title: New York Man Charged with Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 18, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Van Jackson, 38, recently of Queensbury, New York, with wire fraud and money laundering. Jackson entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on April 17, 2026 before United States Magistrate Judge Ruth Miller. Judge Miller ordered that Jackson be released on conditions. According to court records, Jackson allegedly defrauded a Vermont medical practice of at least $400,000. This included $68,000 that Jackson allegedly wired into his personal bank account and then used to pay a settlement with a medical practice in New York. Jackson previously had worked for that medical practice and entered into that settlement agreement after misappropriating funds from that practice. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Jackson is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Jackson faces up to twenty years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors. First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Jackson is represented by the Office for the Federal Public Defender.


title: Kauai Man Sentenced to Federal Prison and Ordered to Repay $1.4 Million for Stealing from Federal COVID-19 Relief Program

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Ethan Page, 52, of Kekaha, Hawaii, was sentenced on April 15, 2026, to fourteen months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, along with $1,409,964.35 in restitution to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), following his guilty plea for making a false statement to the SBA. According to court records, in or around March 2021, Congress enacted the American Rescue Plan Act, which established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (“RRF”) to provide support to eligible entities in the food service industry that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To obtain RRF funding, a qualifying business was required to submit an application to the SBA signed by an authorized representative of the business. An awardee was not required to repay funds received under the RRF program unless the funds were used for an unauthorized purpose. The program required an awardee to submit a post-award report disclosing whether and to what extent the awardee had spent RRF funds on eligible expenses. On or about May 16, 2021, Page submitted an RRF application to the SBA in the name of his business, Hanapepe Design Studio, LLC, seeking over $1.4 million in RRF funds. The SBA approved the application and deposited just over $1.4 million into the business’s bank account. Page then transferred $1.3 million of RRF funds to his own personal investment account at another institution. Page then used the remaining $100,000 on other ineligible expenses. On or about December 22, 2021, Page signed and submitted a post-award report to the SBA, in which he falsely certified that he used the entirety of the RRF proceeds for Hanapepe Design Studio expenses that were eligible for RRF funds, such as payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other business operating expenses. Had Page accurately reported how he used the RRF funds, the SBA would have required Hanapepe Design Studio to repay the funds. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig S. Nolan and Gregg Paris Yates prosecuted the case. On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Tripoli Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Crimes

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who received and possessed child pornography pled guilty today in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Isiah Michael Morse, age 22, from Tripoli, Iowa, was convicted of one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Evidence at a prior hearing showed that in January 2024, law enforcement officers searched Morse’s person and seized a phone. On the phone were images and videos of child pornography, including of prepubescent children. Morse had paid for child pornography on at least two occasions. In an interview with officers, Morse admitted that he had downloaded child pornography and then moved it to a “hidden folder” on his phone. At the plea hearing, Morse admitted that between November 2021 and November 2023, he received child pornography, and that between May 2023 and January 2024, he possessed child pornography on his phone. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Morse was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Morse faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, $62,200 in special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Johnson County Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-2036. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pharmacist Who Stole Controlled Substances Sentenced

body_text: A licensed pharmacist who created fake patient profiles to steal prescription drugs containing controlled substances was sentenced on April 15, 2026, to a three‑year term of probation. Ryan Paul Etscheid, age 40, from La Salle, Illinois, received the sentence after an October 27, 2025, guilty plea to acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge. Information from sentencing and public court records showed that on July 9, 2023, Etscheid worked a shift at a pharmacy in Waterloo, Iowa. Etscheid created three fake patient accounts and dispensed prescription drugs containing controlled substances, including oxycodone, under the fraudulent accounts. Etscheid used similar methods to acquire controlled substances while working as a pharmacist in Ottumwa on February 13, 2022, March 10, 2023, and May 23, 2023. On August 20, 2024, Etscheid pled guilty to three counts of acquiring a controlled substance by means of misrepresentation, fraud, deception, and subterfuge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa in relation to that conduct and subsequently sentenced to three years of probation on December 20, 2024. Etscheid was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Etscheid was sentenced to three years of probation. He was ordered to make $1,177.04 in restitution to the victim pharmacy. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-2041. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Sex Offender Who Failed to Register  Sentenced to Federal Prison

body_text: A man who came to Iowa from Minnesota and did not register with the state sex offender registry was sentenced on April 15, 2026, to more than two years in federal prison. Blake William Johnson, age 31, from Austin, Minnesota, received the prison term after a December 29, 2025, guilty plea to failure to register as a sex offender. Information from sentencing and other hearings showed that Johnson was previously convicted of electronic solicitation of children in 2022 in Minnesota after he repeatedly messaged an online profile represented to be that of a female child under the age of fifteen. The profile was operated by an undercover law enforcement agent. Johnson sent explicit messages to the profile, including pictures of his genitals. In July 2025, Johnson absconded from correctional supervision in Minnesota. He began living in Iowa and was arrested on August 21, 2025. Johnson did not register with the state of Iowa sex offender registry as he was required to do. In addition to his sex offense conviction, Johnson’s criminal history includes convictions for drug possession, burglary, domestic assault, and violating a no contact order. Johnson was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Johnson was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Johnson is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the United States Marshals Service and the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-2057.


title: Okmulgee County Resident Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Firearm

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

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jackie Leon Parker, Jr., age 51, of Morris, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment charged Parker with knowingly possessing a bolt-action rifle on October 7, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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. Parker will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Federal Violent offender sentenced to Felon in Possession of a Firearm

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced on April 9, 2026 to 105 months in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Willie Hosea, 44, plead guilty to three counts of felon in possession of a firearm. Hosea has a prior conviction for Use of a Firearm during a Crime of Violence out of the United States District Court, Southern District of Alabama from May 10, 2005. On August 25, 2024, Mobile Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Hosea for failure to signal. He was in possession of a firearm and illegal pills. On June 27, 2025, MPD conducted a traffic stop on Hosea for switched tag, again Hosea was in possession of a pistol and marijuana. On July 9, 2025, a search warrant was issued for his home, and inside officers located four firearms with ammunition. A term of three years on supervised release will follow Hosea’s incarceration. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Holly Hill Man Indicted for Damaging Facilities and Unlawfully Entering Secure Area at Daytona Beach International Airport

