a quienes intentaron denunciar los hechos. Los miembros de la organización Joaquín LLDM también destruyeron pruebas, lo que incluyó triturar archivos en papel, quemar pruebas y sumergir dispositivos electrónicos en agua. NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN se hizo pasar falsamente por un abogado que trabajaba en nombre de la Iglesia LLDM y utilizó esa posición para impedir e intentar impedir que las víctimas de abuso sexual denunciaran el abuso a las fuerzas del orden. GARCÍA PEÑA actuó como jefe de relaciones públicas de NAASÓN y de la Iglesia LLDM y abusó de esa posición para impedir que las víctimas de abuso sexual denunciaran el abuso a las fuerzas del orden. Esta investigación sigue en curso. Si ha sido usted víctima de los acusados de alguna manera o tiene información sobre su presunto comportamiento ilegal, llame al 212-637-1033 o envíe un correo electrónico a USANYS.LLDM@usdoj.gov. * * * A continuación, se incluye un cuadro con los nombres, edades, cargos y penas máximas y mínimas de los acusados. Las penas mínimas y máximas previstas por la ley son establecidas por el Congreso y se proporcionan aquí solo con fines informativos, ya que cualquier sentencia de los acusados será determinada por un juez. El Sr. Clayton elogió la excelente labor de investigación realizada por los agentes especiales de HSI e IRS-CI. El Sr. Clayton también agradeció a HSI Riverside, HSI Los Ángeles, HSI Chicago, IRS Los Ángeles, el Departamento de Policía de la Ciudad de Nueva York, el Departamento del Sheriff del Condado de Los Ángeles, la Oficina del Sheriff de Riverside, el Departamento de Policía de Redlands, la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de San Bernardino, la Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA), las fiscalías federales del Distrito Central de California y del Distrito Norte de Illinois, la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales del Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos y al Gobierno de México por su ayuda. Este caso está siendo tramitado por la Unidad de Delitos Violentos y Delincuencia Organizada de la Fiscalía. Los fiscales adjuntos Ryan W. Allison, Lisa Daniels, Elizabeth A. Espinosa y Michael R. Herman están a cargo de la acusación. Los cargos que figuran en la acusación son meras acusaciones, y los acusados se presumen inocentes hasta que se demuestre su culpabilidad. Cargo Cargo Acusados Pena máxima 1 Conspiración de Crimen Organizado NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA, 56 ROSA SOSA, 59 AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA, 46 EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN, 79 JORAM NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN, 37 SILEM GARCÍA PEÑA, 43 Cadena perpetua para NAASÓN, SOSA, RANGEL GARCÍA y GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN; 20 años de prisión para NÚÑEZ JOAQUÍN y GARCÍA PEÑA. 2 Conspiración de tráfico sexual NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA ROSA SOSA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA EVA GARCÍA DE JOAQUÍN Cadena perpetua 10 años de prisión como mínimo obligatorio 3 Trata sexual mediante el uso de la fuerza, el fraude y la coacción NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA Cadena perpetua 10 años de prisión como mínimo obligatorio 4 Inducción a viajar para participar en actividades sexuales ilegales NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA 20 años de prisión 5 Conspiración para explotar sexualmente a menores NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA 30 años de prisión 15 años de prisión como pena mínima obligatoria 6 Conspiración de explotación infantil NAASÓN JOAQUÍN GARCÍA AZALIA RANGEL GARCÍA Cadena perpetua 20 años de prisión mínima obligatoria u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._superseding_indictment_-_spanish.pdf u.s._v._naason_joaquin_garcia_et_al._superseding_indictment_-_english.pdf [1] Como indica la fase introductoria, la totalidad del texto de la acusación y la descripción de la acusación que aquí se expone constituyen únicamente alegaciones, y todos los hechos descritos deben considerarse como alegaciones.


title: Salvadoran National and Convicted Child Molester Charged with Naturalization Fraud and Passport Fraud

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Isidro Arcenio Alvarado, 57, a U.S. citizen born in El Salvador, appeared in federal court yesterday for his initial appearance. On August 20, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with naturalization fraud and passport fraud. The indictment alleges that Alvarado lied about his criminal history on his application to obtain U.S. citizenship and used a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate to obtain a U.S. passport. “We will not tolerate illegal aliens or lying immigrants who get status to stay in this wonderful country if they hurt children,” said United States Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We do not tolerate any crimes against children. If you do this, we will kick you right back out.” According to the indictment, Alvarado allegedly knowingly made materially false statements under oath and penalty of perjury on his naturalization application and during a naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In response to the questions “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following:…[f]orcing or trying to force someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?”; “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were NOT arrested?”; “Have you EVER given any U.S. Government officials any information or documentation that was false, fraudulent, or misleading?”; and “Have you EVER lied to any U.S. government officials to gain entry or admission into the United States or to gain immigration benefits while in the United States?” Alvarado answered “No.” Alvarado took the oath of citizenship and naturalized on October 12, 2022. On March 7, 2023, Alvarado used his fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate to apply for a passport from the U.S. Department of State. On April 25, 2023, police arrested Alvarado and charged him with committing multiple sex offenses against a child. On July 8, 2025, in the Superior Court of North Carolina for Wake County, Alvarado pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent liberties with a child. The state court judge sentenced him to a suspended term of imprisonment of between 32 and 58 months and ordered to register as a sex offender. Alvarado confessed to committing these the crimes against a 10-year-old child from January 1, 2019, through April 10, 2021. State law enforcement agents did not arrest him until after he naturalized, so immigration officials were unaware of his crimes prior to granting citizenship. Alvarado is charged in a four-count indictment. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison as well as the automatic revocation of his U.S. citizenship. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ICE ERO officers and HSI agents assigned to the Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven , an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain U.S. citizenship. USCIS’s Fraud Detection and National Security Division is assisting with the initiative. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-208-D-BM. An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. ###


