title: Defendant Who Conspired to Traffick Methamphetamine in Northeast Arkansas Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: JONESBORO—Amie Dawn Eggers of Jonesboro will spend the next 132 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence which was handed today by United States District Court Judge Lee P. Rudofsky. On April 4, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Eggers, 41, along with eight others. On September 29, 2025, Eggers pleaded guilty to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine actual and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began an investigation to combat a significant drug distribution organization operating in the Northeast Arkansas area. As a result of the investigation, agents seized 45 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, one pound of cocaine, six firearms, various ammunition, and $125,000 in drug proceeds. During arrest operations on April 16, 2024, agents recovered additional methamphetamine, three firearms (one of which was defaced), ammunition, and approximately an additional $28,000 in suspected drug proceeds During the investigation, agents learned that Eggers was a member of a criminal organization that was distributing methamphetamine throughout the Northeast Arkansas area. Through the investigation, agents learned that Eggers travelled to Houston, Texas, in December 2022, to purchase large quantities of methamphetamine from the organization’s leader, Cesar Cortez-Rocha. Agents conducted surveillance on Eggers and observed her traveling back to Arkansas on December 29, 2022. Agents conducted a traffic stop in Malvern, Arkansas, and after waiving her Miranda rights, Eggers admitted to possessing methamphetamine and marijuana in the vehicle. The DEA Southeast Laboratory confirmed it was methamphetamine, and the total weight was 921.5 grams. Eggers’s criminal history includes a federal conviction in the Western District of Arkansas on August 6, 2024, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and received a 156-month sentence of imprisonment and three years’ supervised release. Eggers also has state felony convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia, breaking or entering, possession of methamphetamine, possession of Xanax with purpose to deliver, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and misdemeanor convictions for possession of clonazepam without a prescription, driving while intoxicated, third-degree assault, theft of property, and fraudulent use of a credit or debit card. On October 6, 2025, Cortez-Rocha was sentenced to a total of 405 months’ imprisonment in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Judge Rudofsky also sentenced Cortez-Rocha to a total of five year’s supervised release. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock Field Office comprises agents and officers from Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, 2nd Judicial District Drug Task Force, Jonesboro Police Department, Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office, Arkansas State Police, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Poinsett County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin O’Leary. # # # Additional information about the office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at https://www.justice.gov/edar X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAO_EDAR


title: Crips Gang Member Pleads Guilty To March 2021 Bronx Murder

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that ALIEU JARJOU, a/k/a “Scally,” a/k/a “Lu Scally,” pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos to his criminal activities as a member of the “Rollin 20s” set of the Crips, including the March 2021 murder of Jadon Robinson. “On March 9, 2021, Alieu Jarjou shot and killed 30-year-old Jadon Robinson on a busy Bronx street in the middle of the day,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Jarjou committed this brutal murder to enhance his status within the Rollin 20s Crips, a violent street gang that has terrorized our communities through senseless violence and drug trafficking. There is stark reality that we need to face: for gangs like the Crips, murder is a part of business, and for gang members, murder is a status symbol. Those who tolerate, or worse, celebrate gang culture could not be more out of touch. New York families want gangs dismantled and their murderous members off the streets. The women and men of our Office are committed to relentlessly pursuing all gangs that threaten the safety of New Yorkers.” As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings: From at least January 2021 through at least January 2022, JARJOU was a member of the Rollin 20s Crips, which is based in the Bronx, New York. In order to fund the gang, protect its territory, and promote its standing, members of the Rollin 20s Crips engaged in, among other things, murders, assaults, threats of violence, and narcotics trafficking. In connection with his membership in the Rollin 20s Crips, JARJOU, together with other members of the gang, sold drugs, including oxycodone and marijuana. On March 9, 2021, JARJOU shot and killed Jadon Robinson in the vicinity of 1268 Morrison Avenue in the Bronx. After learning that Robinson was suspected of assaulting a member of the Rollin 20s Crips, JARJOU murdered Robinson to retaliate for the suspected assault. Robinson was 30 years old. * * * JARJOU, 31, of the Bronx, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, during which he committed murder, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence, which firearm was brandished and discharged, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. JARJOU is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Ramos on August 18, 2026. The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD. The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christy Slavik and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution.


title: North Fort Myers Man Sentenced to More than Six Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Fort Myers, Florida – Michael Peacock (39, North Fort Myers) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kyle Dudek to six years and six months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Peacock pleaded guilty on October 28, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to court documents, Peacock was part of a ring of drug distributors in the Palmona Park neighborhood of North Fort Myers. In July 2024, Peacock sold a confidential informant approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine for $500. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.


title: Two Charged by Federal Complaint for Stealing Explosive Material and Illegally Possessing Explosive Material and a Firearm

