title: Large-Scale, Politically-Connected Venezuelan Cocaine Trafficker Sentenced To Life Plus 30 Years In Prison

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, announced that Carlos Orense Azocar was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and related weapons charges. ORENSE AZOCAR was convicted after a two-week trial in December 2023 before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who imposed today’s sentence. “Carlos Orense Azocar is one of the most prolific cocaine traffickers ever sentenced in this courthouse, responsible for the distribution of hundreds of tons of cocaine to the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Orense Azocar and his co-conspirators, including high-ranking government and military officials, inflicted incalculable damage on this community. Alongside our partners at the Bilateral Investigations Unit of the DEA’s Special Operations Division, we are committed to ending the exploitation of the American people by drug cartels and the governments who enable them.” “Carlos Orense Azocar was a criminal kingpin who built an empire on deception, fraud, and bribery,” said DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. “Orense Azocar’s close ties to the Venezuelan government provided resources to help him evade law enforcement and move massive shipments of cocaine across the Western Hemisphere. Today's sentence sends a clear message: DEA will relentlessly pursue and hold international drug traffickers accountable, no matter how far they run or how powerful they believe themselves to be.” According to court documents and the evidence presented at the trial: Beginning in or about 2003, ORENSE AZOCAR and his drug trafficking organization distributed tons of cocaine destined for importation into the United States. ORENSE AZOCAR helped transport, receive, and distribute loads of cocaine ranging from hundreds to thousands of kilograms, from Venezuela to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and elsewhere, using air and maritime routes. ORENSE AZOCAR operated fincas, or ranches, in Venezuela, where he stored his cocaine in underground tanks, stored hundreds of deadly weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition, and which had clandestine landing strips from which he dispatched airplanes loaded with cocaine. ORENSE AZOCAR also loaded cocaine on “go-fast” boats that sped from the Venezuelan coastline to intermediate delivery points in the Caribbean, including the Dominican Republic and close to Puerto Rico. To aid in his cocaine distribution, ORENSE AZOCAR worked with and paid bribes to high-ranking officials throughout the Venezuelan government, including military generals and army officials; national police commissioners; and high-ranking officials in the Venezuelan intelligence agencies. ORENSE AZOCAR’s corrupt Venezuelan government connections secured access to military-grade weaponry, protection from military and law enforcement raids, safe passage for ORENSE AZOCAR’s cocaine convoys through checkpoints, and fraudulent airplane transponder codes to permit ORENSE AZOCAR’s cocaine-laden aircraft to freely depart Venezuela en route to Central America and Mexico. ORENSE AZOCAR similarly partnered with armed guerrilla forces operating in Colombia and Venezuela to source cocaine and secure safe passage for his cocaine shipments. ORENSE AZOCAR distributed hundreds of tons of cocaine and made tens of millions of dollars through his narcotics trafficking. To protect and expand his cocaine trafficking organization, ORENSE AZOCAR employed high-powered weaponry. He had armed security teams that guarded his finca; traveled in armored vehicles with armed security; and used armed security, military forces, and police to protect his convoys of cocaine. Among other weapons, ORENSE AZOCAR employed automatic rifles, submachine guns, handguns modified to operate as machine guns, and a 50-caliber mounted machine gun. * * * Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Special Operations Division Bilateral Investigations Unit, Rome Country Office, and Miami Field Division, as well as the SDNY Digital Forensics Unit and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for securing the arrest and June 2022 extradition from Italy of Orense Azocar. Mr. Clayton additionally thanked the Government of Italy for its assistance extraditing ORENSE AZOCAR to the United States. This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security & International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky, Michael D. Lockard, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.


title: Former SBA and IRS employee charged with using government positions to steal millions from COVID relief programs

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA – Attallah Williams has been charged with a muti-year scheme to steal over $3.5 million from four separate COVID-19 emergency relief programs by obtaining employment at both the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and wrongfully approving fraudulent applications in exchange for bribes and kickbacks. She allegedly recruited participants into her scheme through advertisements and direct messages on Instagram that highlighted her insider access to the programs and by promising referral payments to conspirators who recruited additional people into the scheme. “Williams allegedly exploited her federal employment, stole millions of dollars from generous government programs, and brazenly recruited other participants through social media advertisements,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This prosecution is yet another example of this office’s commitment to hold accountable those who abused their government positions or stole from pandemic relief programs.” “Using a position of public trust as a means to fraudulently grant access to federal programs for personal gain will not be tolerated,” said SBA Office of the Inspector General’s Eastern Region Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite. “Our Office will remain relentless in the pursuit of fraudsters who seek to exploit SBA’s vital economic programs. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their dedication and commitment to seeing justice served.” “This defendant is accused of exploiting trusted positions inside the federal government to steal millions of dollars meant to keep struggling businesses afloat during a national crisis,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable anyone who abuses public trust and defrauds critical government programs for personal gain.” “Attallah Williams allegedly obtained positions of trust for the purpose of defrauding the U.S. government of COVID-19 economic relief funds,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners continue initiating new investigations and forwarding for prosecution people who diverted COVID-19 relief money for their personal gain at the expense of businesses that needed those funds to keep workers employed.” “The DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office works diligently with its federal law enforcement partners to root out bad actors within the government in order to maintain public trust in our institutions,” said DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston. “Defendant Williams is accused of a bold scheme to embed herself in agencies responsible for the distribution of funds, steal millions of dollars from pandemic relief programs, and recruit others to participate in the deception. This violation of public trust and government funds will not be tolerated.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Williams allegedly orchestrated a three-year scheme to fraudulently obtain funds from four separate emergency pandemic relief programs: First, Williams submitted fraudulent applications to the SBA to obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) in the names of businesses that were not operational. Second, Williams submitted a fraudulent application for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, guaranteed by the SBA, for a business that was not operational. Third, Williams obtained a position as a loan officer with the SBA, enabling her to use her insider access to wrongly approve applications to the EIDL Advance grant program. Williams then advertised on Instagram to recruit accomplices who, under her instructions, submitted fraudulent applications using the names of nonexistent or ineligible businesses. Williams, using her position at the SBA, improperly approved those applications in exchange for a share of the proceeds. Williams then encouraged her conspirators to recruit additional participants, promising them referral fees for every person brought into the scheme. Fourth, Williams left the SBA and obtained a position as a tax examining technician at the IRS. Williams again advertised on social media to recruit accomplices who, under her instructions and with her assistance, submitted fraudulent tax documents to the IRS to claim payments under the Employee Retention Tax Credit program with Williams receiving a fee for each application. In total, Williams submitted false claims for more than $3.5 million of pandemic emergency assistance funds intended to help struggling businesses. Attallah Williams, 32, of Hampton, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath on a criminal information containing a federal charge of conspiracy to defraud the government with respect to claims. Members of the public are reminded that the criminal information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charge, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with valuable assistance from the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . 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: Former U.S. Navy SEAL Convicted of Transporting Explosives to Throw at Law Enforcement at California Protests

