title: Federal grand jury indicts 11 Venezuelan & Colombian illegal aliens for sex, drug, firearm trafficking

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – Eleven illegal aliens from Venezuela and Colombia have been charged federally in a case involving the sex trafficking of a minor and an adult, drug trafficking, and firearms trafficking. Ten were arrested today in Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida. “These defendants—ten of whom are currently illegally present in this country—allegedly engaged in a panoply of illicit trafficking activity, from drugs to firearms to human beings,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We have no tolerance for anybody who commits such crimes in our communities and we will prosecute them to fullest extent of the law.” “We will continue to work hard to keep Ohio safe and get narcotics, firearms, and violent criminals off the streets,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie. “These indictments would not be possible without the strong partnerships with our state, local, and federal partners.” “Today’s enforcement actions are the result of continued coordination with our law enforcement partners to investigate networks of criminals who illegally possess and sell firearms,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo. “The ATF will continue to hold accountable those who violate federal firearms laws.” “This indictment demonstrates the Homeland Security Task Force’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities from transnational criminal organizations that profit from exploiting vulnerable individuals and trafficking dangerous drugs and firearms,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “HSI, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate and dismantle criminal networks that threaten public safety.” A Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) investigation led to the 30-count indictment that was returned on June 11 and unsealed today. According to the indictment, from July through August 2025, four of the defendants conspired to sex traffic a minor between the ages of 14 and 18 years old and an adult victim. The charging document details that, in relation to this alleged conspiracy, defendants traveled interstate to promote prostitution. Additional charges included creating online commercial sex advertisements in the central Ohio area. From at least May 2025 until April 2026, defendants allegedly participated in a narcotics conspiracy involving MDMA or ecstasy. Finally, the indictment alleges that some of the defendants unlawfully possessed firearms as illegal aliens and illegally trafficked at least nine firearms. Those indicted and a list of their charges includes: Name Age Residence Nationality Jean Pierre Alejandro Guillen Salcedo 30 Hilliard, Ohio Venezuelan Briyi Daniela Ordonez-Iter 21 Hilliard, Ohio Colombian Keivar Elian Guillen Salcedo 26 Charlotte, NC Venezuelan Dervin Alejandro Colmenares Quintero 29 Mexico Venezuelan Taidin Adreina Ferrer Guillen 34 Hilliard, Ohio Venezuelan John Alexandre Fajardo-Ulzcategui 27 Smyrna, Tennessee Venezuelan Pedro Angel Colls-Flores 34 Columbus, Ohio Venezuelan Julian David Patino Pena 33 Columbus, Ohio Colombian Jose Ruben Sanchez-Pena 34 Smyrna, Tennessee Venezuelan Alismar Daniela Contreras-Arevalo 20 Columbus, Ohio Venezuelan Therry Brayant Leon Gavida 34 Jacksonville, Florida Venezuelan Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); and Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit announced the charges. The Columbus Division of Police, DEA, Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and United States Marshals Service have provided significant assistance in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Sheila G. Lafferty and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States. This case 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 Columbus comprises agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Houma Man Sentenced for Possessing Over 7 Pounds of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – VAN VESSEL , (“VESSEL”) , age 50, of Houma, Louisiana was sentenced on June 24, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Lance Africk to 262 months imprisonment, to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to possessing over 500 grams of methamphetamine intended for distribution, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. According to court records, during the early morning hours of May 18, 2025, Houma Police Department officers attempted to stop a vehicle driven by VESSEL for not having operating headlights and taillights. VESSEL fled from officers at a high rate of speed, but ultimately crashed his vehicle, and was arrested. A search of the vehicle VESSEL crashed revealed over seven (7) pounds of methamphetamine packaged in a large, vacuum sealed bag, located on the passenger floorboard. VESSEL later admitted to law enforcement that he knew the methamphetamine was in the vehicle, and that he possessed this methamphetamine for distribution purposes. United States Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Houma Police Department, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: Upstate New York Woman Arrested, Charged with Attempting to Provide Material Support to the Palestine Islamic Jihad

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that Catherine Beth Washburn, 37, of Irondequoit, New York, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with attempting to provide material support and resources, namely currency, to designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) also known as Al-Quds Brigades. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. According to the criminal complaint, Washburn is a leader of the Direct Action Movement for Palestinian Liberation (DAMPL), an extremist organization formed in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023. DAMPL rejects the idea of peaceful protests and engages in “direct action” — including acts of sabotage and property destruction — in support of the Palestinian cause and against entities that it associates with Israel. “As alleged, Washburn repeatedly voiced support for violence against Israeli civilians and attempted to provide material support to the Palestine Islamic Jihad by sending cryptocurrency to an individual who claimed to participate in its attacks,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Those who aid foreign terrorist groups will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” “As alleged in the complaint, this defendant, fueled by her self-described hate of Israel and Jewish people, went to great lengths to attempt to provide financial support to terrorist organizations that use violence to further their agendas, including the Palestine Islamic Jihad,” said U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York. “Despite her alleged attempts, including cryptic communications with a fighter involved in violent attacks in an area thousands of miles away, Catherine Washburn was stopped and so too were her efforts to support violent extremism.” “This individual, as alleged in the criminal complaint, provided money to a foreign terrorist organization engaged in acts of violence,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI is committed to cutting off funding to terrorist groups and will continue to work side-by-side with our Justice Department partners to make sure anyone who engages in terrorism or provides assistance to such organizations is held fully accountable in our justice system.” In February and March 2026, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) executed search warrants and recovered electronic messages between Washburn and an individual who identified as a PIJ fighter in Gaza and claimed to have engaged in attacks with PIJ against Israel. In one of the messages, Washburn stated, “[i]f I lived in Gaza, I would fight alongside the resistance.” Washburn praised his bravery and stated, “I wish every day were October 7th.” Washburn further stated in that message that the individual was not the first fighter she had met, that she hated Jews “very much,” and that she wished Israel “would disappear.” In other messages, Washburn and the individual discussed purported PIJ attacks on Israel, weapons, and ammunition. In one message, Washburn stated, “I feel excited every time I see news of the killing of an occupation soldier.” Washburn pictured with two hand grenades in front of Hamas flag. An analysis of financial records determined that Washburn was sending cryptocurrency to this individual, making approximately 80 transfers of cryptocurrency totaling approximately 30,116 USDC, which is the equivalent of $30,116, to an account he used. In a November 2025 message, Washburn stated, “[b]ased on my passed [sic] fundraising and posting Im [sic] gonna get put away for a few life times,” and included what appears to be a laughing emoji. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett A. Harvey for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Allen D. Davis II. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.


title: Cuban illegal alien sent to federal prison for role in human smuggling operation