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – Two Louisville individuals were arrested yesterday and charged by complaint today with stealing explosive material, possession of explosive material by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. The complaint alleges that on or about March 31, 2025, James Culver , 44, and Lasierra Chesher , 39, stole explosive materials. Investigators determined the theft to be approximately 438 pounds of the following explosives: 12 sticks 2.5”x16” Orica Power Pro (DSC 14JA26J1); 89 sticks Orica Senatel Ultrex (DSC 18DE25V4); and 6 fifty-pound bags of Orica Amex-WR ANFO, which had moved in interstate commerce. Based on a tip, law enforcement was able to recover all the stolen explosives. “The ATF and LMPD were notified on April 1 that a significant amount of explosives had been stolen from a construction site off Bardstown Road,” said United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner. “ATF agents and LMPD officers immediately joined forces to locate the explosive materials and identify a suspect, seeking the help of the Louisville community. In less than 24 hours, and because of exceptional investigative efforts, ATF and LMPD located and safely recovered all stolen explosive materials and arrested the alleged culprits.” According to the complaint, Culver and Chesher drove to a construction site in Louisville. Culver broke the locks enabling them to obtain the explosives. Upon gaining entry, Culver and Chesher began stealing the explosives. They stored the explosives at another person’s residence and returned home. At their residence, they had a box full of blasting caps. When law enforcement approached Culver and Chesher , Culver fled. Both were apprehended. Subsequently, Culver admitted to his involvement in the theft of explosives. ATF executed a search warrant at Culver and Chesher’s residence. ATF recovered a .22 caliber rifle along with various caliber ammunition. They also recovered a shockwave exploding target and multiple explosive labels and instructional materials. Along with the theft of explosive material charge, Culver is also charged with possession of explosive material and possession of a firearm by prohibited person. Culver is prohibited from possessing explosive material and a firearm because he has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, to include receiving stolen property $10,000 or more, burglary in the third degree, and theft by unlawful taking. Along with the theft of explosive material charge, Chesher is further charged with possession of explosive material by a prohibited person. She was prohibited from possessing explosive materials because she has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including receiving stolen property under $10,000, trafficking in methamphetamine, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, Culver faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. Chesher faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Bumgarner thanked the law enforcement partners and prosecutors for their extraordinary work. “This doesn’t happen without strong leadership, strong partnerships, and, most importantly, dedicated and well-trained agents, officers and prosecutors. Job well done.” “The possession and use of explosives are strictly regulated due to the significant risks they pose,” said ATF Special John Nokes. “This theft created a serious and unnecessary danger to the public. As a result, the ATF and LMPD made this investigation a top priority, working in close coordination to ensure the safe recovery of all explosive materials and the swift apprehension of those responsible.” “This successful recovery of the stolen explosives and subsequent arrests underscores the strength of coordinated law enforcement and the professionalism of our officers,” said LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey. “LMPD’s Bomb Squad, Homeland Security Unit, SWAT Team, Fugitive Unit, Drone Unit, and Sixth Division Patrol worked seamlessly alongside our ATF partners to help recover a significant amount of stolen explosives and protect our community. I’m extremely proud of the dedication and expertise these units demonstrated. Our continued partnership with the ATF—both the Louisville and Lexington offices—remains vital to keeping our city and region safe.” There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the ATF and LMPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz of the United States Attorney’s Office Louisville Branch 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 complaint merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Three Men With Attempting To Rob Undercover Federal Agent in Chicago

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

body_text: CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office today charged three men with attempting to rob a federal agent during an undercover firearm transaction in Chicago. JEREMY JONES, CHRISTOPHER DENSMORE, and CARMELL MASSEY attempted to rob an agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives on Thursday morning, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The agent was working undercover when the agent met with the defendants in a parking lot on the South Side of Chicago for the purpose of buying two firearms from them, the complaint states. During the meeting, the defendants attempted to rob the agent of $600 in government funds that the agent planned to use to purchase the guns, the complaint states. When Jones pointed a firearm at the undercover agent, the agent responded by firing a shot at him, the complaint states. Jones and the two other defendants attempted to flee the area, but law enforcement quickly arrested all three defendants, the complaint states. The complaint charges Jones, 19, Densmore, 22, and Massey, 20, all of Chicago, with one count of attempted robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The firearm charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. The attempted robbery charge is punishable by a maximum of 25 years. The defendants were scheduled to make initial appearances in federal court in Chicago this afternoon. The complaint was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Gurley. “Each and every day in Chicago, ATF agents put their lives on the line to fight violent crime and make our city safer,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The undercover agent in this case demonstrated the utmost bravery, courage, and skill, all of which are the hallmarks of our nation’s dedicated ATF agents. Any crimes against law enforcement—especially violent crimes—are direct assaults on the rule of law. Through these serious federal charges, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to hold these violent offenders accountable.” “During an undercover firearms trafficking operation yesterday, the offenders arrived with the intention of conducting a robbery,” said ATF SAC Amon. “They did not realize they were targeting highly trained agents who immediately took action to take the offenders into custody and protect their own. I am proud of the professionalism and bravery demonstrated by our undercover law enforcement officers, ATF agents, and Task Force Officers on the scene. These professionals risk their lives day in and day out to target violent criminals and their sources of crime guns. Once the radio call went out, the Chicago Police Department immediately responded and provided critical investigative support, and I am grateful for their work. To be very clear, the conduct of these offenders will not be tolerated, and I want to thank U.S. Attorney Boutros and his team for swiftly bringing federal charges in this case.” The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. jones_et_al_complaint.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 131 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 131 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On March 29, Alfredo Chavez Montoya and Claudia Patricia Rivera, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 113 pounds of cocaine concealed in the ceiling, dashboard, center console, floor and back seat rest of their vehicle when they applied for entry to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. On March 30, Frances Goenett, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 102 pounds of methamphetamine and three pounds of fentanyl hidden in the car she was driving when she applied for entry to the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry. On April 1, Gonzalo Vargas-Castaneda, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. According to a complaint, the defendant presented fraudulent documents to Customs and Border Protection officials while trying to cross into the United States in the pedestrian lanes of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Vargas-Castaneda had been previously removed from the United States in 2011 via Nogales, Arizona, and in 2025 via San Ysidro. On March 31, Edgar Eduardo Valencia, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Valencia attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with an undocumented immigrant in the passenger seat. The immigrant told Customs and Border Protection officers that he is a U.S. citizen from Yuma, Arizona. Unconvinced officers further questioned the passenger, who eventually said he is a Mexican citizen who was not being charged a smuggling fee in exchange for transporting drugs for the defendant once in the U.S. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 114 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a woman who committed an armed carjacking in St. Louis to 114 months in prison. On the evening of March 12, 2024, in the 3400 block of Grace Avenue in St. Louis, Jonniece Wilson, now 21, of St. Louis, pointed a firearm at the driver of a Hyundai Accent and demanded the keys to the car. She then got in and drove away. About 30 minutes later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted the car and tried to pull it over. The vehicle sped up instead of stopping and weaved through traffic and red lights before crashing into a light pole and striking a pedestrian. Wilson, who was not driving the stolen vehicle, was arrested after fleeing on foot with a backpack containing a handgun. Wilson pleaded guilty in October to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.


title: Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault on Grounds of Gateway Arch National Park

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a man to 28 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in Gateway Arch National Park in 2023. Judge Clark ordered the sentence to run consecutive to the 84 months Monte Derrell Boatman, 37, is currently serving for violating his supervised release in a 2009 armed robbery case. On Dec. 6, 2023, Boatman, of Fairview Heights, Ill., arrived at the Laclede’s Landing MetroLink station at about 5:15 p.m. He was captured on video passing the victim near 4th Street and Washington Avenue at about 5:19 p.m. Roughly one minute later, Boatman turned and began following the victim. At about 5:30 p.m., Boatman grabbed the victim from behind, wrapped his arms around her and forced her into the bushes with a razor to her neck. Boatman assaulted the victim while threatening her life multiple times. Boatman was arrested two days later by rangers with the National Park Service after a struggle that resulted in one ranger needing medical treatment. Boatman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May of 2025 to one felony count of aggravated sexual abuse. In court Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said Boatman’s 2023 crime followed a “largely unabated history of criminality since the age of 13.” Included in that history is the 2009 robbery case in the Southern District of Illinois. Boatman and others robbed a drug dealer, which sparked a vehicle chase and multistate gun battle with the dealer. He was sentenced in 2010 to 171 months in prison. The case was investigated by the National Park Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.