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – After a five-day jury trial and approximately three hours of deliberation, a federal jury convicted Gregory Vandenberg , a former U.S. Navy SEAL, of intending to use explosives against law enforcement officers at the June 14, 2025, “No Kings Day” protests in California. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Thursday, June 12, 2025, Gregory Vandenberg , 49, was traveling from El Paso, Texas, to San Diego, California, to attend the “No Kings Day” protests, which were scheduled for Saturday, June 14, 2025. While in New Mexico, Vandenberg visited a travel center off Interstate 10 near Lordsburg and purchased six large mortar fireworks, which are designed to shoot high into the air and explode, and 72 M-150 firecrackers, which are designed to sound like gunfire. During this visit, he told the store clerk that he intended to throw fireworks at police officers at the upcoming protests. He asked detailed questions about the amount of gunpowder in the fireworks, their explosive impact, and their ability to harm others. He also discussed taping multiple fireworks together to increase their explosive impact. Vandenberg emphasized that he was not interested in the color or display of the fireworks—only in their ability to cause explosions and harm law enforcement. Vandenberg at the travel center on June 12, 2025 Vandenberg , who has no stable employment and lives primarily out of his car, also made several statements demonstrating his knowledge of explosives and past special forces experience. He encouraged the clerk to join him at the protests and repeatedly expressed a desire to throw fireworks at law enforcement officials at the protests in California. He also discussed handing out fireworks to others at the event and noted that he would not get hurt because he knew what he was doing. When purchasing the fireworks, he falsely told the cashier that he was not from this country when she asked for his I.D., and he asked if the store was going to track him. Employees, alarmed by his comments, recorded his license plate and contacted law enforcement. Federal agents tracked Vandenberg to Tucson, Arizona, and arrested him the following morning while he was sleeping in his car at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Vandenberg initially claimed to be traveling for work and later falsely stated he was visiting friends in Phoenix that weekend, though he was unemployed at the time. A search of his vehicle revealed the purchased fireworks, along with clothing displaying antisemitic, anti-Israel, and extremist symbols—including a t-shirt with an image of the Al-Qaeda flag and a t-shirt calling for the destruction of Judea. FBI agents also discovered that the home screen on Vandenberg’s phone consisted of an image of the Taliban flag. It was further discovered that Vandenberg wore a t-shirt into the store that stated “AMALEK” in large letters on the front—a t-shirt that Vandenberg had specially made and that he stated meant the “destroyer of Jews.” Vandenberg wearing a t-shirt bearing the word ‘AMALEK,’ a term meaning ‘destroyer of Jews’ at the travel center on June 12, 2025 (Top left to right) T-shirt with a variation of the Black Sun, a neo-Nazi symbol; t-shirt with Caucasian Front flag; t-shirt with Al-Qaeda flag; t-shirt with reference to Israeli attack on the USS Liberty in 1967; and (Bottom) T-shirt with “Judea must be destroyed” in Latin Hat with Al-Qaeda flag A review of his phone showed violent and extremist content, including antisemitic, anti-Israel and anti-U.S. materials, as well as messages discussing the upcoming protests. A review of his phone also showed messages suggesting Vandenberg was upset with the U.S. government, including President Trump, because he viewed the U.S. government as being controlled by Israel and the Jews. “People in this country are free to hold their own beliefs and to express them peacefully,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “What they are not free to do is use explosives to threaten or terrorize others. Vandenberg intended to turn explosives into a tool of intimidation, and this verdict sends the message that attempts to substitute violence for expressing one’s opinion has no place in our communities and will be met with federal consequences.” Vandenberg was convicted of transportation of explosives with intent to kill, injure or intimidate and attempted transportation of prohibited fireworks into California. Following the verdict, the Court ordered that Vandenberg remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Vandenberg faces 10 years in prison. Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Tucson Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Phoenix Field Office, Tucson Police Department, U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Grant Gardner, Richard Williams, and Joni Stahl are prosecuting the case.


title: United States Attorney’s Office Files Civil Forfeiture Action to Recover Proceeds of Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover 200,000.039646 USDT (Tether), alleged to be proceeds of an online investment fraud scheme. The cryptocurrency currently has an estimated value of approximately $200,000. In April 2025, an investigation began into a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme that targeted a Massachusetts resident. In such fraud schemes, often called “pig-butchering” schemes, scammers obtain funds from victims using manipulative tactics. The scammer establishes a level of trust with a victim in online communications and then entices the victim into investing in a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme. Often the victim is enticed to make additional payments before realizing they are a victim of fraud. The victim’s funds are stolen by the criminal, or criminals, ultimately causing the victim financial and emotional harm. Perpetrators behind these cryptocurrency investment schemes are often located overseas. As alleged in court documents, a Massachusetts resident matched with an individual on Tinder who went by the name “Nino Martin.” Martin suggested they leave Tinder and communicate via WhatsApp. He told the victim that he was a financial advisor and could help the victim make money by trading cryptocurrency. The victim then followed instructions to create an account and transfer funds to a trading platform that law enforcement believes was fraudulent. Individuals from the suspected fraudulent trading platform then contacted the victim with instructions on how to evade restrictions on the legitimate account from which the victim had transferred funds, as the prior transfers had been flagged as suspicious. The victim then continued to transfer funds to the suspected fraudulent trading platform. The victim transferred approximately $504,353 to the suspected fraudulent trading platform prior to contacting law enforcement. Some victim funds were then traced to a cryptocurrency account, which was seized in June 2025. It is a violation of federal law to use wire communications as part of a scheme to defraud or to obtain money or property by means of false or fraudulent pretenses. It is also a violation of federal law to conduct a financial transaction knowing that the transaction is designed to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, or control of criminal proceeds. A civil forfeiture action allows third parties to assert claims to property, which must be resolved before the property can be forfeited to the United States and returned to victims. This is one of several civil forfeiture actions the U.S. Attorney’s Office has filed seeking to forfeit cryptocurrency traced to fraud schemes targeting Massachusetts victims. Members of the public who believe they are victims of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, investment scams and business email compromise fraud scams – should contact USAMA.CyberTip@usdoj.gov . United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Lyons of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the civil forfeiture action. The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint and criminal charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised Release