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Bryan John Parker (58, Holly Hill) with damaging, destroying, or disabling airport facilities and entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements. If convicted on all counts, Parker faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to the indictment and criminal complaint, on March 25, 2026, Parker crashed his Ford Mustang through a closed gate into a restricted area at Daytona Beach International Airport. Once inside, Parker drove towards one of the runways and exited his car. He proceeded to run around on foot, urinate on the taxiway, and chase after taxiing aircraft. After climbing into several empty planes and attempting to enter the cabin of a running aircraft, Parker was apprehended by security personnel. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Air Marshal Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan.


title: Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on April 13, 2026. Alysia Peneaux, 32, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Peneaux was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in May 2025. She pleaded guilty on January 14, 2026. For several months in 2024, Peneaux served as a sub-distributor for a California- and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization which transported large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to South Dakota and distributed it in the Sioux Falls area. Peneaux purchased methamphetamine from the organization, which she then re-sold to others in the Sioux Falls area. Peneaux admitted to personally distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Peneaux also participated in the operation by allowing members of the drug trafficking organization to store bulk quantities of drugs at her residence, commonly referred to as a “stash house.” This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Minneapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, USMS, USPIS, SD DCI, SFPD, MCSO, and SDHP with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Peneaux was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Justice Department Announces Settlement to Combat Antisemitism in Massachusetts School District

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: This week, the Justice Department and the Concord-Carlisle, Massachusetts School District entered into a voluntary settlement agreement to ensure the district appropriately responds to incidents of antisemitic harassment of students by their peers. The settlement agreement resolves the Department’s investigation under Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, regarding complaints of harassment based on religion, race, and national origin. “The Department will not tolerate antisemitic harassment of students at any level of education,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “School districts, like colleges and universities, must take prompt and effective action to address antisemitic harassment when it creates a hostile environment for Jewish students and must keep taking action until Jewish students are once again safe and welcome at their school.” Between 2023 and 2025, a series of antisemitic incidents occurred at both the high school and middle school levels in the district. These incidents included the repeated drawing of swastikas and the use of “Jew” as a derogatory term by other students against Jewish students. After the Department opened its investigation in March 2025, the district adopted reforms and initiatives to combat antisemitism and address the issues caused by these incidents, including working with stakeholders and providing additional training to its employees on handling antisemitism incidents. The Department commends the district for its cooperation with the Department’s investigation, and for entering into this Settlement Agreement. The Department also thanks the Anti-Defamation League, the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law, Mayer Brown, and their clients for filing a complaint and for their assistance with the Department’s investigation. Under the settlement agreement, the district will review and revise its policies. It will also respond promptly and effectively to potential incidents of harassment, including by ensuring that all incidents are identified, protecting complainants from retaliation, conducting full and comprehensive investigations, taking appropriate remedial measures where warranted (including developing and implementing safety and support plans for victims and making public statements in response to incidents where appropriate), and designating a district-level employee to oversee its compliance with these requirements. The district will also provide additional staff and student training on the district’s harassment policies and procedures. The Department will monitor the district’s compliance with the settlement agreement, and the district will continue to report to the public about its efforts to address antisemitism. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat discrimination is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov .


title: Lookout Mountain Man Sentenced To 28 Years Imprisonment For Sexual Exploitation Of A Child

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On April 16, 2026, Patrick Bryant Hawley, 44, of Lookout Mountain, TN, was sentenced to 340 months in prison by Chief Judge Travis R. McDonough in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 20 years and he will be required to register with applicable sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release. Hawley was also ordered to pay $60,000 in restitution. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Hawley agreed to plead guilty to one count of exploitation of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a). According to filed court documents, Hawley knowingly exploited a minor victim, who was then fourteen years old, causing her to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Hawley met his minor victim online, and within minutes of the meeting, their conversation turned to sexual matters. Hawley indicated to his victim that no age was “too young” for his desires. After receiving sexually explicit images of his victim, Hawley told her: “I need to see your face, and I need to see your contours.” Hawley continued communicating with his victim, acknowledging multiple times that she was a minor. Among other things, he sent his victim images and videos of himself masturbating and of other minors engaged in sexual acts and acts of bestiality. Hawley’s correspondence with his victim included instructions for her to record and show him her use of a sex toy. When the victim balked, Hawley referred to her by a vulgar epithet and told her to “rape yourself with it.” The victim hesitated, but Hawley described another sexually explicit act he wanted to see her perform, and ultimately, she complied, sending him videos of her performing such acts. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge, Terence G. Reilly of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Colin Jackson, of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of a joint investigation by the HSI and FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Jay Woods represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc . ###


title: Franklin Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that Nael Jabbar (age 47) of Franklin, Wisconsin, pled guilty on April 14, 2026, to one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1341, and one count of filing a false tax return, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 7206(1). Since 2005, Jabbar owned and operated Hot Spot Super Market (Hot Spot) in Milwaukee, which was authorized to accept benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). He signed documents for Hot Spot agreeing to comply with all program requirements. From 2021 through 2024, he defrauded the program by exchanging benefits for cash, giving SNAP beneficiaries half of the transaction in cash while he billed the program for the full amount. The government will argue at sentencing that Jabbar’s scheme caused a loss of more than $1.6 million. Jabbar also signed and submitted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) individual income tax returns (Forms 1040) that did not report all the income he received in 2020 through 2022. During those years, he transferred approximately $611,000 from business bank accounts to his personal accounts and then used the funds for personal expenses such as travel, vacations, retail purchases, and payments on personal loans and credit cards. Jabbar’s filing of false Forms 1040 caused a total tax loss to the IRS of more than $87,000. Jabbar’s sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. At sentencing, he faces up to twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine on count one, as well as three years in prison and a $250,000 fine on count two. He also faces a term of supervised release after imprisonment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General, and IRS, Criminal Investigation, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Scully is prosecuting. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Orangeburg Man Pleads Guilty to Burning a Puppy Alive