title: District of Arizona Charges 226 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this Week

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from March 28 through April 3, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 226 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 117 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 95 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 14 cases against 14 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Recent matters of interest include: United States v. Porfirio Astorga-Rivera. Astorga-Rivera was charged by criminal complaint on April 1, 2026, with Bringing an Alien to the United States Unlawfully for Profit. On March 31, Border Patrol agents were alerted to the presence of a potential group of illegal aliens near Tule Road in Wellton, Arizona. The agents apprehended three individuals, including Astorga- Rivera, attempting to conceal themselves and wearing camouflage clothing and carpet shoes. Agents learned that Astorga-Rivera led the group through an opening in the border wall and that he would receive $1,000 per illegal alien he led into the country. Astorga-Rivera and the two other individuals are citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. [Case Number: 26-MJ-1255] United States v. Idefonso Beltran-Aispuro. Beltran-Aispuro was charged by criminal complaint on April 1, 2026, with Bringing an Alien to the United States Unlawfully for Profit. On March 30, a Border Patrol agent discovered a group of five individuals wearing camouflage clothing and carrying camouflage backpacks between the Cabeza Prieta Mountains and Copper Mountains in Wellton, Arizona. Border Patrol agents apprehended four of the individuals in brush and later located Beltran-Aispuro hiding in a tree. Agents learned that Beltran-Aispuro guided the group of four into the United States and that he was promised $1,000 per individual he led into the country. [Case Number 26-MJ-1248] These cases 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-057_April 3, 2026 Immigration Enforcement # # # 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending April 3, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 70 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 3 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 18 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) 82 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico. Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for narcotics trafficking, domestic violence, unlawful possession of firearms, alien smuggling, receipt of stolen property, and prior immigration offenses. These cases 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. These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.


title: Fort Wainwright Soldier sentenced to 32 years in sadistic child pornography case

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fort Wainwright soldier was sentenced today to 32 years in prison for possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for producing CSAM. According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Fort Eustis Resident Unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cybertip reporting that five images of alleged CSAM were uploaded to the online platform, Discord. Fort Eustis Army CID reviewed the images and determined they depicted CSAM of prepubescent female children. A subsequent investigation resulted in law enforcement executing search warrants in October 2024 for the residence of David Andres Mayoral, 21, his electronic devices and his Discord account. A review and forensic examination of Mayoral’s account and electronic devices revealed over 2,500 images and over 680 videos of CSAM, and an additional 1,000 computer generated/artificial intelligence images depicting CSAM. Some images depicted the violent rape of children. Court documents detail conversations Mayoral had with numerous adults and minors across several social media platforms where he discussed distribution and receipt of CSAM, rape, descriptions of sexual acts, violence and other sadistic behavior, including encouraging self-mutilation and attempting to obtain location information for victims so he could “kidnap” them. Mayoral also admitted to sexually abusing a nine-year-old victim. Mayoral was arrested on Fort Wainwright on March 13, 2025, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography on March 20, 2025. Mayoral pleaded guilty to all four charges on Aug. 15, 2025. Mayoral is required to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his custodial sentence. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the need to protect children from the defendant’s unrelenting abuse. “Mr. Mayoral hid behind the perceived anonymity of the internet and exploited children for his own sick desires,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “He was unable to hide from the dedicated law enforcement that ultimately uncovered his perversions. He will now spend over three decades behind bars.” “Mayoral’s predatory crimes against children, both online and offline, were depraved and an affront to our society,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Protecting our children is one of the highest callings in law enforcement. I commend the outstanding work by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in their commitment to holding child predators accountable and seeking justice for victims.” “Mayoral betrayed the Army’s core values by preying upon and exploiting our most precious and vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Western Field Office. “This sentencing is a result of Army CID’s relentless commitment to protecting our communities from child predators.” FBI Anchorage Field Office and Army CID investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . ###


title: Prime Capital Ventures CEO Sentenced to 97 Months for  Multimillion Dollar Wire Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kris Roglieri, age 46, of Queensbury, New York, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for a wire fraud conspiracy committed in connection with the operation and collapse of his purported commercial lending business, Prime Capital Ventures, LLC. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Roglieri admitted that he operated Prime Capital Ventures, LLC (“Prime Capital”) and, between mid-2022 and January 2024, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars from Prime Capital’s clients. As part of the scheme, Roglieri falsely promoted Prime Capital as a lending business capable of making large commercial loans through third-party funding arrangements. Roglieri admitted that he and his co-conspirators deceived clients into sending Prime Capital tens of millions of dollars in payments based on false promises that the payments would allow Prime Capital to obtain these large loans and that the payments would be refunded if those loans did not materialize. Roglieri then used that money to repay or fund prior clients and on extravagant purchases for himself, including private jet travel, jewelry, and cars made by Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Maserati. United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Roglieri’s release from prison as well as forfeiture of a $55,484,674.84 money judgment, twelve vehicles, eight watches, a Virginia Beach, Virginia mansion, and other property derived from the scheme. Restitution will be ordered at a later date. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “Kris Roglieri callously deceived victims all over the country into trusting him with tens of millions of dollars under the false pretenses that he would secure funding for their projects. Instead of keeping that money safe and delivering on that funding, Roglieri turned around and spent it on exotic cars, rare watches, and private jet travel. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI and members of my office, Roglieri will forfeit those ill-gotten gains, swap his luxury suits for a jumpsuit, and get on the fast track to federal prison.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “Today’s sentence ensures Mr. Roglieri will not just forfeit his luxury belongings and lifestyle, but also his freedom. The FBI was committed to investigating this case to bring justice to the victims he brazenly stole from to build his wildly extravagant lifestyle. This case should send a strong message that the FBI is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who uses illegal means to take advantage of hardworking Americans.” Two co-conspirators have also pled guilty in connection with this case. Kimberly Owen, a/k/a Kimberly “Kimmy” Humphrey, age 41, and her brother Christopher Snyder, age 45, both of Virginia Beach, have each pled guilty to a charge of wire fraud conspiracy. Both Owen and Snyder admitted to conspiring with each other and Roglieri to defraud Prime Capital clients. Snyder is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2026, and Owen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2026. The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted it. The U.S. Trustee’s Office for the Northern District of New York provided assistance in this investigation.