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Darrelle Davon Boynton, also known as “D,” 40, of Huntington, was sentenced today to seven years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine and violating supervised release. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 23, 2025, Boynton sold approximately 56 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a Huntington parking lot. As part of his guilty plea, Boynton admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. Boynton also admitted to additional criminal conduct as part of his guilty plea. Boynton admitted that he sold approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine on April 29, 2025, and approximately 8.32 grams of heroin and fentanyl on May 8, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Huntington. At the time of this offense, Boynton was on supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of heroin and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 24, 2020. Today’s sentence includes one year and three months for committing a crime while on supervised release. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-126. ###


title: Former Operations Manager for Suburban Chicago Medical Center Indicted in Alleged $900,000 Fraud Scheme

body_text: CHICAGO — A former operations manager for a suburban Chicago medical center has been indicted in connection with an alleged $900,000 fraud scheme. From 2021 to 2024, BRANDON GETZLOFF used procurement credit cards from the medical center to purchase gift cards for himself and pay his personal bills, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Getzloff concealed the fraud by causing the expenses to be falsely recorded as legitimate expenditures in the company’s enterprise management system, the indictment states. Getzloff also engaged in fraud related to sports outings that he offered to arrange to luxury golf courses, college basketball and football games, and other events, the indictment states. Getzloff induced victims to pay for the outings by claiming to offer significantly discounted rates that had to be purchased by certain deadlines, sometimes more than a year in advance, the indictment states. Getzloff diverted most of the funds to his own use without purchasing tickets, but in some instances he used the victims’ funds as well as some of the gift cards from the procurement fraud to pay for earlier-scheduled sports outings, the success of which he used to attract funding from additional participants, the indictment states. In total, the indictment accuses Getzloff of fraudulently obtaining more than $700,000 from the medical center and more than $200,000 from the sports outing participants. Getzloff, 42, of Carol Stream, Ill., is charged with eight counts of wire fraud. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment on Wednesday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeremy C. Daniel is set for Jan. 28, 2026. The indictment 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. The Waukesha County, Wisc. Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Manschreck. getzloff_indictment.pdf


title: Elizabeth Man Pleads Guilty to Making Antisemitic Threat to Injure Local Public Official and Making False Statements to FBI

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to making a threat to injure a local public official and making false statements to government agents, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Edward Arthur Owens Jr., 30, pleaded guilty to two counts before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on May 20, 2025, Owens knowingly and willfully transmitted via a social media messaging app the following threat to injure a local public official: “We’re coming for you [emoji of person raising right hand] [German flag emoji] be afraid. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.” The Court was advised that the reference to “109 countries” is an antisemitic assertion that Jews have been expelled from 109 different countries; it is used by antisemites to call for the expulsion of Jews from other countries and otherwise to promote hatred. The recipient of the message is a local official who regularly engages with the public. The Court was further advised that, on or about May 30, 2025, Owens made false statements to special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, telling the agents that his firearms—which included a .22 LR caliber rifle, an AR-15 style rifle, and a 9mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol—were all in the custody of his mother, that he did not know where the firearms were, and that he did not have access to any of them. Those statements were false in that Owens did, in fact, know that his 9mm caliber Smith & Wesson pistol was still in his custody and control (located inside of the vehicle Owens drove immediately prior to making his false statements to the FBI agents), that he still had access to this pistol, and that the pistol was not in his mother’s custody. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for April 13, 2026. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both per count. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the Court ordered that Owens remain detained. Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Owens.


title: Anniston Gang Member Sentenced to More than Two Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a Machinegun

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

body_text: ANNISTON, Ala. – A Calhoun County man has been sentenced for illegal possession of a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. United States District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Justus Ramone Edmonson, 25, of Anniston, Alabama, to 32 months in prison. In August 2025, Edmonson pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun. According to the plea agreement, on April 29, 2024, officers with the Anniston Police Department were dispatched to Edmonson’s residence in Anniston to a report of shots fired and multiple gunshot victims. A group gathered on the front porch came under gunfire. Responding officers located a woman and three-year-old child who sustained gunshot wounds after being caught in the crossfire. Following the execution of a search warrant at the residence, officers recovered a Glock 9mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun using a machinegun conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” that belonged to Edmonson. Doorbell camera footage revealed that Edmonson fired the machinegun during the shooting, and a further search of the residence uncovered evidence that Edmonson and others had been using the residence to sell controlled substances. Evidence was also presented at sentencing that Edmonson is a member of a local gang called “Cutthroat Mafia.” 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. The Alabama HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. ATF investigated the case along with the Anniston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison J. Garnett prosecuted the case.


title: Camden County Felon Sentenced to 133 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine and Possessing a Firearm

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 133 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and possessing a firearm, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. Rasheed Amin, 47, of Voorhees, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to an information charging him with one count of conspiring to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On multiple occasions in 2024, Amin flew from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to various cities in the western United States to obtain cocaine for further distribution. Amin then mailed parcels containing the cocaine to his Voorhees residence and other addresses in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. On October 29, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Amin’s Voorhees residence and recovered several kilograms of cocaine, as well as a loaded firearm. Amin—a previously-convicted felon—admitted to possessing the cocaine and the firearm recovered from his residence. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited inspectors and task force officers of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. He also credited the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, the Camden County Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gabriel Rodriguez, and the Cherry Hill Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Ostermueller, for their assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. ### Defense counsel: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender.


title: Former Congressional Employee Arrested, Indicted in Theft of 240 Cell Phones

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Southerland, 43, of Glen Burnie, Maryland, was arrested Friday and charged in a federal indictment unsealed in U.S. District Court for stealing approximately 240 government cell phones, valued at over $150,000, from the U.S. House of Representatives, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “As alleged, stealing 240 government-issued phones worth over $150,000 is a direct betrayal of the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “That’s taxpayer money meant to serve Americans, not line someone’s pockets. Accountability matters – and no one is above the law.” According to the government’s evidence, from approximately April 2020 until July 2023, Southerland worked as a system administrator for the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. As a system administrator, Southerland was authorized to order cell phones for Committee staff members. From January 2023 through May 2023, Southerland allegedly used his position to cause 240 new government cell phones to be shipped directly to his home in Maryland. During that time, there were only approximately 80 staff members on the committee. Southerland then sold over 200 of the cell phones to a nearby pawn shop. As part of the scheme, Southerland allegedly directed an employee at the pawn shop only to sell the phones “in parts” in order to bypass the House’s mobile device management software, which enables the House to remotely secure and monitor its phones. The scheme was first discovered when one of the phones that Southerland stole was sold whole on eBay to an uninvolved purchaser. When the purchaser first booted up the phone, the phone displayed a phone number for the House of Representatives Technology Service Desk. The purchaser called that number, and House employees soon discovered that several phones purchased by Southerland were unaccounted for. This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake Green for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sabena Auyeung and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Courtney. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. 25cr379


title: Fifteen Previously Deported Illegal Aliens Indicted for Illegal Reentry in the Southern District of Florida