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 29-year-old illegal alien from Cuba living in Houston has been ordered to federal prison in a crime that involved transporting numerous illegal aliens, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. Juan Manuel Sifontes-Sinales pleaded guilty Feb. 12. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Sifontes-Sinales to serve 18 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the conduct Sifontes-Sinales demonstrated showed a reckless disregard for human life. Judge Ramos also expressed concern about the number of the aliens who were transported. On Oct. 17, 2025, Sifontes-Sinales approached the Javier Vega Jr. Border Patrol checkpoint near Sarita driving a box truck. At that time, law enforcement determined he did not have legal authorization to be in the country. A scan of the vehicle also revealed anomalies in the cargo area. Authorities conducted a search and uncovered a false wall concealing a compartment containing 19 illegal aliens without food, water or the ability to sit. The investigation revealed communications Sifontes-Sinales had with smugglers, including the stash house caretaker. His phone also showed the phone number used to send instructions to the hidden aliens in the box truck. Records showed his truck had crossed the checkpoint six times, each accompanied by the same scout vehicle. Further investigation also revealed that the smuggling operation as a whole that he was involved with had transported more than 25 illegal aliens. Sifontes-Sinales has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Young Min Burkett prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Billings man sentenced to 20 years in prison for trafficking meth with a gun

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison for selling meth, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also sentenced to five years for possessing a gun, followed by five years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Dustin Lee Wolff, 42, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of using a dangerous weapon in a drug crime. His sentences for the two crimes will run consecutively. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided. The government alleged in court documents that Wolff was selling meth in the Billings area. The case began in spring 2025 when the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and the Billings Police Department Street Crimes Unit learned that Wolff was possibly involved in drug trafficking. Billings police pulled over Wolff on May 5, 2025, after he made an illegal U-turn and initially refused to stop. Officers questioned Wolff and he admitted to selling meth. They searched his truck and found just under a pound of meth, a stolen 9mm Glock pistol, a Smith & Wesson .380 caliber pistol and $14,525 in cash, suspected to be proceeds from drug sales. Nearly three weeks later, on May 22, 2025, Task Force agents watched Wolff sell drugs to a known drug addict. At this point, Wolff had an outstanding warrant for his arrest and so Task Force agents stopped and arrested him. In his truck, law enforcement found another pound of meth, a stolen 9mm Taurus pistol, a .223 caliber AR pistol, cash, and drug paraphernalia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich prosecuted the case. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.


title: Vietnamese National Pleads Guilty To Conspiring To Commit Identity Theft In Connection With $67 Million Dollar Money Laundering Scheme

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that LE VAN HUNG, a/k/a “Hung Van Le,” a/k/a “Van Hung Le,” pled guilty to participating in a conspiracy to commit identity theft based on his role in a transnational scheme to launder at least approximately $67 million of illegally obtained funds to benefit, among others, a multinational media company headquartered in New York, New York (the “Media Company”). HUNG pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stewart D. Aaron and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on September 29, 2026. “For nearly four years, Le Van Hung oversaw an operation that stole the identities of thousands of Americans for use in a sprawling money laundering conspiracy,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Today’s guilty plea, together with Hung’s agreement to forfeit $67,000,000 and make restitution to victims of this scheme, demonstrate the commitment of this Office to hold perpetrators of financial crimes accountable and to stand up for victims.” According to the charging documents and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: From at least in or about 2020, through in or about May 2024, HUNG, while working for the Vietnamese office of the Media Company, conspired with others to participate in a sprawling, transnational scheme to launder at least approximately $67 million of illegally obtained funds to bank accounts in the names of the Media Company and related entities. In order to further the money laundering scheme, HUNG exploited stolen personally identifiable information and documents of thousands of U.S. residents in order to, among other things, open and maintain financial accounts that were used to launder fraud proceeds. HUNG also recruited and managed various co-conspirators, including co-conspirators who worked with the Media Company’s “Make Money Online” team. * * * HUNG, 31, of Vietnam, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit identity theft, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. HUNG also agreed to forfeit at least $67 million, representing proceeds traceable to the offense, and separately to pay restitution up to $67 million. The maximum potential sentence in this case is 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 outstanding investigative work of the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin M. Burkett, Rebecca T. Dell, Paul M. Monteleoni, Daniel C. Richenthal, and Amanda C. Weingarten are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Idaho Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison For Cyberstalking

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Rigby, Idaho man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for cyberstalking a Massachusetts professor over the course of nearly six months. Edward John Kay, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kay was also ordered to pay $16,586.31 in restitution. In January 2026, Kay pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking. In July 2025, Kay was arrested and charged by criminal complaint. Kay met the victim in January 2025 when he enrolled in the victim’s online course, which the victim taught at a university’s extension school. After one Zoom meeting with the victim and one virtual class session, Kay became fixated on the victim, dropped the course, and proceeded to harass and intimidate the victim over email and LinkedIn. Between January and July of 2025, Kay sent the victim over 80 harassing communications via LinkedIn and email and also posted about her publicly on LinkedIn. In the communications, Kay oscillated between expressing his love and admiration for the victim, to threatening her safety and livelihood. Some of the communications also mentioned the victim’s minor child by name. The communications included: A LinkedIn message, in which Kay stated: “I miss you-truly, deeply- with all of my heart and soul. That day I saw you on Zoom…You were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Not just appearance. Everything. Your presence. Your mind. Your light. To gain you…and then to lose you like that? It devastated me;” An email sent to several of the university’s offices with the victim copied, in which Kay threatened to file a licensing board complaint against the victim unless the university complied with his demands and stated: “Dr. [victim’s last name] has been copied on all communications. She knows what is coming.” He added that this was only the “VERY BEGINNING” because “Every day, starting today, will mark a **new action of serious consequence**, taken by me in accordance with divine alignment and institutional justice;” An anonymous email sent to the victim from the email address [victim’s name]consience@protonmail.com, in which Kay professed his love for the victim, encouraged the victim to leave the university and stated, “You are still free. But you are not unreachable.”; and A poem posted publicly to his LinkedIn profile in which he described the victim as a mouse living in a maze that needed to be set on fire. In addition, Kay told another university professor about his obsession with the victim and his desire to separate the victim from her husband. After his arrest, Kay’s partner told law enforcement that Kay believed he was going to build a compound in Wyoming and live there with the victim and her minor child. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI Salt Lake City and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Over 1 Year in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on June 22, 2026. Harold White Hat, age 42, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund . White Hat was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on February 25, 2026. White Hat was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in United States District Court, District of South Dakota, in May 2022. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and regularly update his registration. In September 2025, White Hat updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Sioux Falls. Later, however, White Hat left that residence and did not update his registration. An arrest warrant was issued, and on November 17, 2025, White Hat was arrested in Sioux Falls. This case was brought as a 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 the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case. White Hat was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Three Illegal Alien MS-13 Members Convicted of Nine Murders, Kidnapping, and Racketeering Charges Following Homeland Security Task Force Effort