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. Desmond Levon Brown, 29, of Orangeburg, has pleaded guilty to animal crushing, which includes burning, under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act). This is the first known PACT Act Conviction in South Carolina. Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Dec. 18, 2024, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office received reports of a Facebook Live video showing Brown throwing a puppy into a fire that day. Deputies discovered the deceased puppy in a wooded area near the incident location. Federal law enforcement obtained the Facebook video, which showed Brown holding the puppy above the fire, dropping it into the fire, and repeatedly kicking the puppy into the fire, burning it alive. Further evidence showed that the fire, which was started by Brown’s associate, was made using a brand of rum that was imported from the Caribbean and bottled in Kentucky. After his arrest, Brown was recorded on jail calls admitting to burning the puppy. “Brown’s gruesome torture of a puppy was heinous,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “He showed no mercy in his crime, and we look forward to his sentencing. Our office will lead the fight to protect the welfare of animals in South Carolina.” Brown faces a maximum penalty of seven years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Brown after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. If you know of suspected animal fighting or other animal welfare violations, please report them at https://www.justice.gov/enrd/webform/animal-welfare/report-suspected-animal-welfare-violation This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elle E. Klein is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Previously Deported Alien Sentenced in Largest Cocaine Seizure in Green Bay History

body_text: Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on April 14, 2026, United States District Judge Byron B. Conway sentenced Ruben Salgado-Espinoza (age: 51) to 169 months of imprisonment for conspiring to distribute cocaine and illegally re-entering the United States after being removed. According to court records, Salgado-Espinoza, a twice deported Mexican National, led a large-scale drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. He operated from a compound in Rockford, Illinois, where he received bulk shipments of cocaine from a source of supply in Mexico. Salgado-Espinoza also modified vehicles to include sophisticated hidden compartments—commonly referred to as “trap cars”—designed to conceal and transport illegal drugs. He sold these vehicles to other drug distributors to facilitate distribution. On April 22, 2025, during an undercover operation, Salgado-Espinoza was arrested in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in possession of approximately 30 kilograms of cocaine, which constitutes the largest cocaine seizure in Green Bay history. Following his arrest, the defendant admitted that he was unlawfully present in the United States and had distributed between 18 and 35 kilograms of cocaine per month over the past 18 months. The cocaine attributed to the defendant has an estimated street value of several million dollars. Salgado-Espinoza unlawfully entered the United States and was previously removed in 1998 and 2002. Upon completion of his 169-month sentence, he will again be removed to Mexico. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel stated, “this case demonstrates why we must keep our border secure. The United States twice deported this defendant, and he came back again, bringing with him the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in the history of the Green Bay area. He should have been prevented from setting foot on U.S. soil again. The drugs he trafficked delivered great suffering to countless people struggling with addiction, as well as the pervasive violence and other crime that accompanies the illegal drug trade. This time, the defendant will rightly serve a very long time in prison before he will be once again removed from our country. Hopefully this time we will ensure he never returns.” “This sentence sends a clear message: those who lead large-scale drug trafficking operations will be identified, prosecuted, and held accountable," said John McGarry, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Drug Enforcement Administration Milwaukee District Office. "The DEA remains steadfast in working with our partners to dismantle these organizations and protect our communities.” This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Green Bay Resident Office, with assistance from the Brown County Drug Task Force, the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (LWAM), the Wisconsin Department of Justice – Division of Criminal Investigation, the Wisconsin State Patrol, and the DEA Phoenix and Rockford Divisions. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros. # # # For further information contact: Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero (414) 297-1700 Follow us on X


title: Boone County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Crittenden, Ky., man, Randall Kipling, 63, was sentenced on Thursday to 121 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, Kipling and his co-defendant, Mark Ball, were involved in distributing methamphetamine out of Kipling’s residence in Boone County. Kipling provided a vehicle and money that Ball used to engage in the drug trafficking. On February 23, 2023, law enforcement responded to an overdose at Kipling’s residence and Kipling was present with Ball and two others, who showed significant signs of intoxication and were taken to the hospital for treatment. Law enforcement searched Kipling’s residence and seized over 250 grams of methamphetamine, other controlled substances, and numerous drug paraphernalia items. Kipling admitted possessing the methamphetamine which the group intended to distribute. Ball previously pleaded guilty to his role in the methamphetamine distribution and was sentenced to 126 months in March 2026. Under federal law, Kipling must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 5 years. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division, announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Boone County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. – END –


title: Honduran Criminal Alien Found Guilty of Illegally Reentering the Country

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Jose Guadelupe Escobar, 39, of Honduras, was found guilty by a federal jury of illegal reentry by a removed alien. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Over the past two decades, this criminal alien showed a brazen disregard for our national immigration laws through his repeated, illegal re-entries after being removed from our country. More alarmingly, he admitted in sworn testimony at trial to a history of violence, both while illegally within this country and while residing in other countries. This dangerous criminality cannot be ignored. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute criminal alien defendants like this to ensure our borders remain secure and our nation’s immigration laws are fully enforced.” Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that the defendant had first been encountered by the Border Patrol in September 2004, after he illegally entered the country by wading across the Rio Grande River. The defendant failed to appear in immigration court on July 7, 2005, and was ordered removed from the country by an immigration judge. The defendant escaped notice by immigration officials until January 5, 2009, when he was encountered in a jail in Merrifield, Virginia, after being arrested for attempted murder. The defendant was removed from the United States on February 17, 2009. The defendant illegally reentered the United States and was encountered again in Los Angeles, California on December 30, 2013. The defendant was removed back to Honduras a second time on May 1, 2014. On October 22, 2025, the defendant was encountered in Tallahassee after previously being removed from the United States in 2009 and 2014. While testifying at trial, the defendant admitted that he had previously been imprisoned in Honduras, and had spent several years in jail in Mexico on suspicion of murder. Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle. Escobar faces up to 2 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. This conviction was the result of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: California Man Indicted for Drug Distribution & Money Laundering Conspiracies

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Kelvin Henriques Jr., 32, of Los Angeles, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and conspiracy to commit money laundering. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today. Henriques appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 18, 2026, at 9:00 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Henriques faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment up to life in prison for the drug count and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering count. The case is the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Illegal Alien from Honduras Arrested for Witness Tampering