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced today that federal grand juries in the Southern District of Florida have separately indicted 15 previously deported illegal aliens on charges of illegally reentering the U.S. According to the indictments, the following defendants allegedly reentered the U.S. unlawfully after prior removals and were later located in South Florida: Santos Godinez-Jacinto , 46, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2010 (Case No. 26-cr-20008); Jose Francisco Cardenas-Meza , 42, of Honduras, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2006, 2011, and 2012 (Case No. 26-cr-20005); Santos Alberto Cardenas-Meza , 44, of Honduras, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2012 and thrice in 2016 (Case No. 26-cr-20006); Gaspar Mendoza-Lopez , 28, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported twice in 2016 (26-cr-20007); Ariel Urrea-Diaz , 58, of Mexico, was found in Miami-Dade County in November 2025 after being deported in 1983 and twice in 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20013); Angel Anibal Garcia , 34, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in November 2025 after being deported twice in 2012 and again in 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20015); Sergio Perdomo Pajan , 38, of Cuba, was found in Miami-Dade County in November 2025 after being deported in 2013 and again in 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20014); Waldemar Rosales-Teletor , 36, of Guatemala, was found in Monroe County in December 2025 after being deported in 2007, 2012, and 2013 (Case No. 26-cr-20011); Elias Vicente Juarez , 30, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2014 (Case No. 26-cr-20016); Luis Fernando Mendoza-Romulo , 30, of Mexico, was found in St. Lucie County after being deported in 2023 (Case No. 26-cr-14001); Anibal Vidal Bamaca-Bautista , 28, of Guatemala, was found in Okeechobee County after being deported in 2015 and 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-14004); Virginia Vazquez-Rodriguez , 41, of Mexico, was found in Highlands County after being deported in 2019 (Case No. 26-cr-14002); Udi Mejia , 40, of Mexico, was found in Highlands County after being deported in 2019 (Case No. 26-cr-14005); Wilton Velasquez-Hernandez , 35, of Guatemala, was found in Highlands County after being deported twice in 2019 and again in 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-14007); and Ivan Perez-Lopez , 43, of Mexico, was found in Martin County in December 2025 after being deported twice in 2004 and again in 2008 (Case No. 26-cr-14006). Illegal reentry after deportation carries a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. Mendoza-Romulo faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison based on his prior convictions, qualifying him for an increased maximum sentence. Perdomo Pajan and Urrea-Diaz each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison based on allegations of a prior aggravated conviction, qualifying for an increased maximum sentence. The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeremy Fugate, Melissa Roca Shaw, Justin Hoover, Christopher Hudock, and Jessica Kahn Obenauf are prosecuting the cases. The cases are being prosecuted by the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats. Since its inception in November 2025, BICE has indicted over 40 illegal re-entry cases. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov . ###


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Derrick Deshawn Bailey, 44, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 29, 2025, Bailey sold 110 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Huntington. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-124. ###


body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – John Ladelle Puryear, 50, of Huntington, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Puryear’s apartment in Huntington and seized approximately 299 grams of cocaine, 10 grams of fentanyl and 8 grams of crack, a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield 9mm pistol, a Colt MK IV Series 80 .45-caliber pistol, a Ruger LCF .380-caliber pistol, digital scales and approximately $6,487. As part of his guilty plea, Puryear, admitted that he possessed the seized controlled substances. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-125. ###


title: Career offender admits to drug trafficking

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old Laredo resident has admitted to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to do so, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. In August 2024, Pio Alejandro Campos engaged in a series of cellphone and WhatsApp communications involving the potential sale of cocaine. During the course of the undercover operation, he sought to meet in person to discuss specifics rather than communicating via phone. Campos agreed to supply cocaine and discussed pricing based on delivery location, including San Antonio, Houston and New Orleans. On May 3, 2025, he delivered one kilogram of cocaine in San Antonio for $14,000. Campos has multiple prior convictions in various jurisdictions. As such, he faces a potential enhanced penalty and could receive up to life in prison. U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña will set a sentencing date at a later time. At the hearing, Campos could also be ordered to pay a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo is prosecuting the case.


title: Madison Man Arrested for Arson of Beth Israel and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Madison man was arrested Saturday evening for charges related to his alleged arson of Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life building. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, United States Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement. “This disgusting act of anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country, and unlike the prior administration, this Department of Justice will not let anti-Semitism fester and flourish,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I have directed my prosecutors to seek severe penalties for this heinous act and remain deeply committed to protecting Jewish Americans from hatred.” “Every American has a fundamental right to live and worship free from violence and fear,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI will never waver in our mission to protect Jewish communities from targeted anti-Semitic attacks and will work to hold accountable anyone who engages in these types of violent acts.” U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi said, “This hateful, anti-Semitic attack on the Beth Israel Congregation is disturbing and unacceptable. Mississippians may rest assured that my office will not stand idly by when violence and intimidation threaten our community. We will seek the most serious charges warranted by the evidence and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We remain fully committed to standing with Jewish Americans and protecting our communities from hatred and harm.” Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office: "Houses of worship are sacred. Citizens of Mississippi of all faiths and backgrounds have the right to worship free of violence and intimidation. The heinous actions of Stephen Spencer Pittman, which allegedly sought to destroy the Beth Israel synagogue, will not be tolerated. While Mr. Pittman acted alone, FBI Jackson will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to hold accountable those who seek to infringe on the rights of Americans. The FBI is committed to protecting all places of worship and delivering justice for our communities. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities that could represent a threat to public safety." According to court documents, Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, Mississippi, used gasoline to set fire to the religious building in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 10, 2026. The fire resulted in extensive damage to a significant portion of the building and rendered it inoperable for an indefinite period time, as can be seen in these photographs: Arson Damage Arson Damage CCTV footage showed the fire was started by a hooded individual who can be seen walking in the interior of the building pouring contents from what appeared to be a gas container, as seen in this photograph: CCTV Footage As a result of his crime, Pittman received burns to parts of his body. According to its website, the Beth Israel Congregation was founded in 1860, and it has operated in its present location since 1967. On September 18, 1967, the then-new temple on Old Canton Road was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life provides services to Jewish communities in 14 states and comprehensive religious school programs to 70 Jewish congregations and offers traveling rabbinical services. Pittman appeared in court today to face charges contained in a criminal complaint filed against him for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i), which prohibits arson of property used in interstate commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate commerce. If convicted, Pittman faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Jackson Police Department, and Jackson Fire Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Laredo pharmacist pays six figures to settle Controlled Substance Act violations