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS — Today, a federal jury in the District of Nevada convicted three men, Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, 30, also known as “Molesto,” of El Salvador; David Arturo Perez-Manchame, 27, also known as “Herbi,” of Honduras; and Joel Vargas-Escobar, 30, also known as “Momia,” of El Salvador, of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murders and attempted murder, as well as murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related gun offenses. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) composed largely of individuals of Salvadoran or other Central American descent. MS-13 members and associates are organized by subsets known as “cliques,” and each clique typically has one or more leaders, commonly referred to as “shot callers.” The defendants were members of the Parkview clique operating in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prospective MS-13 members ordinarily must participate in the murder of rival gang members, known as “chavalas,” to gain entrance and maintain and increase position within MS-13. According to evidence presented at trial, Vargas-Escobar was the leader of the Parkview clique of MS-13 in Las Vegas up until his arrest on New Year’s Eve of 2017. Reyes-Castillo then became the ranking “Homeboy” of the Parkview clique in Las Vegas. Perez-Manchame was a member of the Parkview clique. Collectively, these three men committed nine murders, over approximately a year, in Nevada and California. Evidence at trial was presented showing that many of the victims were kidnapped by MS-13 members and taken to remote locations in the mountains and desert where those victims were tortured and killed. “Thanks to the tireless work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, these MS-13 members will be held accountable for the horrific violence they unleashed on U.S. communities during their year-long killing spree,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will continue to use every tool available to us to dismantle MS-13 and other deadly transnational criminal organizations.” “The depravity and complete devaluing of human life of these defendants, who were responsible for killing nine victims and shooting others, is beyond comprehension,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gangs like MS-13 terrorize communities with violence and killing. The Criminal Division will pursue these violent transnational criminal organizations in this exact way – charge these depraved gang members in bunches and try them for their brazen crimes in a way that highlights exactly what they do, which is systemically kill. These defendants will now face a sentencing hearing where, rightly, their liberty for the rest of their lives is at stake.” “These convictions deliver a clear and uncompromising message: MS 13’s violence will be met with the full power of federal prosecution,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “These defendants carried out a campaign of terror marked by murders, kidnappings, and brutality. Their reign of violence ends today. The Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force is unyielding in its mission — we will hunt down violent gang members, dismantle their networks, and drive transnational criminal organizations out of our communities. Southern Nevada will not be a refuge for predators or the terror they attempt to unleash.” “This FBI has made wiping out violent gangs in America a top priority – including MS-13 — arresting over 2,500 violent gangs and criminal enterprises since last year, up 322%,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s conviction is just the latest example — with three MS-13 gang members convicted of nine murders, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and more in Las Vegas. These gangs have terrorized our communities for far too long, and under this administration and law enforcement team, they are no longer allowed to operate with impunity in America. This FBI will continue working with our partners across the country to dismantle their presence coast to coast.” “Today's conviction underscores the unwavering commitment of FBI Las Vegas working alongside our federal and local partners in eradicating gang violence that endangers our communities through senseless crime, murder, and kidnapping,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “The FBI has recently initiated Operation Summer Heat 2.0, a nationwide campaign dedicated to combating violent crime during the summer. MS-13 gang members are known for acts of brutality, violence, and intimidation. Despite these threats, the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and eliminate this danger.” “These convictions send a powerful message to violent transnational gangs like MS-13 — your reign of terror will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains at the forefront of the fight against gangs that traffic in violence, fear, and exploitation, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue these criminals to ensure the safety and security of the American people.” "We are proud of the relationship the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has with our federal partners on the Homeland Security Task Force," said Undersheriff Andrew Walsh for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. "The work we do together ensures our community remains one of the safest in America. We are especially proud of the work of our LVMPD homicide detectives who investigated these cases. The LVMPD Homicide Bureau consistently maintains a solve rate of over 95% annually. Since Sheriff Kevin McMahill took office in 2023, the homicide rate in Las Vegas has dropped 43%." Photo recovered on cell phone of Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo. At trial, evidence was presented about the following murders committed by Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame, Vargas-Escobar and other members of MS-13: In December 2017, the Parkview clique “greenlit” the death of murder victim 1 who was a member of a rival gang. On Dec. 18, Reyes-Castillo and another MS-13 member kidnapped murder victim 1 from downtown Mendota, California, and drove him to a rural area. Reyes-Castillo then took murder victim 1, along with several other MS-13 members, to another location and murdered him with a machete and knives, striking him so brutally that he was left unrecognizable. On Dec. 31, 2017, Reyes-Castillo, Vargas-Escobar, and another MS-13 member killed murder victim 2 by shooting him multiple times in front of a house in Las Vegas. The MS-13 members saw murder victim 2 outside of an alleged drug house and believed he was dealing marijuana in their territory. They murdered him to reduce competition for MS-13 drug dealers. On Jan. 9, 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 3, drove him to the desert and killed him by shooting and stabbing him multiple times. The MS-13 members believed murder victim 3 had defected to the rival 18th Street gang and thus targeted him to interrogate him and murder him. The victim’s body was found almost three weeks later, on a mountain near Las Vegas. On Jan. 21, 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 4 from a nightclub and drove him to the desert. They murdered him by shooting and stabbing him multiple times. Murder victim 4 was targeted by the Parkview MS-13 clique for being a rival 18th Street gang member. They had gotten his name from interrogating a previous victim. On Feb. 6, 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members were again searching for rival gang members. They killed two victims (murder victims 5 and 6) in a drive-by shooting. A third victim was hit by gunfire and survived. The MS-13 members believed the men were in rival gang territory and could be rival 18th Street gang members. On Feb. 9, 2018, Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 7, who they believed was a rival gang member because of the way he was dressed and his tattoo. They drove him to a mountain and murdered him by stabbing him over 200 times; his decomposing body was found in the mountains about three weeks later. Sometime in February 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 8 as he had been named as an 18th Street gang member by a previous victim. The MS-13 members, including Reyes-Castillo, drove murder victim 8 to the mountains outside of Las Vegas and killed him by shooting him 20 times. On March 1, 2018, Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame and another MS-13 member kidnapped murder victim 9 and drove him up to the mountains near Las Vegas. They believed murder victim 9 was a rival gang member because he was in 18th Street gang territory. They murdered him by stabbing him more than 120 times. The jury convicted Reyes-Castillo of one count of racketeering influenced corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering, seven counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, six counts of causing death through the use of a firearm, five counts of kidnapping in aid of racketeering, and one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. The jury convicted Perez-Manchame of one count of RICO conspiracy, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and two counts of kidnappings in aid of racketeering. The jury convicted Vargas-Escobar of one count of RICO conspiracy, one count of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of causing death through the use of a firearm. Each of these defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison without parole. Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 10, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, HSI, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Bureau investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California also provided assistance. Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanee Smith and Steven Rose for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. This case 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 U.S. 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. The Las Vegas HSTF comprises agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. Charges in this case were supported by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target Tren de Aragua (TdA). JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the District of Nevada; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and District of Arizona, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Criminal Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. ###


title: Malibu Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Her Fraudster Boyfriend Escape Incarceration and Sentencing in His U.S. Criminal Case