title: Former USDA Official Pleads Guilty to Receiving an Illegal Gratuity

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Jason Shitanishi, 60, of Honolulu, Hawaii pled guilty in federal court today to receiving an illegal gratuity as a public official. Sentencing is set for July 17, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor. According to information presented to the court, on or about April 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to provide direct payments to farmers, ranchers, and consumers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and provided payments to producers of certain commodities that experienced COVID-19 related losses. The FSA required an applicant for CFAP assistance to complete and submit an application form. The public official responsible for reviewing and approving a CFAP application for each county was the FSA County Executive Director. In 2020 and 2021, Shitanishi was employed by the FSA as a County Executive Director for the City and County of Honolulu. On or about April 12, 2021, a woman submitted a CFAP application to Shitanishi that falsely claimed she operated a farm with $685,500 in commodity sales in 2019. The woman also claimed the farm was in the County of Maui, which was the responsibility of another County Executive Director, who was located on Maui and familiar with the farms there. The woman asked Shitanishi if he would accept her application, rather than require her to submit her application to the Maui County Executive Director. Shitanishi obtained the necessary approvals from the FSA to consider the woman’s CFAP application and then approved it. As a result of the false representation on the woman’s CFAP application, the FSA issued the woman a payment of $65,745, to which she was not entitled. On or about April 18, 2021, the woman then gave Shitanishi a check for $5,000, which Shitanishi understood was for accepting responsibility for the woman’s CFAP application for her Maui farm. Shitanishi later deposited the check into his own personal bank account. “Our public officials are entrusted to execute their duties honestly and with integrity. In breaching that trust, Shitanishi not only violated the law, but he betrayed the community he was charged with serving,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who breach the public trust.” If convicted, Shitanishi faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than one year. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates is prosecuting the case.


title: Hawaii Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Disaster Relief Funds Intended for Lahaina and Pacific Palisades Fire Victims

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Chelsea Johnson, 32, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday to four months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release (the first four months to be served as home confinement), along with $60,458 in restitution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), following her guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her co-defendant, Daylyn Harris, who also pled guilty, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026. According to court records, Harris and Johnson conspired to defraud FEMA by submitting false disaster relief claims tied to the Lahaina and Pacific Palisades wildfires. They claimed lost income, housing, and property even though they did not live in the disaster area or suffer those losses. Harris falsely claimed that he resided in Lahaina during the Lahaina wildfires and that he lost housing, income, suffered medical bills, and lost property as a result. Johnson assisted that fraud by posing as Harris’s Maui landlord. Johnson then falsely claimed to live in Pacific Palisades, California during the Pacific Palisades wildfires and falsely claimed she lost housing and incurred other expenses as a result. Together, Harris and Johnson received over $60,000 in disaster relief from FEMA intended for victims of the wildfires. The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.


title: St. Thomas Pastor Arrested on Federal and Local Sex Offenses Involving Minor

component: USAO - Virgin Islands


body_text: St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. – United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on April 1, 2026, a St. Thomas man was arrested on criminal charges related to his alleged transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. According to court documents, Lawrence Turnbull, 65, of Estate Mandahl, was the minor’s pastor and youth leader. On multiple occasions, he transported the minor to different locations and touched the minor inappropriately. Turnbull is charged with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, coercion and enticement, unlawful sexual contact, and child abuse. If convicted, Turnbull faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Homeland Security Investigations and the Virgin Islands Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry is prosecuting the case. An information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Durant Resident Sentenced For Felony Assault

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Derek Michael James, age 41, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department. On July 9, 2025, James pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 27, 2025, James assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm. The crime occurred in Bryan County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. James will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to 24 Years in Prison for Producing Child Pornography

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for sexually abusing two children and recording it. DENIKOS HAWKINS induced two children to engage in sexual acts with him in 2023. Hawkins recorded the acts and sent the sexually explicit videos to other minors, offering to pay them if they created the same type of videos. When one of the victims stopped responding to Hawkins on Instagram, he threatened to send the videos of her to her school and to “everyone” she knew. Hawkins, 36, of Chicago, pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of production of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang imposed the 24-year prison sentence during a hearing in federal court in Chicago on March 19, 2026. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Carroll County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Jackson, TN – Chad D. Isbell, 59 , of McKenzie, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. The investigation in this case revealed that Isbell used a cell phone to record himself sexually assaulting a seven-year-old child. The video was subsequently sent to the child’s mother via a social media application, and she immediately reported it to the police. After being confronted with the video, Isbell admitted to law enforcement officers that he made the video and stored it on his cell phone. Following the defendant’s guilty plea to possession of child pornography, Senior United States District Judge J. Daniel Breen sentenced Isbell to 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Isbell also has a related pending state indictment in the Circuit Court of Carroll County, TN, where he has been charged with the Class B felony offense of Aggravated Sexual Battery for engaging in unlawful sexual contact with a victim under 13 years of age. U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Sexual predators who victimize children cannot hide from ultimate detection and aggressive prosecution by this office. Production and possession of child pornography victimizes, harms, and exploits vulnerable children in a horrific way, and must be met with significant consequences.” This case was investigated by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the McKenzie Police Department, and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: Advanced Urology and Jitesh Patel will pay $14 million to settle False Claims Act case involving allegations of fraudulent billing and unnecessary medical procedures