body_text: HOUSTON – The owner of Martinez Pharmacy in Laredo has agreed to pay $750,000 to resolve allegations his pharmacy violated federal recordkeeping and dispensing requirements, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Antonio Martinez Jr., 67, is the operator and pharmacist-in-charge. The pharmacy registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration March 19, 2003, and is authorized to dispense Schedule II through IV controlled substances. In February 2024, DEA conducted an on-site inspection of Martinez Pharmacy and found it failed to maintain required records and filled approximately 173 prescriptions for controlled substances that practitioners without a legitimate medical purpose allegedly issued. They were also written outside the usual course of professional practice. DEA regulations place a corresponding liability on pharmacists to dispense lawfully issued controlled substance prescriptions. “Pharmacists must ensure controlled substances are dispensed safely and only for legitimate medical purposes,” said Ganjei. “These violations represent a serious breach of a pharmacist’s duty to protect the wellbeing and safety of our community. My office takes prescription drug diversion extremely seriously, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure full accountability when the facts warrant it.” “When DEA Diversion investigators inspected Martinez Pharmacy in Laredo, they uncovered a troubling pattern of record-keeping violations, including more than 170 improperly dispensed prescriptions,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge of the San Antonio Division Miguel Madrigal. “This type of negligent behavior endangers the community, and this significant settlement demonstrates that pharmacies must take their responsibilities seriously or face hefty consequences.” The Controlled Substances Act and its implementing regulations seek to deter, detect and eliminate the diversion of controlled substances and listed chemicals into the illicit market while ensuring that an adequate supply of controlled substances and listed chemicals is available for legitimate medical, scientific, research and industrial purposes. The DEA conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jill O. Venezia is handling the case. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Mississippi Man Arrested for Arson of Beth Israel and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A Mississippi man was arrested Saturday evening for charges related to his alleged arson of Beth Israel Congregation and the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life building. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, United States Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office made the announcement. “This disgusting act of anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country, and unlike the prior administration, this Department of Justice will not let anti-Semitism fester and flourish,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “I have directed my prosecutors to seek severe penalties for this heinous act and remain deeply committed to protecting Jewish Americans from hatred.” “Every American has a fundamental right to live and worship free from violence and fear,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI will never waver in our mission to protect Jewish communities from targeted anti-Semitic attacks and will work to hold accountable anyone who engages in these types of violent acts.” U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi said, “This hateful, anti-Semitic attack on the Beth Israel Congregation is disturbing and unacceptable. Mississippians may rest assured that my office will not stand idly by when violence and intimidation threaten our community. We will seek the most serious charges warranted by the evidence and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. We remain fully committed to standing with Jewish Americans and protecting our communities from hatred and harm.” Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office said, "Houses of worship are sacred. Citizens of Mississippi of all faiths and backgrounds have the right to worship free of violence and intimidation. The heinous actions of Stephen Spencer Pittman, which allegedly sought to destroy the Beth Israel synagogue, will not be tolerated. While Mr. Pittman acted alone, FBI Jackson will continue to work with our federal, state, and local partners to hold accountable those who seek to infringe on the rights of Americans. The FBI is committed to protecting all places of worship and delivering justice for our communities. As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities that could represent a threat to public safety." According to court documents, Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, Mississippi, used gasoline to set fire to the religious building in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 10, 2026. The fire resulted in extensive damage to a significant portion of the building and rendered it inoperable for an indefinite period time, as can be seen in these photographs: Arson Damaged Building Arson Damaged Building CCTV footage showed the fire was started by a hooded individual who can be seen walking in the interior of the building pouring contents from what appeared to be a gas container, as seen in this photograph: CCTV Footage As a result of his crime, Pittman received burns to parts of his body. According to its website, the Beth Israel Congregation was founded in 1860, and it has operated in its present location since 1967. On September 18, 1967, the then-new temple on Old Canton Road was bombed by the Ku Klux Klan. The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life provides services to Jewish communities in 14 states and comprehensive religious school programs to 70 Jewish congregations and offers traveling rabbinical services. Pittman appeared in court today to face charges contained in a criminal complaint filed against him for violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 844(i), which prohibits arson of property used in interstate commerce or used in an activity affecting interstate commerce. If convicted, Pittman faces a minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Jackson Police Department, and Jackson Fire Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Rohnert Park Man Indicted On Charges Of Manufacturing And Selling Firearms To Gang Members

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury has indicted Jose Alfredo Perez on charges of unlicensed manufacturing and dealing of firearms as well as firearms trafficking. Perez was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal district court on January 9, 2026. According to the indictment unsealed last week and other court documents, Perez, 41, of Rohnert Park, is alleged to have built and supplied more than 20 AR-style assault weapons and ammunition to members of the Angelino Heights Sureño street gang in Santa Rosa, who were legally prohibited from possessing those weapons and ammunition as convicted felons. As part of the scheme, Perez allegedly had firearms parts that could not be legally shipped to California delivered to an out-of-state address provided by one of the gang members he was working with, who then coordinated having those parts transported to California for Perez to use in building untraceable and unserialized firearms. In April 2025, while executing a search warrant at Perez’s residence, law enforcement discovered a makeshift firearms manufacturing workshop in Perez’s tool shed and garage, which contained numerous kits for building AR-style rifles along with tools and machinery for assembling the weapons. In January 2025, officers recovered 11 unserialized assault weapons, depicted below, that were allegedly built and supplied by Perez: United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement. Perez is currently in federal custody. He is next scheduled to appear in federal court on January 14, 2026, for an arraignment and detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the count of unlicensed manufacturing and dealing of firearms in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(a)(1)(A), and a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count of firearms trafficking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 933(a)(1). Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. 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. This case was investigated by HSTF Core Region 2 - San Francisco, which comprises agents and officers from the FBI, California Highway Patrol, and Santa Rosa Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Buszin is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lakisha Holliman and Yenni Weinberg.


title: New York Woman Pleads Guilty to Maintaining an Illegal Marijuana Grow House

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A New York woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to maintaining a marijuana-involved premises. According to court records, Jiamin Liao , 30, of New York City, purchased a residence in Madison for the purposes of manufacturing and distributing marijuana. In March 2024, Somerset County Sheriff’s Office personnel executed a state search warrant at Liao’s property in Madison, as well as at a related property she owned in Norridgewock. Investigators found 551 marijuana plants at the Madison property, along with chemicals (including Eagle 20 EW) and a variety of grow equipment. Liao was located at her property in Norridgewock, where she was found with approximately 30 pounds of processed marijuana. When interviewed by law enforcement, Liao admitted that she grew the processed marijuana at the Madison property. She further admitted to packaging the marijuana into one-pound bags and storing the product at the property in Norridgewock. Liao faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Neither Liao nor her property was licensed through the Maine Office of Cannabis Policy. The FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case, with assistance provided by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office. 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. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; HSI; DEA; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine. ###


title: Former U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to 200 Months for Spying for China