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Malibu woman pleaded guilty today to helping her convicted fraudster boyfriend hide from federal law enforcement, hide out in Mexico, and then later flee to his native Germany to avoid incarceration and sentencing in his U.S. criminal case. Lucinda Jane Weist Manera, 63, a.k.a. “Lucy Weist,” pleaded guilty to one felony count of being an accessory after the fact. According to her plea agreement, in April 2025, a federal jury found Bernhard Eugen Fritsch , 64, then of Malibu, guilty of one count of wire fraud. From 2014 to 2017, Fritsch defrauded investors out of more than $20 million by lying to them about his technology company’s financial performance related to a software application designed to help celebrities and social media influencers monetize their brand endorsements, according to evidence presented at a nine-day trial. Manera was present in the courtroom when the guilty verdict against Fritsch was read. Fritsch was free on bond at the time. A hearing related to Fritsch’s potential remand into federal custody was scheduled for June 2, 2025, and he was to be sentenced at a later date. On June 2, 2025, Fritsch fled the United States by car and crossed the international border into Mexico to avoid being taken into custody at the June 2 hearing and avoid serving any prison sentence related to his fraud conviction. From June 2025 to September 2025, Manera assisted Fritsch with the purpose of hindering and preventing Fritsch’s apprehension and punishment, including by lying to FBI special agents that she hadn’t spoken to Fritsch within a day of his scheduled June 2 hearing. Manera also made at least 10 payments from June 2025 to September 2025 totaling approximately $7,475 to a third party, knowing that Fritsch was hiding out at that third party’s home. She also authorized a $534 charge to her bank account for Fritsch to stay at a hotel in Mexico. In September 2025, she searched the internet on Fritsch’s behalf for information on how he could leave Mexico and travel to his native Germany. Germany generally prohibits the extradition of its citizens. In October 2025, Fritsch was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in federal prison, fined $35,000, and ordered to pay $26,806,901 in restitution. In April 2026, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed Fritsch’s appeal due to his fugitive status, because a fugitive criminal defendant is generally not entitled to a decision on the merits of his claims. If Fritsch surrenders to authorities by August 21, 2026, he may move to reinstate the appeal. United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer scheduled an October 5 sentencing hearing, at which time Manera will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. The FBI is investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Afghan Man Sentenced to 22 Months for Possessing a Firearm While Illegally in the U.S.

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Syed Haider Najib, 30, of Phoenix, was sentenced on June 22, by Senior United States District Judge Douglas L. Rayes to 22 months in prison. Najib previously pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, an Alien Illegally and Unlawfully in the United States. Najib, who is originally from Afghanistan, has been illegally and unlawfully present in the United States since at least March 8, 2018, when his asylum application to remain in the United States permanently was denied and a final order of removal was issued by a United States Immigration Judge. Because of conditions in Afghanistan, Najib was ordered removed to a third country. A third country could not be found for him, so he was released from custody. However, as he is still illegally and unlawfully present in the United States, Najib is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law. In 2023, FBI special agents discovered photographs and videos of Najib with a firearm on a social media site. During a search of Najib’s home and car in October 2023, agents from FBI and HSI discovered an AR15-style rifle, a high-capacity magazine, and more than 175 rounds of ammunition in his car. As part of his plea agreement with the government, Najib agreed to forfeit the rifle and abandon the ammunition. The FBI’s Phoenix Division, Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1445-PHX-DLR RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-112_Najib # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Concord Resident Sentenced To 21 Months In Federal Prison After Pleading Guilty In Million-Dollar Fraud Scheme Involving The Sale Of Counterfeit Sports Memorabilia

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Daniel Damato was sentenced today to 21 months in federal prison for his role in a wire fraud scheme in which he knowingly sold counterfeit sports memorabilia and attempted to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into his criminal conduct. United States District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín handed down the sentence. Damato, 40, of Concord, California, was charged by Information on October 20, 2025, with one count of wire fraud. The Information alleged that between 2022 and 2024, Damato, a sports memorabilia dealer, doctored and gave false provenance to valuable items to make them appear as authentic and legitimate sports collectables. Damato then attempted to sell these items to unsuspecting buyers at heavily inflated prices. The Information specifically described two sports memorabilia items Damato fraudulently marketed and sold—a baseball bat he represented was a 1954 game-used World Series bat and a jersey he asserted was a 1972 game-worn jersey. Damato claimed that the bat was used and the jersey was worn by Willie Mays, described as one of the greatest baseball players who ever lived, according to the Information On December 8, 2025, Damato pled guilty to the wire fraud count charged in the Information. In connection with his plea, Damato admitted that despite his assertions to the contrary, the bat he sold for $100,000 to one victim had not been used in the 1954 World Series by Mays. Rather, Damato admitted that the bat was a “factory error” bat that was an inch shorter than what Mays used during his career. Damato further admitted that he sold other fraudulent items, including a jersey he falsely claimed was worn by Mays that he sold for $50,000 to a second victim. In addition, the Court found that Damato defrauded a third victim in connection with his sports memorabilia scheme, determining that Damato stole over $900,000 from that victim while falsely promising to deliver sports memorabilia. In addition to his fraudulent conduct, Damato admitted in his plea agreement that after the FBI executed a search warrant on his residence, he contacted at least one potential witness in an attempt to obstruct the government’s investigation. United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Scott Schelble made the announcement. In addition to the prison term, Judge Martínez-Olguín sentenced Damato to a three-year period of supervised release and ordered restitution in the amount of $1,068,940. Damato had previously been remanded into custody and will begin serving his sentence immediately. Assistant United States Attorney Abraham Fine is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Vermont U.S. Attorney’s Office Prosecutes 60 Defendants For Crimes Related to Unlawful Border Crossings from Canada