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA –Jitesh Patel, M.D., Advanced Urology, Inc., and affiliated companies (collectively “Advanced Urology”) will pay $14 million to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act by billing federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, for a series of urological and diagnostic procedures that were not performed or were medically unnecessary. “Physicians commit fraud when they seek payment for medically unnecessary procedures or bill for services they never performed,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office will not tolerate abuse of patients or misuse of government funds, and we will enforce the False Claims Act to hold wrongdoers accountable.” “This action underscores our commitment to safeguarding federal health care programs from fraud and abuse,” said Special Agent in Charge Kelly Blackmon of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Allegations of upcoding and medically unnecessary procedures undermine the integrity of Medicare and other government programs. We will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that providers who submit false claims are held accountable.” “The settlement underscores the FBI’s commitment to investigating complex healthcare fraud schemes that prioritize profit over patient care,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “Submitting false claims to federal healthcare programs is a serious violation of the law, and we will continue to ensure those responsible are held accountable.” “This settlement demonstrates the VA OIG’s tireless commitment to protecting veterans’ healthcare programs from fraudulent billing,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the VA Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.” “Fraud against the Medicaid program is stealing from Georgia taxpayers – plain and simple,” said Jim Mooney, Deputy Attorney General of Georgia’s Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division. “Performing unnecessary procedures takes limited resources away from those who truly need them. This office will ensure that Medicaid providers treat their patients and Georgia taxpayers with respect and not as a scheme to get rich.” "This settlement should serve as a strong deterrent to healthcare practitioners who abandon their Hippocratic Oath while seeking to exploit and defraud TRICARE, which provides critical healthcare services to those who defend our nation, retirees, and their families,” said Jason Sargenski, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “DCIS, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate allegations of healthcare providers who defraud the U.S. Government, and will seek justice on behalf of our men and women in uniform.” The government’s investigation began after a former Advanced Urology employee filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Advanced Urology performed unnecessary procedures. A former Advanced Urology physician filed a second whistleblower complaint alleging that the practice billed government healthcare programs for procedures and tests that were not performed or were medically unnecessary. The whistleblowers alleged, among other things, that Advanced Urology’s organization was designed to maximize revenue for Dr. Patel and others by performing medically unnecessary procedures and tests, by engaging in the following practices, among others: Implanting permanent Sacral Nerve Stimulator devices in patients without first determining whether the patients would benefit from the device. Performing numerous unnecessary Cystoscopy and Retrograde Pyelogram procedures, which involved placing a patient under anesthesia and inserting a small scope through the patient’s urethra and into the bladder. Performing an Electromyography test on almost every new patient at Advanced Urology even though it is rarely used in urology practices. This test involved transmitting electrical signals through an electrode attached to the patient’s genitalia. Ordering thousands of unnecessary ultrasound tests, including duplex ultrasounds and retroperitoneal ultrasounds. The whistleblowers also alleged that Advanced Urology billed for a procedure known as Direct Visual Internal Urethrotomy (“DVIU”) that it never performed. The DVIU procedure involves using a scope to dilate a patient’s urethra and a knife to cut tissue inside the urethra. Allegedly, Advanced Urology performed a less complicated dilation of the urethra but billed government healthcare programs for DVIU to obtain more payment than it was owed. The whistleblowers alleged that Advanced Urology and Dr. Patel’s conduct resulted in the submission of false claims to federal healthcare programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, in violation of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729, et seq. , and the Georgia False Medicaid Claims Act, O.C.G.A. §§ 49-4-168.1, et seq . This civil settlement resolves two lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act: United States and State of Georgia ex rel. Lorraine Perumal-Szramel v. Advanced Urology, Inc. et al. , No. 1:18-cv-4482-SCJ, and United States and State of Georgia ex rel. Himanshu Aggarwal, M.D. v. Jitesh V. Patel et al. , No. 1:19-cv-2844-WMR. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. The Relators will collectively receive $2,940,000 from the settlement. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the Medicaid Fraud and Patient Protection Division of the Georgia Attorney General’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General; and the Defense Health Agency. The investigation and resolution of this matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Nugent and Andres Sandoval and Georgia Assistant Attorney General James Champlin. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: St. Petersburg Man Charged in Child’s Fentanyl Overdose and Multiple Drug Offenses

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Rayshawn Smith (31, St. Petersburg) has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution of a controlled substance resulting in great bodily injury, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, drug distribution, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. If convicted on all counts, Smith faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement. According to the complaint, between May 13, 2025, and January 14, 2026, Smith sold various kinds of drugs – including methamphetamine and fentanyl – to a confidential informant. On November 13, 2025, while in the sole care and custody of Smith, a one-year-old child ingested and overdosed on fentanyl, resulting in the need for life-saving measures at the hospital. On January 14, 2026, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Smith’s residence where they recovered drugs, guns, and drug paraphernalia. Smith was arrested at a different location in his vehicle. When law enforcement searched Smith’s car, they found additional drugs and drug packaging materials. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yara Dodin.


title: Justice Department Intervenes in Lawsuit Accusing Missouri State High School Activities Association of Race and Sex Discrimination in Selecting Board Members

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division (“DOJ”) intervened in a lawsuit today against the Missouri State High School Activities Association (“MSHSAA”), accusing MSHSAA of illegally classifying prospective board members based on race and sex MSHSAA is a nonprofit association of schools that governs interscholastic competitions in Missouri. MSHSAA’s constitution provides that board members for at-large seats “shall be filled by a candidate representing the under-represented gender of the current Board, or an under-represented ethnicity.” Dr. Merlyn Johnson, a white male, sued MSHSAA after he was nominated for the board, and MSHSAA disqualified him because of his race and sex. "MSHSAA refused to allow Dr. Johnson to run for the board of directors solely because he is a white male,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racial and sexual quotas are offensive, demeaning — and most importantly, illegal. They are especially harmful when they exclude qualified candidates such as Dr. Johnson from public service.” The lawsuit alleges that MSHSAA has violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by discriminating against Dr. Johnson. DOJ argues that MSHSAA is a state actor that lacks a compelling interest in having a “diverse” board of directors. DOJ asks the court to enjoin MSHSAA from disqualifying board candidates on the basis of race or sex.