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – An illegal alien from Honduras was arrested yesterday and charged with threatening the victim in a sexual exploitation case charged earlier this year in the Western District of Virginia. Dania Orellana-Gamez, 20, was arrested yesterday on a criminal complaint and charged with one count of witness tampering. She made her initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Charlottesville. Orellana-Gamez is the girlfriend of Bryan Sixto Arias-Chicas, who was charged in October 2025 with the May 2025 sexual exploitation of a 16-year-old Albemarle County, Virginia girl. Arias-Chicas is accused of getting the girl, Minor Victim 1 (MV1), so intoxicated that she could not walk and repeatedly having sex with her, as well as taking photos and videos of himself have sex with MV1. Gustavo Quintero was charged in January 2026 with the repeated sexual exploitation of MV1 in the months following the May 2025 sexual assault. In addition to sexual exploitation charges, Quintero has also been charged with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer . According to court documents, in February 2026, Orellana-Gamez contacted MV1 via Facebook Messenger and began harassing and threatening her. Orellana-Gamez told MV1 it was in her best interest to “keep quiet” and threatened to “upload all those videos and put your name on them,” referring to the alleged videos that Arias-Chicas had recorded of the sexual assault of MV1. Orellana-Gamez also threatened to post the videos “everywhere.” MV1 reported the contact to law enforcement and felt Orellana was attempting to scare her into not testifying in court. First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and HSI Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf made the announcement Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.


title: U.S. Attorney Charges Rockland County Man With Sexual Exploitation Of A Child

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the filing of a Complaint charging ALBER RODRIGEZ with sexual exploitation of a minor. RODRIGUEZ was arrested yesterday, presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court, and detained. “As alleged, Alber Rodriguez sexually abused a 12-year-old child and recorded that abuse—conduct that is as cruel as it is criminal,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This Office has zero tolerance for those who prey on children. Protecting New Yorkers, especially our youngest and most vulnerable, is our priority. If you exploit a child in this District, we will find you, we will charge you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We will not stop until those who endanger our children are taken off our streets and held fully accountable.” As alleged in the Complaint: [1] On or about April 11, 2026, an individual (“Witness-1”) reported to the Ramapo Police Department that Witness-1 had observed sexually explicit images of a minor (“Victim-1”) on a cellphone belonging to RODRIGUEZ. The images discovered by Witness-1 appeared in the photo gallery of RODRIGUEZ’s cellphone. The images appeared consecutively (one after another) in the photo gallery and were taken at a location in Rockland County, New York, on or about September 10, 2024, and September 13, 2024, when Victim-1 was 12 years old. Victim-1, who is now 13 years old, disclosed that RODRIGUEZ sexually abused Victim-1 on numerous occasions over the past two years, and on at least one occasion when Victim-1 was in Rockland County, RODRIGUEZ took photos of Victim-1 naked. On about April 11, 2026, RODRIGUEZ was arrested and charged in the Justice Court Village of Montebello, in Rockland County with Course of Sexual Conduct against a Child in the 1st Degree, Sexual Abuse, Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child, and Sexual Misconduct, among other charges. There may be other victims. If you have information to report, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov . * * * RODRIGUEZ, 48, of Montebello, New York, is charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. The statutory minimum and maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ramapo Police Department, the Rockland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office in connection with this investigation. The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samantha Briggs and Marcia S. Cohen are in charge of the prosecution. [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.


title: Dover Man with Four Prior Gun Convictions Sentenced  to 40 Months in Federal Prison

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – A Dover man was sentenced yesterday to 40 months in prison for drug dealing and possessing a gun after multiple prior felony convictions. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall imposed the sentence. According to court documents, Deontray Watson, 24, was released from state prison on a prior gun conviction in late February 2024. Less than a month later, law enforcement received information that Watson was once again armed and now dealing drugs. Law enforcement arrested Watson and an associate at a gas station. Inside their vehicle, law enforcement found fentanyl, crack cocaine, and a loaded, stolen handgun. The handgun was found beneath the passenger seat on top of Watson’s wallet. Watson ultimately pleaded guilty to federal gun and drug offenses. The gun conviction gives Watson five such convictions in the past ten years. U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace stated, “Deontray Watson has been an armed danger to Delaware since he was a teenager. That is why, after I became the U.S. Attorney for our District, I continued personally handling this case. The just sentence imposed by Judge Hall today is more than double the longest sentence Deontray Watson has previously served. It is my sincere hope that this is the punishment that finally gets through to Watson. I extend my thanks to our law enforcement partners at the ATF, the Dover Police Department, and Delaware Probation and Parole, all of whom did terrific work investigating this case.” ATF Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer stated, “This sentence reflects ATF’s commitment to targeting armed drug traffickers who fuel violence in our communities. By removing individuals who combine illegal narcotics distribution with firearms, we directly reduce the threat of violence in our community and show those who bring guns into our neighborhoods that they will be held accountable.” A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-129. ###


title: Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Assault for Stabbing

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty to stabbing a woman in the parking lot of a local business. According to court documents, on August 31, 2025, Tony Tsosie , 57, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed Jane Doe in the face and thigh with a sharp object in the parking lot of Bashas’ Diné Market in Shiprock, New Mexico. Tsosie was later detained by Navajo Police Department. Tsosie denied involvement, provided a false identity, and claimed not to be carrying a knife, though a witness described him stabbing the victim multiple times after a verbal altercation. The victim suffered serious bodily injury as a result of the assault. Tsosie pleaded guilty to assault resulting in serious bodily injury and faces a stipulated sentence of 24 months imprisonment at sentencing. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.


title: Morgan Lake Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Police Officer