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: BURLINGTON – Over the last six weeks, unlawful crossing activity at Vermont’s international border with Canada has increased significantly, resulting in a substantial number of criminal prosecutions in the District of Vermont. Since May 22, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont has prosecuted 60 defendants for crimes related to unlawful border crossings. These 60 defendants were citizens and nationals of 20 different foreign countries including Angola, Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, India, Iran, Ireland, Jamaica, Mauritania, Mexico, Romania, Senegal, Spain, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. Court proceedings required interpretation services for 12 different languages. Four of the defendants were charged with felony alien smuggling offenses. One defendant was charged with felony unlawful reentry after a prior removal. The remainder of the defendants were charged with misdemeanor illegal entry. One of the alien smuggling cases occurred on June 11, 2026. According to court records, a minivan linked to prior smuggling activity was located by Border Patrol in Newport, Vermont. The minivan drove at a high rate of speed through streets in the City of Newport, eventually merging onto Interstate 91 southbound. Border Patrol successfully stopped the vehicle on Interstate 91. An immigration inspection revealed that the driver of the minivan was Eduardo Luis Frias-Urena, age 37, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, who has lawful permanent resident status in the United States. In the back seat, agents located Ion Tulceanu, age 31, a citizen of Romania. Tulceanu admitted he had flown from Romania to Poland, and then to Toronto, Canada, rode a bus to Montreal, and paid for a ride to the border, where he crossed the border on foot. On June 12, 2026, Tulceanu pleaded guilty to illegal entry and received a sentence of time served from United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Frias-Urena was charged by criminal complaint with transportation of an illegal alien and was ordered by Magistrate Judge Doyle to be released on conditions pending trial. Another alien smuggling case occurred on June 20, 2026. According to court records, Border Patrol surveillance detected a crossing event on the border near Highgate, Vermont at approximately 4:00pm. Approximately 2.5 hours later, six people were found hiding in the woods off a rural road in the same vicinity. They were identified as Sidney Lauryn Parra Torres, age 24, a citizen of Colombia and a woman from the Congo with her four children aged 2 to 14 years old. Border Patrol later apprehended Maimouna Diakhate, age 24, of Senegal, at a residence in close proximity to where the others had been apprehended. A Toyota Prius that had been previously suspected of alien smuggling was located loitering in the area in proximity of the Highgate Port of Entry. The vehicle was stopped, and the driver identified as Oguzhan Yilmaz, age 25, a citizen of Türkiye, who was detained. Investigation revealed that Yilmaz had received Zelle payments from Parra Torres. On June 22, 2026, Diakhate pleaded guilty to illegal entry and received a sentence of time served from Magistrate Judge Doyle. Parra Torres was charged by criminal complaint with illegal entry and consented to detention pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. Yilmaz was charged by criminal complaint with attempted transportation of an illegal alien and was ordered by Magistrate Judge Doyle to be released on conditions pending trial. One of the illegal entry cases involved an illegal entry through the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont by Maria Paz Gonzalez-Vidal, age 59, a citizen of Chile. According to court records, Gonzalez-Vidal purchased both a Canadian and an American ticket to a performance at the Haskell on June 13, 2026. While inside the Haskell, Gonzalez-Vidal changed clothing in an apparent attempt to facilitate her unlawful entry into the United States. Gonzalez-Vidal then exited the Haskell, and was apprehended on Main Street in Derby Line, Vermont. She pleaded guilty to illegal entry on June 15, 2026, and received a sentence of time served from Magistrate Judge Doyle. Another case involved an illegal entry by Diego Alejandro Restrepo-Vergara, age 45, a citizen of Colombia. According to court records, Restrepo-Vergara flew from Panama City, Panama to Montreal, Canada on June 21. One June 22, he crossed the international border near the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont on foot, and was apprehended on June 23 in Newport, Vermont. At the time of his apprehension, Restrepo-Vergara had a valid American tourist visa, and could have lawfully entered at the Derby Line Port of Entry approximately 200 yards from the Haskell Free Library. Restrepo-Vergara pleaded guilty to illegal entry on June 24, 2026, and received a sentence of time served from Magistrate Judge Doyle. The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that those pending trial are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Frias-Urena and Yilmaz face up to 5 years of imprisonment if convicted of alien smuggling. Parra Torres faces up to six months of imprisonment if convicted of illegal entry. 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 diligent efforts of the United States Border Patrol Agents patrolling the northern border of Vermont. He added: “Securing our northern border with Canada remains a significant national security priority. Everyone crossing the border, including United States citizens, must do so at a designated port of entry. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize prosecution of those who unlawfully enter our country and those facilitating their unlawful entry.” “Securing our border is a paramount national security priority, and I want to be unequivocally clear: the border is closed to illegal immigration”, stated Acting Chief Patrol Agent Richard Fortunato, Swanton Border Patrol Sector. “We are deeply grateful for the diligent efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont in prosecuting the 60 defendants involved in unlawful border crossings. Their commitment to upholding the rule of law is critical in our shared mission to protect our nation and deter those who seek to enter our country illegally.” These prosecutions are 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: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Leading Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Joshua Willie McCarver, also known as “TJ,” 28, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. McCarver admitted to a leading role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area. According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 5, 2025, McCarver sold approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $650 at a Huntington residence. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted that he conducted the transaction, arranged it beforehand by phone with the confidential informant, and directed the confidential informant to the residence where the transaction took place. McCarver further admitted that between January 2025 and August 2025, he answered phone calls and text message for himself and co-conspirators from drug buyers whom he directed to different co-conspirators to purchase methamphetamine and fentanyl depending on the customers’ prior transactions and location. McCarver also admitted that he received 28 calls during the time period from a confidential informant and completed the sale of drugs to this individual on six occasions in Huntington. On March 17, 2025, McCarver was traveling in a vehicle from Huntington to Detroit when Ohio law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found $27,951. Ohio law enforcement officers conducted a separate traffic stop on July 9, 2025, of a vehicle in which McCarver was traveling from Huntington to Detroit and seized approximately $23,453 during a subsequent search of the vehicle. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted that the cash seized during both traffic stops was proceeds from the distribution of fentanyl. On September 10, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington address and seized approximately 4.29 kilograms of methamphetamine, 337 grams of fentanyl, a loaded .38-caliber pistol, .38-caliber ammunition, and a digital scale. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted that he and other individuals involved in the conspiracy jointly possessed and intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine and fentanyl for money. McCarver is scheduled to be sentenced on October 13, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. As part of his guilty plea, McCarver admitted to an aggravating role in the drug trafficking conspiracy for sentencing purposes as an organizer, leader, manager, or supervisor of criminal activity. McCarver is among six defendants who pleaded guilty following their indictment on charges alleging they participated in the DTO while it operated from in or about January 2025 to in or about August 2025. The indictment remains pending against three other defendants. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. McCarver has a criminal history that includes his prior conviction for distribution of fentanyl in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on December 17, 2018. “This defendant wasn’t a street-level dealer — he was a leader in a drug trafficking organization that flooded Huntington with methamphetamine while profiting from the addiction and misery of others,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “Huntington has already endured more than its share of devastation from the opioid epidemic, and this office will aggressively pursue anyone who thinks they can exploit our communities for a paycheck. We will dismantle drug trafficking organizations from the top down, hold their leaders accountable, and work every day to make our neighborhoods safer.” Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-154. ###


title: Meat Distributor Required To Pay $120,500 Civil Penalty For Violating Food Safety Consent Decree

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Administrator of the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA-FSIS”)’s Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit, William Griffin, announced today that U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos has imposed civil penalties on defendants FIRST GOLD COAST CORPORATION d/b/a GOLD COAST TRADING COMPANY (“First Gold”), KWABENA ASAMOAH ADJEI, CHRISTOPHER AHENKORA, and MICHAEL AHENKORA for violating a previously entered judicial consent decree requiring the defendants to comply with food safety laws at their meat and poultry business. The order imposes a $120,500 civil penalty on the defendants for continuing to sell uninspected and misbranded poultry products and for failing to complete mandatory food safety training. “This Office has no tolerance for parties who continue in their unlawful ways after they commit to come into compliance,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This conduct is all the worse where, as here, it endangers the safety of the food that families put on their tables. The imposed financial penalty should serve as notice to all parties that they must live up to their legal commitments and comply with the law.” “As the USDA agency responsible for ensuring that America’s meat, poultry, and egg products remain the safest in the world, FSIS is committed to taking swift action to protect consumers and carry out our public health mission,” said FSIS Assistant Administrator for the Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit William Griffin. “The work of our inspection personnel and investigators to enforce Federal regulations, along with our partnerships with state and local governments, will continue to ensure the safety of our food supply.” The Federal Meat Inspection Act (“FMIA”) and Poultry Products Inspection Act (“PPIA”) protect public health by ensuring the nation’s commercial supply of meat and poultry is safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled and packaged. These requirements allow consumers to have confidence in the safety of their meat and poultry products and permit public health officials to trace problems to their source. This Office first sued First Gold and its then-owner, Daniel Ahenkora, in October 2015, alleging that they had violated the FMIA and the PPIA by selling uninspected and misbranded meat and poultry products. The Court promptly entered a consent decree enjoining First Gold, Daniel Ahenkora, and affiliated parties from further violations. In December 2024, First Gold and three of Daniel Ahenkora’s sons—KWABENA ASAMOAH ADJEI, CHRISTOPHER AHENKORA, and MICHAEL AHENKORA, who had taken over the business around May 2023—signed an amended consent decree, which was approved by the Court on December 3, 2024. Among other things, the amended consent decree prohibited the defendants from selling, offering for sale, or receiving in commerce any uninspected or misbranded meat or poultry and required them to complete mandatory training on the FMIA and PPIA. The defendants, however, proceeded to violate the amended consent decree. Specifically, on or about June 26, 2025, First Gold sold approximately 120 pounds of uninspected, misbranded poultry products—namely, 30 pounds of smoked turkey drums, 30 pounds of smoked turkey wings, 30 pounds of fresh turkey wings, and 30 pounds of fresh turkey drums—to a New Jersey retailer. First Gold used a bandsaw in the store to slice the turkey products without the benefit of federal inspection and then misbranded the products by repackaging them into the original manufacturer boxes that bore the marks of federal inspection, in violation of the amended consent decree. The defendants also failed to complete the training required by the amended consent decree. The Court’s June 26, 2026, order requires the defendants to pay a total civil penalty of $120,500—comprising $60,000 for the sale of 120 pounds of misbranded, uninspected turkey products and $60,500 for the defendants’ failure to complete the amended consent decree’s training requirements. The order also requires the defendants to present a plan for coming into compliance with the amended consent decree's training requirements. * * * Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the USDA. This case is being handled by the Environmental Protection Unit of the Office’s Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Osmond is in charge of the case.