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Today, the Justice Department announced that Jinchao Wei, a former U.S. Navy sailor who was convicted of espionage by a federal jury in August 2025, was sentenced in federal court to 200 months in prison. Wei, 25, also known as Patrick Wei, was arrested in August 2023 on espionage charges as he arrived for work on the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex at Naval Base San Diego, the homeport of the Pacific Fleet. He was indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of selling national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China for $12,000. “Members of the United States military swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States. The Justice Department will not tolerate this behavior. We stand ready to investigate, defend, and protect the interests of the American people.” “Wei swore loyalty to the United States when he joined the Navy and reaffirmed that oath when he became a citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “He then accepted the solemn responsibility of protecting this Nation’s secrets when the United States entrusted him with sensitive Navy information. He made a mockery of these commitments when he chose to endanger our Nation and our servicemembers by selling U.S. military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for personal profit. Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to ensuring those who sell our Nation’s secrets pay a very high price for their betrayal.” “Wei betrayed the trust placed in him as a member of the U.S. Navy by knowingly transmitting sensitive military information to a Chinese intelligence officer,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “While not everything the FBI does to protect the homeland from China’s intelligence services can be made public, this sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protect sensitive national defense information. It also serves as a reminder that those who choose to put personal gain above their oath and the safety of our nation will be brought to justice.” “He betrayed his oath, his shipmates, the United States Navy, and the American people — a level of disloyalty that strikes at the heart of our national security and demanded this powerful sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “By sharing thousands of documents, operating manuals, and export-controlled and sensitive information with a Chinese intelligence officer, Petty Officer Wei knowingly betrayed his fellow service members and the American people,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “Today’s outcome demonstrates the shared commitment of NCIS, FBI, the Department of Justice and our Intelligence partners to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who would put the lethality and readiness of our Naval fleet, as well as our national security, at risk. NCIS remains steadfast in its mission to protect U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces and warfighting capabilities by neutralizing counterintelligence threats ashore, afloat and in cyberspace.” “Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of a first-of-its-kind espionage investigation in the district and reflects the seriousness of Wei’s egregious actions against his own country,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis, of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “The FBI will aggressively defend our homeland from anyone threatening our national security, including those on the inside betraying their sworn duty to the United States. We remain steadfast in protecting the American people and will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to successfully carry out this mission.” Following a five-day trial and one day of deliberation, the jury convicted Wei of six crimes, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. He was found not guilty of one count of naturalization fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, Wei, in his role as a machinist’s mate, held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information about the ship’s weapons, propulsion and desalination systems. Amphibious assault ships like the Essex resemble small aircraft carriers and allow the U.S. military to project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities. On February 14, 2022, Wei was recruited by a Chinese intelligence officer via social media who at first portrayed himself as a naval enthusiast who worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. The evidence showed that even during the early days of his espionage career, Wei strongly suspected the intelligence officer’s true identity and motive. On February 22, 2022, Wei told a friend who was also in the U.S. Navy that he thought he was “on the radar of a China intelligence organization,” as he was in contact with an individual who was “extremely suspicious,” “interested in the maintenance cycle of naval ships,” and wanted him to “walk the pier” to “see which ships are docked” on a “daily basis.” Wei said that this person would pay him $500. Wei told his friend that he is “no idiot” and that “this is quite obviously fucking espionage.” Wei’s friend suggested that Wei delete the contact. Instead of heeding his friend’s advice, the very next day Wei transitioned his communications with the intelligence officer to a different encrypted messaging application that he believed was more secure and began spying for the intelligence officer. The evidence showed that between March 2022 and when he was arrested in August 2023, Wei, at the request of the intelligence officer, sent photographs and videos of the Essex, advised the officer of the location of various Navy ships, and described the defensive weapons of the Essex. He also described problems with his ship and other ships based at Naval Base San Diego and elsewhere. And, he sent the intelligence officer thousands of pages of technical and operational information about U.S. Navy surface warfare ships like the Essex that he took from restricted U.S. Navy computer systems. In exchange for this information, the officer paid Wei more than $12,000 over 18 months. In one of his larger thefts of U.S. Navy data, Wei sold the intelligence officer at least 30 technical and operating manuals about U.S. Navy systems. These manuals contained export control warnings and detailed the operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships, including power, steering, weapons control, aircraft and deck elevators, as well as damage and casualty controls. In total, Wei sold the intelligence officer approximately 60 technical and operating manuals about U.S. Navy ships, as well as dozens of photographs and papers about the U.S. Navy and Wei’s assignments on the Essex. Many of the manuals contained conspicuous export-control warnings on their cover pages. During the trial, the government presented evidence including phone conversations, electronic messages, and audio messages that Wei exchanged with his Chinese handler. These messages showed how they communicated, what they spoke about, the need for secrecy, the efforts they made to cover their tracks, the tasks issued by his case handler, and how Wei was paid for his work via an online payment method. As their relationship developed, Wei called his handler “Big Brother Andy” and obliged requests to keep their relationship secret by using multiple encrypted apps; deleting messages and accounts; using digital “dead drops” that disappear in 72 hours; and using a new computer and phone provided by his handler. The government told the jury that the evidence showed Wei was aware that what he was doing was wrong. He had received recent training from the Navy regarding how to detect recruitment efforts from foreign governments; he attempted to conceal his activity; and he searched the internet about another case in which a U.S. Navy sailor was convicted of espionage, even reading a Department of Justice press release about that case. Much of the evidence showed the evolution of Wei’s relationship with his handler - Wei’s increasing willingness to collect more and more sensitive information, and the intelligence officer’s employment of intelligence tradecraft to keep developing Wei as a spy and to conceal their relationship and activities from U.S. authorities. For example, the jury saw photographs of the hand-written receipts that Wei created and sent to his handler to be paid and conversations that Wei and his handler had regarding the handler’s increasingly generous offers to Wei, such as a trip for Wei and his mother to travel to China. Moreover, the jury was presented with documents and records obtained from electronic accounts demonstrating the intelligence officer’s identity as a PRC intelligence officer, including photographs and identification documents. During his post-arrest interview Wei admitted that he gave the intelligence officer thousands of pages of technical and operating manuals and export-controlled data about U.S. Navy surface warfare ships, and that the intelligence officer paid him thousands of dollars for these materials. He also admitted that he knew that his actions were wrong and that he had tried to hide his activities. When the interviewing agents asked Wei how he would describe what he had been doing with the intelligence officer, Wei responded, “espionage.” Wei, during his post-arrest interview with FBI: “ I’m screwed .” FBI: “ What makes you say that ?” Wei: “That I’m sharing the unclassified document to—I mean document with, uhm, him . . . I’m not supposed to do that.” The crime of espionage under U.S. Code Section 794 has never been charged in this district. The statute is reserved for the most serious circumstances involving the passage of national defense information intended to harm the United States or for the benefit of a foreign power. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parmley from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California. Adam Barry, former Trial Attorney from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, assisted in the prosecution. The U.S. Department of State, the Transportation Security Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations provided valuable assistance.