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Morgan Lake man pleaded guilty to striking and injuring a Navajo Nation Police officer with his car. According to court documents, on September 28, 2025, officers from the Navajo Nation Police Department responded to a report of a suspected drunk driver. When they arrived in the area, the driver, Kendall Benally , 42, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, refused to obey commands and attempted to flee in his vehicle, striking and injuring an officer and a marked unit in the process. Benally then exited the vehicle and fled on foot and attempted to hide from officers. Benally was found and arrested a short time later. Benally pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a felony and faces up to 10 years in prison at sentencing. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Louisiana Deputy U.S. Marshal of Civil Rights and Obstruction of Justice Charges

body_text: Yesterday, a federal jury in the Western District of Louisiana, convicted Deputy United States Marshal Joshua Firmin of subjecting a prisoner to cruel and unusual punishment by severely assaulting the victim without cause. Firmin was also convicted of obstruction of justice for writing a false report about the incident. “When the defendant beat the victim without any lawful purpose or justification, he violated the Constitution and breached the public’s trust,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The jury’s verdict sends a clear message that all Americans — including prisoners — are entitled to basic human dignity.” The evidence at trial established that on Feb. 9, 2024, Firmin was supervising prisoner custody operations at the U.S. District Court in Lafayette, Louisiana, when he assaulted the victim while the victim was restrained in handcuffs, a belly chain, and leg irons. Firmin opened a locked cell door, grabbed the victim by the collar, and struck the victim in the face with a ring of cell keys. Then Firmin pulled the victim out of the cell and shoved him forcefully against the cellblock wall. Because the victim was unable to brace himself or dampen his fall due to his restraints, the victim’s head struck the cellblock wall forcefully, resulting in a scalp injury that required staples to close. Firmin later wrote and submitted an official U.S. Marshals Service incident report in which he falsely stated that he used force in reaction to the victim attempting to spit on him. The Office of the Inspector General, Houston Division, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chandra Menon for the Eastern District of Louisiana and Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Convicted Felon on Federal Supervised Release Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Gun Possession

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson announced that a convicted felon on supervised release was sentenced to prison yesterday for illegal gun possession. Dequan Keontez Chambers, 32, was sentenced to a total of 47 months in prison – 35 months for the firearm offense and a consecutive 12 months for violating his supervised release. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. On August 28, 2025, Chambers pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. “This was Chambers’ third criminal conviction involving firearms – and he committed this one while still on supervised release for the last one,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Everyone deserves a second chance, but not a third – we will seek lengthy prison sentences for repeat offenders like Chambers.” According to court documents, on July 4, 2026, at approximately 12:50 a.m., law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Chambers’ vehicle. During the traffic stop, the officers determined that Chambers was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction and had multiple outstanding state and federal arrest warrants. The officers ordered Chambers to exit the vehicle, but Chambers refused to comply. One of the officers observed that Chambers was armed. While one officer was holding onto Chambers’ arm, another officer removed a loaded .40 caliber pistol from the defendant’s waistband. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds of ammunition with one live round in the chamber. Chambers also had eight rounds of ammunition in his front pocket. After a tussle with one of the officers, Chambers was placed under arrest. While Chambers was in custody he slipped his handcuffs to the front twice, before shattering the window of the police vehicle transporting him to jail. Chambers is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. In 2016, Chambers was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a stolen firearm, and theft of a firearm. Chambers also has a 2013 state conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon, among several other state convictions. In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and the Biscoe Police Department for their investigation of the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina for their invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.


title: Alien Drug Trafficker from Colombia Sentenced to Five Years’ Imprisonment

body_text: SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An illegal alien from Columbia was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment after he possessed and intended to distribute fentanyl in the District of Utah. WMDTF The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow, comes after David Estiven Alvear Carcamo, 21, residing illegally in Kearns, Utah, pleaded guilty via felony information on January 20, 2026. In addition to his term of imprisonment, Carcamo was sentenced to four years of supervised release. Upon his release from imprisonment, Carcamo will be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings. According to court documents and statements made at Carcamo’s sentencing and change of plea hearings, a search warrant was executed on a residence and vehicle on March 4, 2025. During the search of the vehicle, agents seized approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills, and a handgun. See prior press release: Colombian National Indicted After Agents Seize Approximately 10,000 Fentanyl Pills and a Firearm . WMDTF First Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case was investigated jointly by the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), consisting of the FBI and the Davis Metro Narcotics Strike Force (DMNSF). The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Life Sentence for Florida Inmate Who Operated a Drug Trafficking Organization from Prison

body_text: Orlando, Florida – Omar Idonis Graciani Rodriguez (32, Orlando) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Anne-Leigh Gaylord Moe to life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and at least 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Graciani Rodriguez pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Graciani Rodriguez operated a drug trafficking organization while incarcerated in prison on state charges. Graciani Rodriguez used contraband cellphones to instruct non-incarcerated co-conspirators to pick up money and controlled substances from various addresses, then deliver the money and controlled substances to other individuals. Graciani Rodriguez instructed his co-conspirators to maintain ledgers and send photos of the ledgers and currency to himself. During the conspiracy that began no later than July 28, 2023, through November 30, 2023, Graciani Rodriguez directed his co-conspirators via phone calls, text messages and pictures. Specifically, during one transaction involving a kilogram of fentanyl, Graciani Rodriguez was on a contraband cellphone in real time from prison while his co-conspirator delivered the fentanyl to a buyer in the Middle District of Florida. During a sweep of prison cells in June of 2024, the correctional officer found Graciani Rodriguez with two hidden cellphones and a SIM card from one of the phones in Graciani Rodriguez’s mouth. Graciani Rodriguez swallowed the SIM card after being instructed to spit it out. The officer also found a drug ledger in Graciani Rodriguez’s cell. In total, Graciani Rodriguez distributed at least 400 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and at least 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and profited $211,903 in drug proceeds. Two co-conspirators, Rachel Beth Cordero and Mayerline Patricia Salcedo, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Cordero and Salcedo were sentenced on March 28, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger. Cordero was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months’ imprisonment. Salcedo was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with help from the Florida Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff. 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).


title: Former Jacksonville Church Pastor Indicted for Wire Fraud Involving SBA Paycheck Protection Program Loans