component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, a federal jury in the District of Nevada convicted three men, Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, 30, also known as “Molesto,” of El Salvador; David Arturo Perez-Manchame, 27, also known as “Herbi,” of Honduras; and Joel Vargas-Escobar, 30, also known as “Momia,” of El Salvador, of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murders and attempted murder, as well as murder in aid of racketeering, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, and related gun offenses. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the defendants were members of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) composed largely of individuals of Salvadoran or other Central American descent. MS-13 members and associates are organized by subsets known as “cliques,” and each clique typically has one or more leaders, commonly referred to as “shot callers.” The defendants were members of the Parkview clique operating in Las Vegas, Nevada. Prospective MS-13 members ordinarily must participate in the murder of rival gang members, known as “chavalas,” to gain entrance and maintain and increase position within MS-13. According to evidence presented at trial, Vargas-Escobar was the leader of the Parkview clique of MS-13 in Las Vegas up until his arrest on New Year’s Eve of 2017. Reyes-Castillo then became the ranking “Homeboy” of the Parkview clique in Las Vegas. Perez-Manchame was a member of the Parkview clique. Collectively, these three men committed nine murders, over approximately a year, in Nevada and California. Evidence at trial was presented showing that many of the victims were kidnapped by MS-13 members and taken to remote locations in the mountains and desert where those victims were tortured and killed. “Thanks to the tireless work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, these MS-13 members will be held accountable for the horrific violence they unleashed on U.S. communities during their year-long killing spree,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will continue to use every tool available to us to dismantle MS-13 and other deadly transnational criminal organizations.” “The depravity and complete devaluing of human life of these defendants, who were responsible for killing nine victims and shooting others, is beyond comprehension,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Gangs like MS-13 terrorize communities with violence and killing. The Criminal Division will pursue these violent transnational criminal organizations in this exact way – charge these depraved gang members in bunches and try them for their brazen crimes in a way that highlights exactly what they do, which is systemically kill. These defendants will now face a sentencing hearing where, rightly, their liberty for the rest of their lives is at stake.” “These convictions deliver a clear and uncompromising message: MS 13’s violence will be met with the full power of federal prosecution,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “These defendants carried out a campaign of terror marked by murders, kidnappings, and brutality. Their reign of violence ends today. The Las Vegas Homeland Security Task Force is unyielding in its mission — we will hunt down violent gang members, dismantle their networks, and drive transnational criminal organizations out of our communities. Southern Nevada will not be a refuge for predators or the terror they attempt to unleash.” “This FBI has made wiping out violent gangs in America a top priority – including MS-13 — arresting over 2,500 violent gangs and criminal enterprises since last year, up 322%,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Today’s conviction is just the latest example — with three MS-13 gang members convicted of nine murders, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and more in Las Vegas. These gangs have terrorized our communities for far too long, and under this administration and law enforcement team, they are no longer allowed to operate with impunity in America. This FBI will continue working with our partners across the country to dismantle their presence coast to coast.” “Today's conviction underscores the unwavering commitment of FBI Las Vegas working alongside our federal and local partners in eradicating gang violence that endangers our communities through senseless crime, murder, and kidnapping,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “The FBI has recently initiated Operation Summer Heat 2.0, a nationwide campaign dedicated to combating violent crime during the summer. MS-13 gang members are known for acts of brutality, violence, and intimidation. Despite these threats, the FBI and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our mission to protect our communities and eliminate this danger.” “These convictions send a powerful message to violent transnational gangs like MS-13 — your reign of terror will not be tolerated in our communities,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John Condon of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains at the forefront of the fight against gangs that traffic in violence, fear, and exploitation, and we will continue to relentlessly pursue these criminals to ensure the safety and security of the American people.” Photo recovered on cell phone of Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo. At trial, evidence was presented about the following murders committed by Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame, Vargas-Escobar and other members of MS-13: In December 2017, the Parkview clique “greenlit” the death of murder victim 1 who was a member of a rival gang. On Dec. 18, Reyes-Castillo and another MS-13 member kidnapped murder victim 1 from downtown Mendota, California, and drove him to a rural area. Reyes-Castillo then took murder victim 1, along with several other MS-13 members, to another location and murdered him with a machete and knives, striking him so brutally that he was left unrecognizable. On Dec. 31, 2017, Reyes-Castillo, Vargas-Escobar, and another MS-13 member killed murder victim 2 by shooting him multiple times in front of a house in Las Vegas. The MS-13 members saw murder victim 2 outside of an alleged drug house and believed he was dealing marijuana in their territory. They murdered him to reduce competition for MS-13 drug dealers. On Jan. 9, 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 3, drove him to the desert and killed him by shooting and stabbing him multiple times. The MS-13 members believed murder victim 3 had defected to the rival 18th Street gang and thus targeted him to interrogate him and murder him. The victim’s body was found almost three weeks later, on a mountain near Las Vegas. On Jan. 21, 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 4 from a nightclub and drove him to the desert. They murdered him by shooting and stabbing him multiple times. Murder victim 4 was targeted by the Parkview MS-13 clique for being a rival 18th Street gang member. They had gotten his name from interrogating a previous victim. On Feb. 6, 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members were again searching for rival gang members. They killed two victims (murder victims 5 and 6) in a drive-by shooting. A third victim was hit by gunfire and survived. The MS-13 members believed the men were in rival gang territory and could be rival 18th Street gang members. On Feb. 9, 2018, Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 7, who they believed was a rival gang member because of the way he was dressed and his tattoo. They drove him to a mountain and murdered him by stabbing him over 200 times; his decomposing body was found in the mountains about three weeks later. Sometime in February 2018, Reyes-Castillo and other MS-13 members kidnapped murder victim 8 as he had been named as an 18th Street gang member by a previous victim. The MS-13 members, including Reyes-Castillo, drove murder victim 8 to the mountains outside of Las Vegas and killed him by shooting him 20 times. On March 1, 2018, Reyes-Castillo, Perez-Manchame and another MS-13 member kidnapped murder victim 9 and drove him up to the mountains near Las Vegas. They believed murder victim 9 was a rival gang member because he was in 18th Street gang territory. They murdered him by stabbing him more than 120 times. The jury convicted Reyes-Castillo of one count of racketeering influenced corrupt organizations (RICO) conspiracy, eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering, seven counts of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, six counts of causing death through the use of a firearm, five counts of kidnapping in aid of racketeering, and one count of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. The jury convicted Perez-Manchame of one count of RICO conspiracy, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and two counts of kidnappings in aid of racketeering. The jury convicted Vargas-Escobar of one count of RICO conspiracy, one count of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of causing death through the use of a firearm. Each of these defendants face a mandatory minimum penalty of life in prison without parole. Sentencing has been scheduled for Nov. 10, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, HSI, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Bureau investigated the case. The Eastern District of California also provided assistance. Trial Attorney Christopher Taylor of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanee Smith and Steven Rose for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. This case 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 U.S. 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. The Las Vegas HSTF comprises agents and officers from federal, state, and local law enforcement, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. Charges in this case were supported by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded at the direction of the Attorney General to target Tren de Aragua (TdA). JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the District of Nevada; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Western District of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and District of Arizona, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Criminal Division, and the Office of Judicial Attaché and DEA partners in Bogotá, Colombia. Additionally, the FBI, HSI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. Anyone with information about MS-13 is encouraged to provide their tips to law enforcement. The FBI and HSI both have nationwide tiplines that you can call to report what you know. You can reach the FBI at 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.