title: U.S. Navy Sailor Sentenced to More Than 16 Years for Spying for China

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Jinchao Wei, a former U.S. Navy sailor who was convicted of espionage by a federal jury in August 2025, was sentenced in federal court today to 200 months in prison. Wei, 25, also known as Patrick Wei, was arrested in August 2023 on espionage charges as he arrived for work on the amphibious assault ship U.S.S. Essex at Naval Base San Diego, the homeport of the Pacific Fleet. He was indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of selling national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China for $12,000. Following a five-day trial and one day of deliberation, the jury convicted Wei of six crimes, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and unlawful export of, and conspiracy to export, technical data related to defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. He was found not guilty of one count of naturalization fraud. “Members of the United States military swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This active-duty U.S. Navy sailor betrayed his country and compromised the national security of the United States. The Justice Department will not tolerate this behavior. We stand ready to investigate, defend, and protect the interests of the American people.” “Wei swore loyalty to the United States when he joined the Navy and reaffirmed that oath when he became a citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “He then accepted the solemn responsibility of protecting this Nation’s secrets when the United States entrusted him with sensitive Navy information. He made a mockery of these commitments when he chose to endanger our Nation and our servicemembers by selling U.S. military secrets to a Chinese intelligence officer for personal profit. Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to ensuring those who sell our Nation’s secrets pay a very high price for their betrayal.” “He betrayed his oath, his shipmates, the United States Navy, and the American people — a level of disloyalty that strikes at the heart of our national security and demanded this powerful sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “By sharing thousands of documents, operating manuals, and export-controlled and sensitive information with a Chinese intelligence officer, Petty Officer Wei knowingly betrayed his fellow service members and the American people,” said NCIS Director Omar Lopez. “Today’s outcome demonstrates the shared commitment of NCIS, FBI, the Department of Justice and our Intelligence partners to aggressively pursue and hold accountable those who would put the lethality and readiness of our Naval fleet, as well as our national security, at risk. NCIS remains steadfast in its mission to protect U.S. Navy and Marine Corps forces and warfighting capabilities by neutralizing counterintelligence threats ashore, afloat and in cyberspace.” “Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of a first-of-its-kind espionage investigation in the district and reflects the seriousness of Wei’s egregious actions against his own country,” said Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis, of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “The FBI will aggressively defend our homeland from anyone threatening our national security, including those on the inside betraying their sworn duty to the United States. We remain steadfast in protecting the American people and will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners to successfully carry out this mission.” According to evidence presented at trial, Wei, in his role as a machinist’s mate, held a U.S. security clearance and had access to sensitive national defense information about the ship’s weapons, propulsion and desalination systems. Amphibious assault ships like the Essex resemble small aircraft carriers and allow the U.S. military to project power and maintain presence by serving as the cornerstone of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious readiness and expeditionary strike capabilities. On February 14, 2022, Wei was recruited by a Chinese intelligence officer via social media who at first portrayed himself as a naval enthusiast who worked for the state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation. The evidence showed that even during the early days of his espionage career, Wei strongly suspected the intelligence officer’s true identity and motive. On February 22, 2022, Wei told a friend who was also in the U.S. Navy that he thought he was “on the radar of a China intelligence organization,” as he was in contact with an individual who was “extremely suspicious,” “interested in the maintenance cycle of naval ships,” and wanted him to “walk the pier” to “see which ships are docked” on a “daily basis.” Wei said that this person would pay him $500. Wei told his friend that he is “no idiot” and that “this is quite obviously fucking espionage.” Wei’s friend suggested that Wei delete the contact. Instead of heeding his friend’s advice, the next day Wei transitioned his communications with the intelligence officer to a different encrypted messaging application that he believed was more secure and began spying for the intelligence officer. The evidence showed that between March 2022 and when he was arrested in August 2023, Wei, at the request of the intelligence officer, sent photographs and videos of the Essex, advised the officer of the location of various Navy ships, and described the defensive weapons of the Essex. He also described problems with his ship and other ships based at Naval Base San Diego and elsewhere. And, he sent the intelligence officer thousands of pages of technical and operational information about U.S. Navy surface warfare ships like the Essex that he took from restricted U.S. Navy computer systems. In exchange for this information, the officer paid Wei more than $12,000 over 18 months. In one of his larger thefts of U.S. Navy data, Wei sold the intelligence officer at least 30 technical and operating manuals about U.S. Navy systems. These manuals contained export control warnings and detailed the operations of multiple systems aboard the Essex and similar ships, including power, steering, weapons control, aircraft and deck elevators, as well as damage and casualty controls. In total, Wei sold the intelligence officer approximately 60 technical and operating manuals about U.S. Navy ships, as well as dozens of photographs and papers about the U.S. Navy and Wei’s assignments on the Essex. Many of the manuals contained conspicuous export-control warnings on their cover pages. During the trial, the government presented evidence including phone conversations, electronic messages, and audio messages that Wei exchanged with his Chinese handler. These messages showed how they communicated, what they spoke about, the need for secrecy, the efforts they made to cover their tracks, the tasks issued by his case handler, and how Wei was paid for his work via an online payment method. As their relationship developed, Wei called his handler “Big Brother Andy” and obliged requests to keep their relationship secret by using multiple encrypted apps; deleting messages and accounts; using digital “dead drops” that disappear in 72 hours; and using a new computer and phone provided by his handler. The government told the jury that the evidence showed Wei was aware that what he was doing was wrong. He had received recent training from the Navy regarding how to detect recruitment efforts from foreign governments; he attempted to conceal his activity; and he searched the internet about another case in which a U.S. Navy sailor was convicted of espionage, even reading a Department of Justice press release about that case. Much of the evidence showed the evolution of Wei’s relationship with his handler - Wei’s increasing willingness to collect more and more sensitive information, and the intelligence officer’s employment of intelligence tradecraft to keep developing Wei as a spy and to conceal their relationship and activities from U.S. authorities. For example, the jury saw photographs of the hand-written receipts that Wei created and sent to his handler to be paid and conversations that Wei and his handler had regarding the handler’s increasingly generous offers to Wei, such as a trip for Wei and his mother to travel to China. Moreover, the jury was presented with documents and records obtained from electronic accounts demonstrating the intelligence officer’s identity as a PRC intelligence officer, including photographs and identification documents. During his post-arrest interview Wei admitted that he gave the intelligence officer thousands of pages of technical and operating manuals and export-controlled data about U.S. Navy surface warfare ships, and that the intelligence officer paid him thousands of dollars for these materials. He also admitted that he knew that his actions were wrong and that he had tried to hide his activities. When the interviewing agents asked Wei how he would describe what he had been doing with the intelligence officer, Wei responded, “espionage.” Wei, during his post-arrest interview with FBI and NCIS: “ I’m screwed .” FBI: “ What makes you say that ?” Wei: “That I’m sharing the unclassified document to—I mean document with, uhm, him . . . I’m not supposed to do that.” The crime of espionage under U.S. Code Section 794 has never been charged in this district. The statute is reserved for the most serious circumstances involving the passage of national defense information intended to harm the United States or for the benefit of a foreign power. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Parmley from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California and Adam Barry, former Trial Attorney from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section who is currently Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Columbia. The U.S. Department of State, the Transportation Security Administration and Homeland Security Investigations provided valuable assistance. DEFENDANT Case Number 23CR01471-H Jinchao Wei Age: 25 San Diego SUMMARY OF CHARGES Conspiracy to Commit Espionage – Title 18, United States Code, Section 794(c) Maximum Penalty: Life in prison, $250,000 fine Count 1 - GUILTY Espionage – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 794(a) Maximum Penalty: Life in prison and $250,000 Count 2 - GUILTY Conspiracy to Export Defense Articles without a License -- Title 22, U.S.C., Sec. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and Title 22, C.F.R., Secs. 121.1, 127.1 and 127.3 Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1 million fine Count 3 - GUILTY Exporting Defense Articles without a License -- Title 22, U.S.C., Sec. 2778(b)(2) and (c) and Title 22, C.F.R., Secs. 121.1, 127.1 and 127.3 Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1 million fine Counts 4, 5 and 6 - GUILTY Naturalization Fraud – Title 18, United States Code, Section 1425 (a) Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison, $250,000 fine, and order of denaturalization Count 7 – NOT GUILTY INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation Naval Criminal Investigative Service


title: Justice Department Announces Charges Against Illegal Alien, Known Tren de Aragua Associate, for Violent Attack on Border Patrol Agents in Portland, Oregon