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Marcus Eichelberger (46), a former church pastor in Jacksonville, Florida, has been indicted on four counts of wire fraud related to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). If convicted, Eichelberger faces up to 20 years in federal prison per count. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to the indictment, between March 2021 and February 2022, Eichelberger directed another individual to fraudulently complete and submit applications for PPP loans from the SBA that they were not entitled to receive. As part of the application process, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual certified that the proceeds would be used to maintain payroll and pay expenses for a purported business. After the loans were approved, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual retained the proceeds for their personal use and not for any legitimate PPP purpose. Finally, it is alleged that Eichelberger and the other individual fraudulently applied for forgiveness of both loans, causing approximately $50,000 in loss. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who use fraud and deception to exploit our nation’s federal benefits programs,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of these taxpayer-funded programs.” “This case demonstrates the VA OIG’s unwavering commitment to detecting and preventing fraud,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “Through a proactive initiative with the SBA OIG, our investigation uncovered that a VA employee and the employee’s pastor fraudulently obtained federal relief funds intended for legitimate businesses in need. The VA OIG appreciates the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners as we work together to hold accountable anyone who exploits these critical programs.” 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 Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelli Swaney. The Department of Justice has created the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.


title: Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Illegally Possessing Machine Gun

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: ST. PAUL – A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds. “This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law-abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.” “The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.” The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set. The FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department investigated the case. Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.


title: Illegal Alien Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Federal Officers During Arrest

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PETERSON ROHR FERREIRA BORGES, 25, a citizen of Brazil illegally residing in the U.S., was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to nine months of imprisonment for assaulting a federal officer. According to court documents and statements made in court, Ferreira Borges has a case pending in Connecticut Superior Court stemming from an arrest on September 16, 2023. In that case, he is charged with assault of public safety, emergency medical, public transit or health care personnel; assault in the third degree; breach of peace in the second degree; interfering with an officer; and intimidation based on bigotry or bias in the first degree. On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an arrest warrant for Ferreira Borges charging him with being present in the U.S. in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act. On June 25, 2025, federal law enforcement officers, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations officers, apprehended Ferreira Borges in the area of Zion Street in Hartford. Ferreira Borges was non-compliant and resisted arrest. After being placed in a government vehicle, he kicked, flailed, and screamed obscenities at the ERO officers. As the vehicle traveled to the federal building on Main Street in Hartford, Ferreira Borges began raising and moving his leg, which was inches away from the ERO officer who was driving the vehicle, and Ferreira Borges stated he was going to kick the officer in the neck. Ferreira Borges then started to bite another ERO officer who tried to control him, and spit on the ERO officer who was driving the vehicle. Ferreira Borges has been detained since his arrest. On January 22, 2026, he pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer. He faces immigration proceedings when he completes his prison term. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: New Castle Woman Sentenced to Two-and-a-Half Years in Prison for Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Trafficking

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on her conviction of violating federal drug trafficking laws as part of a Homeland Security Task Force prosecution, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed the sentence on Alexis Donnell, 30, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine between August 2023 and August 2024. According to information presented to the Court, Donnell was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy that was based in Detroit, Michigan, and in New Castle. Donnell participated in the conspiracy by retailing fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine to her customers in both Lawrence County and Beaver County, Pennsylvania. Donnell had several prior convictions for crimes involving violence, drugs, and theft. Assistant United States Attorneys Craig W. Haller and V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Mercer County Drug Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Donnell. This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.


title: Four Charged with Trafficking Narcotics into Massachusetts from Puerto Rico and California through the Mail

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – Four individuals have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a conspiracy to distribute multiple kilograms of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. The following defendants have been indicted with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances: Alexander Pineda Nunez, 32, residing in Methuen, Mass.; Angel Luis Cedeno Moni, 31, unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass.; Raymond Cedeno Calderon, 3, residing in Clifton, N.J.; and Adrian Pena Rodriguez, 23, unlawfully residing in Haverhill, Mass. Pena is also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Pineda, Moni and Pena were arrested and made their initial appearance in Boston on April 7, 2026. They remain in custody pending detention hearings. Calderon is currently in custody in Tennessee and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, Pineda and Moni led a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that imported kilogram quantities of drugs to Massachusetts through the U.S. mail and other carriers. For example, Pineda, Moni, Pena and others allegedly arranged for kilogram quantities of cocaine to be mailed from Puerto Rico to various residential addresses in northeastern Massachusetts. Pineda and his co-conspirators would allegedly track the drug-laden packages and take them from the delivery address shortly after delivery, often at multiple locations on the same day. It is alleged that multiple packages mailed from Puerto Rico to the DTO in Massachusetts were seized—including one that was seized directly from Pena—and found to contain multiple kilograms of cocaine It is further alleged that Pineda and Moni also travelled to Arizona and California to send packages of fentanyl and methamphetamine back to Massachusetts through the U.S. Mail. In August and September 2025, six packages that had allegedly been sent from California by Moni and Pineda were seized and found to contain multiple kilograms of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted. E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Jeff Grimming, Acting, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Watertown Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Dell’Anno of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Boston Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America . HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Alabama Man Found Guilty of Child Exploitation Crimes

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Justin William Gifford, 26, of Enterprise, Alabama, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Tallahassee following a two-day trial on one count of attempted enticement of a minor, one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty verdict. U.S. Attorney Heekin said, “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners, and the excellent trial presentation by my Assistant U.S. Attorneys, this sexual predator will be held accountable for his attempts to sexually exploit a child. Keeping our kids safe is one of my highest priorities, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these cases to stop deviants like this defendant from sexually victimizing children and exploiting them online.” During the two-day jury trial, court records and evidence showed that Gifford was identified during a multi-agency law enforcement operation conducted in June 2025, after he responded to an online advertisement on a website known for escort services. Over a two-day period, Gifford engaged in increasingly sexually explicit text and telephone conversations with an undercover investigator posing as a 15-year-old child. During the conversations, Gifford sent a photograph of an erect penis to the child, then planned to meet the minor in Panama City Beach to engage in sexual activity. Gifford was electronically tracked travelling from his home in Enterprise, Alabama, to Panama City Beach, where he was arrested upon his arrival at the agreed location. After his arrest, forensic analysis of Gifford’s seized cellular telephone verified the communications and the obscene image were sent by him from his phone. Gifford faces a minimum mandatory sentence of ten years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, and is scheduled for sentencing in federal court before United States District Judge Mark A. Walker on June 25, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in Tallahassee, Florida. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Panama City Beach Police Department, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Eric K Mountin and Justin M. Keen. 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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 . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Texas Man Who Orchestrated $20 Million Cryptocurrency Scam Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison

body_text: CHICAGO — A Texas man who orchestrated a cryptocurrency scam that bilked nearly 1,000 investors out of more than $20 million has been sentenced to 23 years in federal prison. From 2018 to 2023, ROBERT DUNLAP claimed to operate a cryptocurrency business that sold a purported digital asset called “Meta-1 Coin” through a “Meta-1 Coin Trust.” Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that the Meta-1 Coin was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold. Dunlap falsely claimed that an accounting firm had audited the gold and certified its value. The purported art collection was alleged to have included works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and other acclaimed artists. Dunlap created bogus legal documents to conceal the fact that he did not actually possess the gold or art. Dunlap’s fraud scheme caused nearly 1,000 investors to lose more than $20 million. Many of the victim investors lost all of their savings. A federal jury in the Northern District of Illinois last year convicted Dunlap, 55, of Houston, Texas, on mail fraud charges. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt sentenced Dunlap to 23 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay restitution to his victims. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Defendant lied to investors for years telling them that he had created a safe investment for them,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hasten and Paige Nutini argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Over the years, defendant was unrepentant and his lies became bigger. Would-be criminals planning to engage in similar conduct need to know that such actions will be met with a serious repercussion that includes loss of one’s liberty for an extended period of time.” “Robert Dunlap didn’t just take money—he took years of hard work, trust, and financial security from his victims,” said IRS-CI SAC Jobes. “He used lies and deception to pull in millions, leaving some investors with nothing. Crimes like this don’t just hit bank accounts—they upend lives. This 23-year sentence reflects the depth of that harm and sends a clear warning: Those who exploit others for personal gain will be found, and they will face serious consequences.”


title: Maryland Man Sentenced for Role in Multi-Million Dollar  Money Laundering Conspiracy

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Hyattsville, Maryland, man learned his fate in federal court today, in connection with a multi-million-dollar money laundering scheme. Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Victor Killen, 33, to 63 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiring to engage in a large, multi-member, money laundering conspiracy. Judge Maddox also ordered Killen to pay $7,070,656.46 million in restitution and a $3-million order of forfeiture. Killen, who pled guilty to participating in the money laundering conspiracy in December 2025, admitted that at least $3 million in money laundering occurred pursuant to his direct participation in the conspiracy. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) – Washington, D.C. Field Office; and Acting Special Agent in Charge George Golliday, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General (EPA-OIG). According to court documents, beginning in 2021, and continuing into February 2024, Killen conspired with multiple individuals to launder proceeds of a large-scale wire fraud. The co-conspirators engaged in various financial transactions to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the wire-fraud proceeds, while carrying out the conspiracy. The victims included government agencies, organizations, and companies, including an environmental trust, urban redevelopment program, medical center, transportation and logistics company, school district, college, and county government, among others. Killen and his co-conspirators used and controlled several different encrypted electronic communication accounts, which they used in furtherance of the money laundering, including to supervise and manage the money laundering conspiracy. The co-conspirators worked with each other to create limited liability companies to serve as shell entities; open bank accounts and/or cause bank accounts to be opened in the name of shell entities; and receive and launder fraud proceeds. Pursuant to the conspiracy, the co-conspirators often engaged in multiple financial transactions in quick succession, frequently layering wire-fraud proceeds in multiple subsequent transactions. These financial transactions made it more difficult for the victims and law enforcement to recover the fraud proceeds. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland previously charged 14 defendants in connection with the money laundering conspiracy. Thirteen have pled guilty. Faizou Gnora, 28, previously of Alexandria, Virginia, remains a fugitive from justice. In connection with this prosecution, Yahya Sowe, 42, of Silver Spring, Maryland, Gedeon Agbeyome, 31, of Montgomery County, Maryland, and Areal El-Lovieta Harris, 24, of Hanover, Maryland, previously pled guilty, admitting to conspiring to commit money laundering. Additionally, Adanegbe Gift Osemwenkhae, 39, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland; Emily Gil Arias, 28, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Fatoumata Boiro, 32, of Largo, Maryland; Lawrence Ogunsanwo, 33; Lakeisha Parker, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland; Martin Ogisi, 37, of Severn, Maryland; Blondel Ndjouandjouaka, 31, of Silver Spring, Maryland; Kevin Colon, 34, of Curtis Bay, Maryland; and Lorena Perez Herrera, 29, of Silver Spring, Maryland, previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Agbeyome also admitted engaging in aggravated identity theft and Parker acknowledged engaging in a conspiracy to commit wire fraud. As part of his plea agreement, Gift and Sowe admitted that they served as managers or supervisors of the money laundering conspiracy. The overall conspiracy involved more than $20 million of money laundering, involving more than 15 different victim entities. The District Court previously sentenced: Agbeyome to 48 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, along with restitution of $2,938,424.65, and a $2.8 million preliminary order of forfeiture Ogunsanwo to 40 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $5,648,816.23 Parker to 36 months in federal prison, followed by three years supervised release and restitution of $8,306,930.95 Ogisi to 33 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $11,077,044.17 Ndjouandjouaka to 24 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release and restitution of $733,941.48 Colon to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and restitution of $2,515,159.63 This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which seeks to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a collaborative and comprehensive response to the growing threat to public safety and national security. The HSTF integrates personnel, including law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff, from federal agencies to combat crime in our communities. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HSI-led Document and Benefit Fraud/Mid-Atlantic El Dorado Task Force, and thanked IRS-CI and EPA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes praised the Anne Arundel County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County Police Departments for their assistance. She also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber, Bijon A. Mostoufi, and Jared M. Beim, who prosecuted the federal case, and Paralegal Specialist Joanna B.N. Huber for her assistance. The resolution in MJM-23-304 and today’s sentence does not impact the pending charges in United States v. Victor Killen , MJM-25-334, which the United States is continuing to pursue. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud .


title: Defendant Sentenced To Prison For Hacking Betting Website

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that KAMERIN STOKES, a/k/a “TheMFNPlug,” was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in a scheme to hack user accounts on a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts, resulting in losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the users. STOKES was sentenced today before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald. On April 25, 2024, STOKES pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion. “Kamerin Stokes victimized thousands of users of an online betting website though a cyberattack,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “After pleading guilty to federal crimes, Stokes audaciously reopened his criminal business, marketed using the tagline ‘fraud is fun,’ and said that he opened the new Shop in part because ‘gotta pay my attorneys,’ referring to his prosecution in this case. Fraud is not fun; fraud on the street or fraud online will not be tolerated. Today’s federal prison sentence is a direct message to any others who think online fraud is different.” According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court: On or about November 18, 2022, several individuals launched a “credential stuffing attack” on the Betting Website. During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials, or username and password pairs, obtained from other large-scale data breaches of other companies, which can be purchased on the dark web. The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers, in order to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password. Here, in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, there was a series of attempts to log into the Betting Website accounts using a large list of stolen credentials. Those individuals successfully accessed approximately 60,000 accounts at the Betting Website (the “Victim Accounts”) through the credential stuffing attack. In some instances, the individuals who unlawfully accessed the Victim Accounts were able to add a new payment method on the account, deposit $5 into that account through the new payment method to verify that method, and then withdraw all the existing funds in the Victim Account through the new payment method ( i.e ., to a newly added financial account belonging to the hacker), thus stealing the funds in the Victim Account. Access to the Victim Accounts was sold on various websites that traffic in stolen accounts, which are frequently referred to as “Shops.” STOKES controlled his own Shop, used the alias “TheMFNPlug,” and purchased Victim Accounts in bulk. STOKES obtained Victim Accounts from the Betting Website with a total listed account value of over $125,000 and then offered access to those accounts for sale on his Shop. After pleading guilty, STOKES reopened his Shop website, offering for sale access to stolen accounts of various retailers. STOKES advertised his reopened Shop using the tagline “fraud is fun,” and said that he had been running these types of shops for three years. He further said that he opened the new Shop in part because “gotta pay my attorneys,” referring to his prosecution in this case. After reopening his Shop website, STOKES was rearrested for violating the conditions of his pretrial release and remanded into federal custody. * * * In addition to the prison term, STOKES, 23, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $125,965.53 in forfeiture and $1,327,061 in restitution. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Micah Fergenson are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former Track & Field Coach Charged in Superseding Indictment for Child Exploitation

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 15, 2026, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging former track and field coach Miguel Ángel García-López, 29, from Carolina, Puerto Rico, for child exploitation, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. García-López was arrested on December 12, 2025, and is in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons. According to court documents, from May 2025 to November 2025, Miguel Ángel García-López induced, enticed and coerced five female minors: two 13-year-old minors, one 14-year-old minor and two 15-year-old minors, to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce child pornography and/or transport a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. The defendant used his cellular phone to record the victims while communicating with them. During the communications, the defendant requested sexually explicit images to the minors. The defendant also recorded the minors while engaging in sexually explicit conduct with him. If you think someone you know might be a victim of this defendant or any other predator, please report it so the proper authorities can investigate. García-López is charged with four counts of production of child exploitation material; one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; two counts of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity/attempt; and one count of receipt of child exploitation material. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elba Gorbea of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, is prosecuting the case. FBI San Juan is in charge of the investigation. If convicted for the charges the defendant faces the following penalties: production of child exploitation material - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years; coercion and enticement of a minor - a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life in prison; (3) transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity/attempt - mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; and receipt of child exploitation material – a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. All charges of conviction are to be followed by a term of supervised release after imprisonment of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. 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: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Hiring of Eight Experienced Attorneys

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus on Thursday announced the hiring of eight experienced legal professionals, including a judge, law clerks and state prosecutors. “I am very pleased to welcome this group of talented lawyers to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. I know they are anxious to dig in and assist the great, cooperative law enforcement community in the St. Louis region,” said U.S. Attorney Albus. “The good news is that we have even more people in our hiring pipeline and anticipate adding more AUSAs and much needed support and administrative staff to our team in the coming months.” Dereck Basinger will join the civil division. Basinger will come to the office at the completion of his clerkship to the Honorable Matthew T. Schelp, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri. Basinger is a graduate of St. Louis University Law School. Teresa Bomkamp will join the national security unit of the criminal division. Bomkamp comes to the office from the Hesse Group. Before entering private practice, Bomkamp served as a prosecutor for more than 20 years with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Bomkamp is a graduate of St. Louis University School of Law. Thomas Farrell will join the homeland security task force of the criminal division. Farrell will come to the office at the completion of his clerkship to the Honorable Stephen P. McGlynn, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois. Farrell is a retired officer of the United States Navy. He is a graduate of Washington University School of Law. Samuel Freedlund will join the violent crime unit of the criminal division. Freedlund comes from the Missouri Attorney General’s Office where he served as a deputy solicitor general. Freedlund is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School. Joseph Green will join the violent crime unit of the criminal division. Green has given more than ten years of service as an Associate Circuit Judge for St Louis County. Before becoming a judge, Green had an extensive criminal practice in state and federal court. Green is a graduate of St. Louis University Law School. Onalee Irwin will join the civil division. Irwin joins the office from the litigation section of Armstrong Teasdale LLP in St. Louis. Irwin is a graduate of St. Louis University Law School. Sila Karacal will join the national security unit of the criminal division. Karacal comes to the office having served more than twelve years in the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Karacal is a graduate of Syracuse University College of Law. Jeffrey Pauck will join the homeland security task force of the criminal division. Pauck comes to the office having served more than twelve years in the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Pauck is a graduate of the University of Illinois School of Law. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri represent the people of the United States by investigating and prosecuting federal crimes, enforcing civil rights and remedies and protecting the interests of the United States, including representing the federal government, its agencies and employees in civil court actions and collecting judgments on debts to the federal government, including unpaid restitution and unpaid fines. The district covers 49 counties in the eastern half of the state.