title: Rapid City Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison For His Role in a Drug Conspiracy

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on June 15, 2026. Lucius Muldrow, 40, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Muldrow was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on March 16, 2026. Between November 2021 and September 2025, Muldrow was part of a conspiracy to distribute at least 200 grams of methamphetamine in Western South Dakota. Muldrow routinely received methamphetamine from co-conspirators within the community and sold it from his home and other areas throughout the community. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team, which is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Tarbay prosecuted the case. Muldrow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Two Corinth Pharmacists Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud

component: National Fraud Enforcement Division

body_text: ABERDEEN, MS – U.S. Attorney Scott Leary announced today that two Corinth pharmacists have been sentenced for stealing almost $800,000.00 from the federal health care benefit programs Medicare and Medicaid. These prosecutions were part of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Northern District of Mississippi, working in close collaboration with the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. Ricky Wayne Quinn, 71, was a pharmacist and owner-operator of the “Medical Plaza at Alcorn, LLC” in Corinth, Mississippi. John Anthony “Andy’ Null, 56, was a pharmacist and long-time employee of Medical Plaza Pharmacy. Both pleaded guilty on an earlier date to Conspiracy to Commit Healthcare Fraud. Senior District Judge Glen H. Davidson sentenced Quinn to thirty months in prison and ordered both defendants to pay $786,972.10 in restitution to Medicare. According to court documents, the defendants billed Medicare and Medicaid for the same single prescription drug product numerous times. These high reimbursement prescription drug products included, but not limited to, diabetic insulin pens, asthma inhalers and psychotropic medications. This investigation was a part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. U.S. Attorney Scott Leary said, “This administration has emphasized the investigation and prosecution of those who steal taxpayer dollars. Defrauding Medicare funds intended for sick Americans is just the type of crime the National Fraud Enforcement Division is calling on us to emphasize. We must remain diligent to ensure medical dollars go where intended.” Attorney General of Mississippi Lynn Fitch’s office stated, “We are sending a clear message that here in Mississippi, we are committed to fighting waste, fraud, and corruption. We are grateful for such strong partners at the Office of the Inspector General and U.S. Attorney’s Office. Working together, we are ensuring justice is served on behalf of Mississippi taxpayers. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton A. Dabbs is prosecuting the case. On April 7, 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: BVI Citizen Arrested for Illegal Reentry into the United States and Possessing Child Exploitation Material

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: ST. THOMAS – U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that Bruce Wheatley, a British citizen from Tortola, was arrested for possession and distribution of child exploitation material and illegal reentry into the United States. On June 29, 2026, Wheatley, 19, appeared before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge G. Alan Teague for an initial. According to court documents, on Friday, June 26, 2026, Wheatley was identified by Federal Agents in Havensight, St. Thomas, USVI. Agents identified Wheatley as a subject who had previously been deported from the United States in May of 2026 and banned from returning to the United States for a period of five years. Wheatley was detained pending arrest for illegal reentry. During a search of Wheatley’s cellular phone, agents found sexually explicit content that depicted what appeared to be a minor and adult engaged in a sexual act. Wheatley was detained pending further court proceedings. Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) is investigating the case. Attorney Natasha L. Baker of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting the case.


title: Convicted Felon Faces Federal Charges for Allegedly Robbing Atlanta Pawn Shop

body_text: ATLANTA – Quintavious Bailey, a multi-convicted felon, was arraigned today on multiple federal charges after he allegedly robbed a pawn shop in Atlanta. “Bailey allegedly jeopardized the lives of ordinary people by discharging a firearm during a robbery,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “In this district, we will not tolerate violent crime that endangers members of our community. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will hold perpetrators accountable.” “According to the charges, innocent employees and customers were simply going about their day when they were forced to fear for their lives,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI remains committed to partnering with local law enforcement to investigate violent offenders and protect the people who live and work in our communities.” “Armed robberies that place innocent employees, customers, and local businesses in harm’s way have no place in our city and will not be tolerated,” said Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum. “We appreciate the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI in helping hold dangerous offenders accountable. The Atlanta Police Department remains committed to protecting our community and working alongside our law enforcement partners to keep every neighborhood safe.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On October 24, 2024, Quintavious Bailey allegedly used a firearm to rob an Atlanta pawn shop while employees and customers were present. Upon entering the store, Bailey immediately discharged a firearm into the ceiling. Bailey allegedly then pointed his gun at customers and forced a store employee to open a jewelry case and a cash register. Allegedly, Bailey grabbed cash from the register and jewelry from the case before fleeing. Earlier today, Quintavious Bailey, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, appeared in federal court after a federal grand jury returned an indictment on June 3, 2026, charging him with Hobbs Act robbery, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Bailey is currently being held without bail by the U.S. Marshals Service. Previously, Bailey was convicted of Burglary and Armed Robbery in Fulton County. Because of his criminal history, Bailey will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years of imprisonment if he is convicted of the firearm- and ammunition-related offenses in the indictment. Members of the public are reminded that the defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Atlanta Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Austin Hall is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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). For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Billings man pleads guilty to bank fraud

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who used a falsified bank loan to receive $50,000 admitted to charges Thursday, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said. Jordan Andrew Hennessy, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. Hennessy faces up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine, five years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided and sentencing was set for a later date. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Hennessy was released pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that Hennessy, while employed by First Interstate Bank, falsified a loan application and awarded himself $50,000. The incident began on March 11, 2022, when Hennessy was working as the commercial relationship manager for First Interstate Bank in Billings. From work, Hennessy submitted a commercial loan application for $100,000 under the name of his father’s business, Stillwater Group, LLC. In the application, Hennessy stated Stillwater Group would use the funds to develop real estate projects in Montana. He then opened a checking account, naming his father as a joint owner, on March 14, 2022. Hennessy, as a First Interstate employee, was responsible for negotiating the counteroffer to his own loan request, which resulted in a $50,000 line of credit being issued to Stillwater Group. His position allowed him to be on both sides of the transaction, negotiating with himself. Once the $50,000 line of credit was funded, Hennessy transferred the Stillwater Group funds from the joint account he created with his father’s name into his personal checking account. Hennessy then used the funds to finance several transactions with an internet-based investment company and eventually defaulted on the $50,000 line of credit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colin Rubich is prosecuting the case. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General and the Office of Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau conducted the investigation.