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—Today, the Justice Department announced criminal charges against Luis Nino-Moncada, an illegal alien and known Tren de Aragua (TdA) associate living in the Portland, Oregon area for violently striking a federal law enforcement vehicle. During a targeted enforcement operation, Nino-Moncada is alleged to have repeatedly struck a federal law enforcement vehicle, placing Border Patrol agents in harm’s way and resulting in significant damage to federal property. Nino-Moncada is in the country illegally, having previously been ordered removed by an immigration judge in 2024. “Anyone who crosses the red line of assaulting law enforcement will be met with the full force of this Justice Department,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This man — an illegal alien with ties to a foreign terrorist organization — should NEVER have been in our country to begin with, and we will ensure he NEVER walks free in America again.” Nino-Moncada has been charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer with a deadly or dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property in excess of $1,000. Nino-Moncada is scheduled to make his Initial Appearance today at 1:30 PM PST. According to the complaint, Border Patrol agents initiated a targeted immigration enforcement operation on a vehicle believed to belong to a female involved in a TdA prostitution ring. The female was sitting in the passenger-side seat of the vehicle at the time of the enforcement operation. This female had previously been arrested by Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas and later failed to report to immigration authorities. According to law enforcement reports, the female is believed to have been involved in a shooting stemming from a bad prostitution deal. After commanding Nino-Moncada to exit the vehicle, Nino-Moncada is alleged to have placed his vehicle in reverse, colliding with an unoccupied Border Patrol vehicle with enough speed and force to cause significant damage. Nino-Moncada continued the forward and reverse maneuver multiple times, striking the Border Patrol vehicle multiple times. A Border Patrol agent interviewed by FBI special agents described being fearful that Nino-Moncada could strike them and other Border Patrol agents with the target vehicle. After the attack, Nino-Moncada and the female passenger fled the scene in the target vehicle. Damage to the border patrol vehicle was significant. Serious damage was sustained to the front bumper, resulting in the bumper being torn from the vehicle, both headlights being destroyed, the front driver-side quarter panel being dented, including the fender liner being detached, and the driver side rear-passenger door and quarter panel being dented. In an interview following the incident, Nino-Moncada admitted to intentionally ramming the Border Patrol vehicle in an attempt to flee and stated that he knew it was an immigration enforcement vehicle.


title: DOJ and Seattle-based FidaLab, LLC settle allegations it inflated bills to government health care programs

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A Seattle medical testing laboratory will pay the government $2 million to resolve allegations that it illegally overbilled government health care programs, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. An investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) revealed that FidaLab improperly billed Medicare when they requested permission to bill a series of Urinary Tract Infection tests as a panel, had their request denied, and then billed the tests under multiple billing codes instead of a single code. While not admitting fault, the $2 million payment resolves the matter. “We all have a stake in keeping healthcare costs under control,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Manipulating billing codes to overcharge for tests is an obvious area where we need to root out fraud. This case should be a warning to other companies to make sure they are billing for healthcare services appropriately.” “Laboratories entrusted with taxpayer-funded health care programs must submit truthful and accurate claims,” said Robb R. Breeden, Acting Special Agent in Charge with HHS-OIG. “Submitting false laboratory testing claims wastes critical resources and undermines trust in our health care system. HHS-OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to ensure taxpayer dollars are used as intended—to provide care for the American people.” FidaLab agrees not to seek payment for the unallowed costs from any of the patients involved in these health care billings. The case was investigated by the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Matt Waldrop with substantial assistance from investigative analyst Ryan Hardy.


title: Mississippi and Texas Men Sentenced for Machinegun-Trafficking Conspiracy

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – Two men from Mississippi and Texas were sentenced for participating in a machinegun-trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents, Jothan Lee Shepherd, 36, of Lucedale, Mississippi, and Braxton Allen Hissong, 37, of Austin, Texas, conspired to ship an illegal machinegun across state lines. On June 20, 2024, police in Saraland, Alabama were dispatched to a restaurant regarding a suspicious package addressed to the business. The restaurant’s manager had opened the package, which contained three firearms tightly packed in trash bags and spray foam. The firearms included an illegal, unregistered machinegun. Hissong had sent the package via registered mail from a post office in Lakeway, Texas, and addressed the package to Shepherd at the restaurant in Saraland. Shepherd came to the restaurant asking for the package and left the manager his phone number. An undercover police detective called Shepherd and told him he could retrieve the package from the post office in Saraland. Shepherd came to the post office, briefly took possession of the package, inspected the outside of the box, and then told an undercover U.S. Postal Inspector that he wanted to refuse the package. Agents then seized Shepherd’s cell phone and searched it pursuant to a warrant. The phone contained several text messages between Shepherd and Hissong negotiating the sale and illicit shipment of the machinegun from Texas to Alabama. Shepherd and Hissong exchanged numerous messages about needing to retrieve the package from the post office in Saraland because it contained both of their names. A firearms expert with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) examined and test fired the machinegun that Hissong illegally shipped to Shepherd. The firearm operated as a fully automatic machinegun. Neither Shepherd nor Hissong had registered the machinegun in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose sentenced Shepherd to three months’ imprisonment and Hissong to time served with a $2,000 fine. Judge DuBose ordered Shepherd to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which he must perform 300 hours of community service at Habitat for Humanity. Hissong must also serve a three-year term of supervised release, during which he must perform 300 hours of community service in the housing industry. The court did not impose a fine on Shepherd, but the court ordered the defendants to pay a total of $200 in special assessments. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Saraland Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Fairhope Felon Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Fairhope man was sentenced to 138 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl, illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and violating federal supervised release conditions. According to court documents, Christopher Lynn Barnwell, 36, sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to confidential informants on four occasions between November 2023 and January 2024. Barnwell was on federal supervised release conditions at the time. On January 22, 2024, in conjunction with the U.S. Probation Office, narcotics agents executed a search warrant at Barnwell’s trailer in Fairhope. Agents seized several baggies containing 188.6 grams of 96% pure methamphetamine and 18.46 grams of fentanyl from a safe to which Barnwell provided access. Barnwell admitted the drugs were his. Agents also found a Ruger 9mm pistol underneath an air vent in the floor of the bedroom nearby the safe containing the drugs. Barnwell escorted agents to an outside shed, where agents found additional drug paraphernalia and a cutting agent, mannitol, that is commonly used to “cut” methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other powder substances. While agents searched the shed, Barnwell said he knew the repercussions of him being in possession of the pistol found under the vent cover given his multiple prior felony convictions. Barnwell’s prior convictions included several theft and drug-trafficking convictions in both state and federal courts, which rendered his possession of the pistol illegal under federal law. Agents also seized and searched Barnwell’s cell phone, which contained numerous text messages that he sent regarding drug deals. In one such message, Barnwell told a drug customer that he was at his federal probation officer’s office and would meet up with the customer afterwards. The phone also contained several photos and videos of methamphetamine, cash, and drug paraphernalia. United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Barnwell to serve 108 months in prison on the drug and firearms charges, and 30 months consecutively for violating his supervised release, for a total of 138 months in prison. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Moorer ordered Barnwell to serve a ten-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered Barnwell to pay a total of $300 in special assessments and forfeited the 9mm pistol to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. 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 Mobile comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and various state and local law enforcement partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.


title: Tahlequah Resident Pleads Guilty To Illegally Possessing Ammunition

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jory Lynn Poafpybitty, a/k/a Jory Len Poafpybitty, age 39, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Indictment charged Poafpybitty with knowingly possessing 25 rounds of .38spl ammunition and 50 rounds of 9mm ammunition on March 27, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment. The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tahlequah Police Department. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Poafpybitty will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.