title: Prison Sentence for Man Convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter Related to Vehicular Crash on Menominee Indian Reservation

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Richard G. Frohling, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 5, 2025, Desmond Waukau (age: 22), an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and former resident of Keshena, received a 42-month prison sentence following a conviction for involuntary manslaughter. The sentence, imposed by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach, was the result of a guilty plea entered by the defendant on May 30, 2025. Waukau will also face three years of supervised release once he completes his sentence. According to publicly filed court documents, Waukau drove a car far in excess of the posted speed limit on a state highway that runs through the Menominee Indian Reservation. Waukau attempted to flee from tribal law enforcement vehicles that were going the opposite direction, and then he failed to negotiate a turn onto Crowe Settlement Road, which is an unpaved road between Keshena and Middle Village. The resulting crash led to the death of a passenger. Later examination of the vehicle revealed Waukau was operating the vehicle at approximately 105 mph five seconds before the crash, and 65 mph at the time of impact. At the sentencing hearing, Judge Griesbach noted the seriousness of the crime and remarked upon the need to punish the defendant for his acts. The court also discussed the need to deter others in the community from engaging in reckless driving. The case was investigated by the Menominee Tribal Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the Wisconsin State Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Maier prosecuted the case. ### For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Maryland Woman Arraigned for Defrauding the D.C. Medicaid Program

component: Office of the Inspector General

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jariatu Jalloh, 39, a Maryland resident, was arraigned September 8, 2025, on nine counts of first-degree fraud and nine counts of first-degree theft related to fraudulent billing submitted to the District’s Medicaid program, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. According to the government’s evidence, Jalloh was employed by a District Mental Health Rehabilitation Service (MHRS) provider as a community support worker (CSW). MHRS provides for diagnostic and assessment services, counseling, medication, intensive day treatment, and crisis or emergency services. A CSW provides community support services by helping consumers learn and improve basic life skills, such as managing their medication, increasing social skills, and learning how to apply for housing or a job. The indictment alleges that between August 2021 and continuing through July 2023, while employed by the District MHRS provider, Jalloh engaged in a scheme to defraud the District’s Medicaid program by submitting encounter notes for community support services she did not provide and overbilling for services she allegedly provided to District Medicaid beneficiaries. Through this scheme, Jalloh caused the District government and its Medicaid program to pay over $234,500 for CSW services she did not render and overpayment for services she allegedly provided. Joining in the announcement was Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia. This case is being investigated by the D.C. Office of the Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuela Charles, on detail from the D.C. Office of the Inspector General. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Federal Drug and Weapons Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on August 21, 2025, LAWRENCE WATKINS (“WATKINS”), age 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D) and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). According to court documents, on or about June 22, 2023, Louisiana State Police (LSP) Troopers, FBI New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF) members, and other law enforcement personnel were conducting proactive patrols in the Algiers area of New Orleans to combat violent crime. While attempting to stop and investigate a suspicious Dodge Durango vehicle, it sped off, chased by law enforcement, before striking a utility pole. The Durango’s occupants, including WATKINS , fled the vehicle on foot, but were later caught. After WATKINS ’s apprehension, officers recovered his backpack that contained a Century Arms Micro Draco 7.62x39 pistol, multiple rounds of ammunition, $1,053 in U.S. currency, drug paraphernalia, and quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana. As to the drug trafficking charges, WATKINS faces up to twenty years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release. As to the charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to life in prison, which is to run consecutively to all other sentences, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. WATKINS will be sentenced on November 20, 2025. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation New Orleans Gang Task Force, and the Louisiana State Police. Special Assistant United States Attorney James Ollinger and Assistant United States Attorney Mike Trummel of the Violent Crimes Unit are in charge of the prosecution. * * *


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Fentanyl Distribution

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RICKEY SMITH (“SMITH”) , age 46, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 2, 2025, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to distribution of forty grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). According to court documents, in the latter part of 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration received information from the New Orleans Police Department regarding SMITH ’s drug distribution activity. Through investigation, it was determined that SMITH distributed over 40 grams of fentanyl from his apartment located within the Eastern District of Louisiana. On November 4, December 3, and December 17, 2024, SMITH sold 3.493 grams, 13.97 grams and 56.6 grams of fentanyl, respectively, to an individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer. SMITH faces a minimum term of five years up to a maximum term of forty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit. * * *