title: Former Postal Worker Among Trio Charged with Stealing $255k in Prepaid Debit Cards

component: USAO - Indiana, Southern

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS— A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging three individuals in a significant mail theft and fraud scheme targeting at least 3,000 victims. Former United States Postal Service employee Janea Reaves, 38, has been charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud and illegal transactions with an access device. Her co-defendants, Jermaine Reaves, 22, and Dejon Fox, 39, have also been charged with conspiracy to commit access device fraud, as well as two counts of mail theft. According to the indictment, between May 2023 and March 2025, the trio conspired to use and possess unauthorized access devices and to engage in transactions using unauthorized access devices. The indictment alleges that the defendants stole mail containing prepaid debit cards issued to real individuals. Using her position at the USPS Indianapolis Processing and Distribution Center, Janea Reaves identified and stole mail containing the prepaid debit cards. Jermaine Reaves and Dejon Fox, who were not USPS employees, also entered the facility and stole the mail. The defendants activated the stolen cards and used them to pay for phone bills, DoorDash orders, and other personal expenses. The total loss is alleged to be at least approximately $255,851. While investigators believe all victims have been identified, efforts to locate them have been unsuccessful. If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office via email at USAINS-Reaves@usdoj.gov or online here. The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated this case. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith Wood, who is prosecuting this case. An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Making Online Threats

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man learned his fate in federal court, today, for making online threats. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Raymond Pumphrey, 47, of Brooklyn, to 15 months, followed by three years of supervised release, for making threats transmitted by interstate communication in connection with the cybercrime. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Brian McDonough, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the guilty plea, Pumphrey made a series of threatening posts on the social media platform YouTube, and other social media sites, to spread hateful rhetoric – particularly toward Black and Muslim communities. Commenting primarily on news stories, he advocated for and threatened to participate in the killing of black people in multiple large cities throughout the country. He further threatened to kill multiple politicians and members of their families. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and USSS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Maryam Zhuravitsky who prosecuted the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md . # # #


title: Church Rock Woman Charged with Assault

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Church Rock woman has been charged federally for assaulting another woman. On September 10, 2025, Tiffany Jim , 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted Jane Doe, her dating partner, resulting in Doe’s hospitalization. Jim is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and assault of a dating partner resulting in substantial bodily injury. She will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Jim faces up to 15 years in prison. 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 Gallup 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. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Teleky is prosecuting the case. An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Southern District of Iowa Announces Cases Related to the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa announced a civil complaint and a civil settlement, as part of the Department of Justice’s 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The charges are part of a strategically coordinated, nationwide law enforcement action that resulted in charges against 455 defendants, including 90 doctors and other licensed medical professionals, for their alleged participation in health care fraud and opioid abuse schemes involving over $6.5 billion in false claims and significant patient harm, including death. The Takedown represents a new era in federal, state, and international cooperation to combat health care fraud: cases in 56 federal districts and 45 U.S. states and territories, with 50 state Medicaid Fraud Control Units participating, the most in Department history. In addition, unprecedented international cooperation over the two-week Takedown resulted in the apprehension and return to the United States of the following health care fraudsters: one defendant in Kyrenia in connection with an over $3.7 billion scheme; two defendants in Estonia in connection with a previously charged $10.6 billion scheme; and in the Philippines, one of FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters in connection with a previously charged $1.2 billion telemedicine fraud scheme. The Takedown involves: the cutting-edge use of data analytics to target the worst actors; the seizure of over $182 million in cash, luxury vehicles, jewelry, and other assets; and full-spectrum accountability for all criminal actors from doctor’s offices to corporate boardrooms. The coordinated enforcement action involves a whole-of-government approach, including: Actions by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to suspend 1,079 providers and revoke billing privileges for 1,403 providers. 48 Civil Monetary Payment settlements amounting to over $73 million, over 1,400 provider exclusions, and 25 actions by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”) under the Civil Monetary Penalties Law seeking more than $10 billion in payments to the Medicare Trust Fund from payments that CMS caught and suspended before the funds were paid to the fraudulent providers. Civil charges against 13 defendants for $14.8 million in health care fraud schemes, as well as civil settlements with 31 defendants totaling $23 million. 928 administrative cases by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seeking the revocation of authority to handle and/or prescribe controlled substances since October 1, 2025. The following cases from the Southern District of Iowa were part of these efforts: Eugene J. Cherny, 70, of Des Moines, Iowa, and his plastic surgery practice, Heartland Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, P.C., were named as defendants in a civil False Claims Act complaint in connection with false representations made to a Medicare contractor. As alleged in the complaint, Cherny obtained two invoices for each skin substitute product he received from a distributor: one showing the price Cherny actually paid and another showing an artificially-inflated “list price.” When a Medicare contractor asked Cherny to send invoices documenting what he had paid so Medicare could reimburse him, Cherny provided only the invoice containing the artificially-inflated price. The complaint alleges that federal health insurance programs paid Cherny and Heartland more than $2 million based on the false information he provided. The case is being handled jointly by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa. Genesis Health System, Mercy Health Network, Inc., and Trinity Health Corporation located in Davenport, Iowa, agreed to pay $4,643,128 following a voluntary self-disclosure concerning Genesis’s overuse and resulting over-billing of the Impella heart pump device between April 2016 and March 2022. The case was settled by the United States Southern District of Iowa. The cases are being prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit’s National Rapid Response, Florida, Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, Midwest, New England, Northeast, Texas, and West Coast Strike Forces; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Middle District of Alabama, District of Arizona, Central District of California, Southern District of California, District of Colorado, District of Connecticut, District of Delaware, Middle District of Florida, Northern District of Florida, Southern District of Florida, Northern District of Georgia, District of Hawaii, District of Idaho, Northern District of Illinois, Northern District of Iowa, Southern District of Iowa, Western District of Kentucky, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle District of Louisiana, District of Massachusetts, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern District of Mississippi, District of Montana, District of Nebraska, District of New Hampshire, District of New Jersey, District of New Mexico, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Eastern District of North Carolina, Middle District of North Carolina, Western District of North Carolina, Northern District of Ohio, Northern District of Oklahoma, Western District of Oklahoma, District of Oregon, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Middle District of Pennsylvania, Western District of Pennsylvania, District of Puerto Rico, District of Rhode Island, District of South Carolina, District of South Dakota, Middle District of Tennessee, Western District of Tennessee, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Vermont, Eastern District of Virginia, Western District of Virginia, Northern District of West Virginia, Southern District of West Virginia, Eastern District of Wisconsin, and Western District of Wisconsin; and State Attorneys General’s Offices, through their MFCUs, in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. In addition, the MFCUs for Alabama, North Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, and Virigina participated in the investigation. Descriptions of each case involved in the Takedown are available on the Department’s website here . On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs. An indictment, information, or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.