title: Las Vegas Man Convicted at Federal Trial of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Quantiae Harris, age 49, of Las Vegas, Nevada, of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance – Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance – Fentanyl, and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering following a 5-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Harris was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. The verdict was returned on March 27, 2026. The two charges for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years and up to life imprisonment, a $20 million dollar fine, and at least 10 years to life of supervised release. The charge for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, a $500,000 fine or twice the value of the monetary instruments involved (whichever is greater), and three years of supervised release. In 2023 and 2024, Harris was the leader of a California and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl to the Sioux Falls area. Harris and his underlings sent packages of drugs through the U.S. mail and used rental vehicles with hidden compartments to drive drugs from California to South Dakota. They began operating out of hotel rooms before switching to short-term rental properties, typically Airbnbs, in Sioux Falls, which they used as bases of operation to distribute the drugs to local sub-distributors. The organization was careful not to conduct their sales at the places they were staying. When a customer needed to purchase more drugs, they would call or text one of the members and be directed to meet up at public location close to wherever the organization was staying at the time. The meetups were brief, often only lasting a matter of seconds. Customers were directed to pay either in cash or using an online funds transfer service, which was typically Cash App. Testimony at trial established the drug trafficking organization sold over 100 pounds of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills during the time it was operational. The criminal syndicate is also attributed to having been the first to introduce powder fentanyl—an even more potent and lethal form of the drug than the pill form—to the Sioux Falls market. Thanks in large part to Harris and his subordinates, powder fentanyl has since become the predominant illegal opioid in the local market. Harris or the drug dealers who worked for him would vacuum-seal bags of collected cash to be hidden in rental cars on return trips to Nevada and California, as well as deposit some of the illegal proceeds in local banks. Harris was specifically linked to over $1.2 million in money laundering transactions during the time his drug trafficking organization was operational in Sioux Falls. “This was a major bust of significant figure in the lurid underworld of illegal drugs. I’m incredibly proud of the team of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and our federal prosecutors who made this case and secured the conviction of this Las Vegas drug dealer, responsible for so much misery and suffering in the Sioux Falls area,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “The Trump Administration has designated fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality in extremely small amounts,” U.S. Attorney Parsons continued. “In its pure powder form, it truly is a chemical weapon. If a member of your family used fentanyl in Sioux Falls over the past few years, this defendant is one of the primary drug dealers likely to have brought it here. The jury listened carefully to the evidence and returned a guilty verdict on every count. He is now out of business for good.” Below are photographs of some of the fentanyl and methamphetamine seized during the investigation and admitted at trial. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted and tried the case to a successful jury verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen assisted in the preparation of the case. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Minneapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, USMS, USPIS, SD DCI, SFPD, MCSO, and SDHP with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota. A presentence investigation was ordered, and sentencing is set for June 15, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Panama City Felon Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms

body_text: Tallahassee, Florida – Orinthian Frazier, 46, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for unlawfully possessing firearms as a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “ Operation Take Back America continues to secure victories for the safety of our communities by targeting and aggressively prosecuting dangerous criminals, like this defendant. The safety of our citizens is non-negotiable, and my office will continue to back up the hard work of our state and federal law enforcement partners with successful prosecutions and federal prison sentences.” Court documents reflect that in March 2025, Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators received information that the defendant – a prior felon with convictions for sale of cocaine, sale of heroin, grand theft, and burglary – was selling illegal firearms. In an undercover capacity, investigators negotiated and then conducted the purchase of three handguns from the defendant. The defendant was arrested immediately after the undercover firearm sale and was found in possession of marked currency used for the purchase. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Guilty Plea in Federal Murder Case for Killing of U.S. Air Force Reservist

body_text: Pensacola, Florida – Charles Carson-Dowdy, 31, of Mobile, Alabama, pleaded guilty in federal court for cyberstalking, interstate domestic violence, murder through use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in relation to the death of Starmichael L. Tucker in Pensacola in early-2025. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, and the aggressive prosecution by my office, this offender will be held accountable for the anguish he has inflicted on the victim’s family through his vicious, deadly, and cowardly violence that stole an innocent life. This case underscores the deadly threats posed by dating and domestic violence, and it is more important than ever to obtain justice for the victims, like Ms. Tucker, to ensure this can never happen again.” Court documents reveal that Carson-Dowdy, who resided in Mobile, Alabama, and the victim, Ms. Tucker, who resided in Pensacola, Florida, began dating in or about October 2024. During the dating relationship, Carson-Dowdy used cellular telephones, the internet, and a ridesharing business to engage in a course of conduct with the intent to harass and intimidate the victim. At the end of December 2024, Ms. Tucker flew to California to visit family for the holidays. During her trip, Ms. Tucker and Carson-Dowdy had a series of escalating arguments via text message. On January 1, 2025, as Ms. Tucker traveled back to Florida from California, she and Carson- Dowdy had a conversation via text message during which the victim attempted to end the relationship with Carson-Dowdy. In response, Carson-Dowdy, who was at his residence in Mobile, Alabama, used his cellular phone to hail a ride via the Uber ridesharing service and traveled to the victim’s residence in Pensacola, Florida, to confront her. Carson-Dowdy brought a Taurus handgun and an extra loaded magazine with him as he traveled from Alabama to Florida. Carson-Dowdy entered Ms. Tucker’s home without her permission. She returned home to Carson-Dowdy waiting for her in the apartment. At approximately 8:00 pm on January 2, 2025, Carson-Dowdy followed Ms. Tucker as she left her apartment and he fired an initial volley of approximately four shots at her using his handgun. The victim was struck from behind by the bullets and collapsed in the apartment parking lot. Carson-Dowdy walked over to Ms. Tucker, who was lying on the ground, and shot her approximately ten more times. Carson-Dowdy then entered the victim’s vehicle parked nearby, and deliberately ran over Ms. Tucker with the car, reversing the vehicle over her body, and then driving forward, running over her again. Carson-Dowdy then fled from the scene in the victim’s vehicle. Ms. Tucker died from the injuries inflicted by Carson-Dowdy. Carson-Dowdy was ultimately located by law enforcement in the victim’s vehicle in Spanish Fort, Alabama. He was taken into custody, and the Taurus handgun used to murder the victim was found inside the car. Carson-Dowdy faces up to life imprisonment at his sentencing, which is scheduled for August 25, 2026, at 9:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office for the First Judicial Circuit, and the Spanish Fort Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg, Kaitlin Weiss, and Jordane New. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Former Member of the Air Force Pleads Guilty to Multi-Year Bid Rigging Schemes and Conspiracy to Defraud U.S. Air Force

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: A former active-duty Master Sergeant of the U.S. Air Force pleaded guilty yesterday to fraudulently inflating the cost of information technology (IT) contracts for the U.S. Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) by at least $37 million — and using the excess funds to enrich himself, enrich co-conspirators, and channel bribes to a federal public official in PACAF whom the conspirators nicknamed “Godfather.” The defendant, Alan Hayward James, 51, of Texas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery, and conspiracy to rig bids. James also agreed to pay over $1.4 million in restitution to the U.S. Department of War. “Over thirty-seven million dollars — that’s how much the U.S. Air Force overpaid because of the scheme that the defendant admitted to, under oath and in open court.” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Daniel Glad of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Criminals who rig bids and commit fraud on government contracts steal from taxpayers and threaten the public’s confidence in government institutions. The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force will detect and prosecute those who rig bids and defraud their government customers.” “Through this bid-rigging scheme, the defendant not only stole from American taxpayers and harmed companies seeking to compete honestly for government contracts, he also ultimately harmed essential military services designed to keep our nation safe by diverting resources away from other services,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “Bid-rigging and anti-competitive behavior in government contracts erodes trust in our institutions, harms taxpayers, and will not be tolerated. We will continue to investigate and prosecute any and all who would seek to manipulate markets and undermine fair competition for their own personal gain.” “James’s guilty plea acknowledges his role in a long-running conspiracy to rig bids and defraud the U.S. government for personal financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge John E. Helsing of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “DCIS, along with our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Department of Justice, will aggressively investigate those who seek to enrich themselves through fraudulent schemes targeting the U.S. Department of Defense and American taxpayers.” “This case highlights the capabilities and strength of joint investigative efforts to defend and protect sensitive Department of War (DoW) acquisition systems,” said Special Agent Nicole Vanourek of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), Procurement Fraud. “Ensuring companies adhere to robust contracting requirements is integral to maximizing the Air Force’s lethality and readiness to address evolving security challenges.” “Bribery, bid rigging, and wire fraud are not victimless crimes; they erode public trust, distort fair competition, and harm honest businesses who play by the rules,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bjornstad of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Western Investigations Division. “GSA OIG special agents and our law enforcement partners remain committed to pursuing those who engage in procurement fraud.” According to a plea agreement and information filed in the U.S. District Court in Honolulu, Hawaii, from at least April 2016 until about April 2025, James and his coconspirators falsely inflated the cost of IT contracts serving U.S. Air Force installations across the Pacific. James and his coconspirators agreed to use the excess funds to pay James, James’ family members, the family of an Air Force civilian employee, and other co-conspirators. As part of this scheme, the conspirators diverted government funds to pay for an all-expenses-paid multi-day stay at a luxury resort on the North Shore of Oahu in 2023. Also, from at least May 2019 until about October 2022, the defendant directed co-conspirators — who were supposed to be competitively bidding against one another to win government contracts — on the amounts they should bid to circumvent the competitive bidding process. As a result of the defendant’s actions, the government overpaid for IT contracts by at least $37 million. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for bribery is 15 years in prison and a fine of either $250,000 or three times the monetary value of the bribe, whichever is greater. The maximum penalty for a conspiracy to rig bids in violation of the Sherman Act for an individual is 10 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The fines may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fines. James agreed to pay a restitution of at least $1,451,656.80 to the Department of War. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case, which was investigated with the assistance of DOD-OIG-DCIS, AFOSI, and GSA-OIG. Rebecca A. Bers, Don Daniel, Matthew Chou, and Albert B. Sambat of the Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, and Darren W.K. Ching of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, are prosecuting this case. The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force . Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards .


title: Three Philadelphia Men Charged by Superseding Indictment With Conspiring to Distribute Large Amounts of Methamphetamine

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jimmy King, 50, Jermaine King, 51, and Mahmud Sheppard, 28, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were charged by superseding indictment with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and firearms offenses. The superseding indictment alleges that, between January 2024 and July 2025, the three men operated a drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) responsible for distributing over 500 pounds of methamphetamine throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding region. As further alleged, Jimmy King routinely traveled to California where he sourced bulk quantities of methamphetamine, which he shipped back to Philadelphia using fake names and addresses. With the assistance of Jermaine King and Sheppard, Jimmy King diverted these packages and then distributed the methamphetamine to customers. FBI agents surveilled the trio for months as they obtained and distributed methamphetamine. On July 23, 2025, agents served a search warrant on Jimmy King’s residence, where they located approximately 30 pounds of methamphetamine and two firearms. If convicted, each of the defendants faces a maximum possible sentence of life in prison. The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Stram and Christopher E. Parisi. 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 Philadelphia comprises agents and officers from, among others, FBI, HSI, DEA, and ATF, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.


title: Todd County Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison  for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Todd County, South Dakota, convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor. The sentencing took place on March 30, 2026. Treon Eastman, age 25, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Eastman was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 8, 2026. The conviction stems from an incident that occurred within the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. Between April 2023 and July 2023, Eastman engaged in a sexual act with a female victim who was between 12-16 years old. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Office and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and 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 matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court. This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case. Eastman was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to Nine Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Prattville, Alabama man for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On April 1, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 33-year-old Harry Deonta Bailey to 108 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. According to Bailey’s plea agreement and other court records, during the early morning hours of November 16, 2025, officers with the Montgomery Police Department responded to reports of shots fired during an altercation between a man and a woman just south of downtown Montgomery. Upon arrival, officers heard a gunshot and observed several individuals engaged in a physical altercation. As officers approached, a man matching the description provided in the initial report attempted to flee. During a brief foot pursuit, officers observed the individual discard a firearm. Officers quickly detained the individual, later identified as Bailey. A second firearm was recovered from his person. Bailey has prior felony convictions in Alabama and Georgia and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition. He pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on December 12, 2025. This case is part of Operation Take Back America (OTBA) and the Middle District of Alabama’s Violent Offender Intervention and Deterrence (VOID) program. OTBA is 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. VOID aims to reduce violent crime by enhancing coordination, communication, and collaboration with law enforcement partners. The program focuses on working directly with local agencies and traditional federal partners to prosecute violent offenders and armed felons, dismantle drug trafficking organizations, and build proactive cases targeting gangs and repeat violent offenders. VOID prioritizes the most serious violent crime cases and fosters close working relationships with state and local prosecutors and law enforcement throughout the Montgomery River Region. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Montgomery Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the case.


title: 13-Count Indictment Charges D.C. Man in March 2026 Violent Armed Carjackings

body_text: WASHINGTON D.C. – A 13-count Indictment was unsealed March 31 in U.S. District Court charging Dequan Simpson, 18, of the District of Columbia, in two alleged armed carjackings and a shooting that occurred last month in Northeast Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The Indictment charges Simpson with multiple counts of Carjacking, Interfering with Interstate Commerce by Robbery (Hobbs Act), and corresponding counts of Using of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. It also charges Simpson with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer. Three of the counts also name Jayvaun Brown, 20, a resident of the District. Brown is charged with Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, and Fleeing a Law Enforcement Officer. Brown will have his first court appearance on April 2. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya on April 1 ordered Simpson to be held without bond. According to the court documents, on March 4, shortly after noon, a pizza delivery driver allegedly was lured to a residence on the unit block of Webster Street NE, under the pretext of a routine food order. When the pizza delivery driver arrived, he was robbed, assaulted, held at gun point, and carjacked of his 2014 Toyota Corolla. Two days later, on March 6, a freelance barber was lured to the same Webster Street residence under the pretext of a request for a haircut. When the barber arrived, he was robbed and shot multiple times as he attempted to flee. The gunman took the barber’s black 2009 Infiniti G37X. Investigators later recovered seven spent shell casings at the scene. On March 9, about 10:20 p.m. police spotted the stolen Infiniti, occupied by several people, speeding on Florida Ave. NE. Officers gave chase. During the high-speed pursuit, an occupant of the Infiniti appeared to throw a rifle from the vehicle. Investigators recovered a Hammerli TAC R1 .22 LR caliber rifle near 9th and K Streets NW. About 10:32 p.m., the suspects were traveling southbound on the 11 th Street sidewalk when they attempted to turn onto M Street NW. They were stopped when the Infiniti crashed into a U.S. Park Police cruiser. Officers apprehended Simpson shortly after. Police located Brown in a nearby parking garage and arrested him. This case is being investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, the U.S. Park Police, and Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy. Charges in an indictment are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 26mj63 Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and YouTube Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc


title: Justice Department Announces Operation Not Forgotten 2026

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Department of Justice and FBI announced today a personnel surge in support of Operation Not Forgotten 2026, the latest deployment under Operation Steadfast Promise demonstrating the FBI's sustained commitment to addressing violent crime and improving public safety in Indian Country. In its fourth year, Operation Not Forgotten focuses on unresolved cases in Indian Country with a priority placed on cases involving violence against women and children, including those who are missing or murdered. Operation Not Forgotten is a major initiative under FBI’s Operation Steadfast Promise, a comprehensive surge of resources to address a wide range of violent crime threats including gangs and criminal enterprises, violent crimes against children, and fugitive apprehension cases, while working to improve public safety measures impacting Tribal communities. The FBI, in coordination with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Missing and Murdered Unit, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tribal and other federal law enforcement partners, is working across multiple territories to bring investigative aid to cases and resolution for victims and their families. “We will never accept the high rates of violence suffered by American Indian and Alaska Native people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This surge will comprehensively address Indian Country violent crime – from gangs, guns and drugs, to domestic and sexual violence – while strengthening partnerships and public safety in Tribal communities.” “For far too long our tribal partners have been forgotten while their communities suffer unacceptably high rates of violent crime,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Last year’s Operation Not Forgotten was a tremendous success in delivering the resources long needed in Indian Country – and we are just getting started. This FBI will continue working together with our Tribal and federal partners to again surge personnel to block violent actors who think they can act lawlessly within these revered communities.” “This surge represents the federal law enforcement at its best; coordinated, intelligence-driven, and focused on delivering justice,” said the ATF Deputy Director Rob Cekada. “ATF is proud to stand alongside our partners to bring the full weight of our investigative and forensic capabilities to fight violent crime in Indian Country. This initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring that no community is overlooked and that every victim receives the justice they deserve.” “Operation Not Forgotten reflects the Department of the Interior’s unwavering commitment to Native families and the strength of our partnership with the FBI to deliver justice where it is long overdue,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Established during President Trump’s first term, the Bureau of Indian Affair's Missing and Murdered Unit has brought national focus to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons crisis—driving stronger investigations, tighter coordination across jurisdictions, and renewed attention to cases that for too long were left unresolved. That work continues with urgency and purpose today, as we stand alongside the FBI to pursue answers for families and uphold our trust responsibility to Native communities.” Building on prior deployments that have provided investigative support to more than 700 cases, resulting in the recovery of child victims, arrests, and federal indictments, Operation Not Forgotten 2026 represents the Bureau's continued commitment to ensuring that the most serious unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country receive the full weight of federal investigative resources. Surged personnel, including investigative, intelligence and victim service support, will be deployed on rotating temporary duty assignments across Indian Country in eleven FBI field offices, in Albuquerque, Billings, Detroit, Denver, Jackson, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Portland and Phoenix. Working in close coordination with Tribal law enforcement agencies, the BIA Missing and Murdered Unit, and U.S. Attorneys' Offices, together law enforcement will work to advance open investigations and pursue accountability for victims and their families. At the start of this fiscal year, the FBI's Indian Country program carried approximately 4,100 open investigations including death investigations, child abuse cases, and domestic violence and adult sexual abuse investigations underscoring the persistent and urgent need for sustained resource investment in these communities. The FBI remains committed to standing alongside Tribal communities, federal partners, and local law enforcement to address the violent crime threats that continue to impact Indian Country. To learn more, visit fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/indian-country-crime . The FBI encourages anyone with information related to unresolved violent crimes in Indian Country to contact their local FBI field office or submit a tip at tips.fbi.gov.


title: North Haven Man Charged with Robbing Berlin Bank While on Supervised Release

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, and Berlin Police Chief Matthew J. McNally today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment yesterday charging THOMAS MARRA, 55, of North Haven, with bank robbery. The indictment alleges that, on December 31, 2025, Marra robbed the Webster Bank on Webster Square Road in Berlin. If convicted of the offense, Marra faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Marra has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on January 7, 2026. In May 2023, Marra was sentenced in New Haven federal court to 60 months of imprisonment for a narcotics trafficking offense . He was released from prison in June 2025 and was on federal supervised release at the time of the alleged bank robbery. Marra faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Berlin Police Department, and the North Haven Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and Brendan J. Keefe.


title: London Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A London man, Jimmy Barrett, 47, was sentenced on Wednesday to 220 months by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on September 13, 2024, Barrett was driving back to London, Ky., after meeting with his source of supply in the Louisville, Ky., area, where he obtained approximately six pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement attempted to execute a traffic stop on Barrett’s vehicle, but he refused, leading police on a high-speed chase through Laurel County. Barrett ultimately wrecked his vehicle from the police chase, a search of which led to the location and seizure of the six pounds of methamphetamine. Barrett admitted to intending to distribute this methamphetamine to other mid- and lower-level methamphetamine traffickers in the London and Corbin areas. Under federal law, Barrett must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by ATF and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Dotson is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. – END –