title: Chicago Man Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for Immigration Fraud

body_text: CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for knowingly providing false verifications of employment for foreign nationals seeking to stay in the United States on an immigration visa. ZHAO TAI CUI charged F-1 visa holders a fee to falsely represent that they were employed by Cui’s company so they could improperly extend their stay in the United States. Cui advertised his fraudulent visa-related employment services on various websites and incorporated a company in Illinois with the sole purpose of serving as a sham employer. During the scheme, which began in 2013 and continued until 2019, Cui falsely claimed that at least 250 F-1 visa holders worked for his sham company. Cui, 60, of Chicago, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit visa fraud. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman sentenced Cui to two years in prison and ordered him to pay a personal money judgment of $652,963. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. “Cui’s scheme was expansive and involved multiple levels of deception,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “This type of crime erodes the public’s faith in the immigration system.”


title: Rockford Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Rockford man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on child pornography charges. ALEX REINHARD LEDOUX, 34, is charged with receipt, transportation, and possession of child pornography, according to an indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Rockford. LeDoux possessed images of child pornography in 2023, the indictment states. The counts of receiving and transporting child pornography each carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years. The count of possessing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. 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 Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim. The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, while also providing critical services to victims. If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


title: Repeat smuggler imprisoned for 46 months for conspiracy to transport over two dozen people in refrigerated container

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 35-year-old La Villa resident has been sentenced for conspiring to transport 27 illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Reynaldo Del Castillo pleaded guilty March 26. U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Del Castillo to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described the dangerous conditions in which the aliens were transported. In handing down the sentence, the court noted his prior convictions for bulk cash smuggling and transportation of illegal aliens. He was also on supervised release when he committed the present crime. “Any person who endangers lives by engaging in human smuggling deserves a serious sentence. Any person who smuggles people more than once is telling his fellow citizens that he has no regard for human life,” said Ganjei. “Here, a single technological malfunction could have cost the lives of 24 people, including two children. The Southern District of Texas is working hard to either put these smugglers out of business, or put them in prison. The choice is theirs.” On Jan. 5, Del Castillo was driving a tractor hauling a white refrigerated trailer and approached the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. Upon questioning, he claimed he was transporting limes. A K-9 alerted to the trailer, and authorities noted Del Castillo’s nervous behavior then referred him to secondary inspection. Law enforcement ultimately discovered 27 illegal aliens laying on top of produce pallets in the refrigerated trailer. The temperature was set at approximately 50 degrees. Two of the aliens were minors. Del Castillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison  for Abusive Sexual Contact

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from McLaughlin, South Dakota, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on September 8, 2025. Malachi Adam Marcus Howard, age 22, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by ten years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Howard was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025. The conviction stems from conduct that occurred between November 1, 2023, and March 19, 2024, when Howard caused a 10-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. The conduct occurred in Corson County, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court. This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Valley City (ND) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case. Howard was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Rehoboth Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Falsify CDL Test Scores and Perjury

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Rehoboth man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to falsify records by giving passing scores to four Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants who did not take the CDL skills test as required by federal law. The defendant was also sentenced for lying to a federal grand jury. Scott Camara, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one month in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In April 2025 , Camara pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to falsify records and one count of perjury. In January 2024 , Camara was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others in the conspiracy and related schemes. According to court documents, members of the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) CDL Unit were responsible for administering CDL skills tests. Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The CDL skills test is a demanding, in-person test that consists of three segments: Vehicle Inspection, in which an applicant is tested on their knowledge of the vehicle; Basic Control Skills, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to perform certain maneuvers; and the Road Test, in which an applicant is tested on their ability to drive a commercial vehicle on an open roadway. In October 2021, Camara conspired with then-MSP Sergeant Gary Cederquist to give passing scores to four MSP troopers who had applied for Class A CDLs, but who did not actually take the required CDL skills test. The test takers were given preferential treatment by Cederquist, who falsely reported that each trooper took and passed a Class A skills test. In reality Camara drove around the testing site with each of the four troopers in a truck cab which did not qualify as a Class A vehicle because it did not have an attached trailer, and neither Cederquist nor any other member of the CDL Unit administered a skills test to the troopers. Camara filled out portions of each trooper’s Road Test Application with false information, including the make, model and registration for an absent trailer, as well as the “Sponsor Information” section, in which Camara falsely claimed to be the sponsor for each of the troopers. Camara was also sentenced for making false statements to a federal grand jury in May 2023. Testifying under oath before the grand jury, Camara falsely claimed that he had neither filled out the vehicle and sponsor information sections of three of the troopers’ CDL Road Test Applications, nor signed the forms. All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles. In August 2025 , former Trooper Calvin Butner, a co-defendant, was sentenced to three months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release with the first three months in home confinement. In August 2025 , Former Trooper Perry Mendes, also a co-defendant, was sentenced to one month in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release with the first two months on home confinement. In September 2025 , civilian co-defendant Eric Mathison was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In May 2025 , Gary Cederquist was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 29, 2025. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Jury Convicts Two Men Who Attacked a Man Outside of a Liquor Store

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Phillip Bealle, 39 and James “Stacey” Williams, 54, were each found guilty of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault with significant bodily injury while armed for their attack of an adult male victim outside a liquor store in Southwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The verdicts, which took place on September 5, 2025, following a three-day jury trial, were returned in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld scheduled sentencing for November 13, 2025. According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on June 25, 2024, following a verbal altercation inside the liquor store, Bealle charged at the victim outside the liquor store when the victim tried to walk away. Bealle then began to beat the victim with a 2x4 wooden plank from a nearby construction site. Williams, who had also been standing outside the liquor store, joined in, beating the victim with his metal walking cane. Much of the attack was captured by the store’s surveillance footage. Metropolitan Police Department (“MPD”) officers located each defendant a short distance away from the scene of the offense on the same date. The victim was taken by ambulance to a local hospital where injuries to his head were stapled shut. Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mikéla Cuffy and Katherine Ballou, who prosecuted the case.


title: Valentine’s Day gas station robber who tried to plead insanity found guilty

body_text: HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Houston man has been convicted on all five counts as charged in relation to several Houston-area robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for less than two hours before finding Ahmed Oraby Ahmedaly guilty of attempted robbery and two counts each of robbery and discharging a firearm following a five-day trial. During trial, the jury heard from store clerk victims, a firearm and tool mark examiner and other members of law enforcement. Testimony revealed that on Feb. 9, 2022, Ahmedaly entered a Houston-area gas station pretending to be a customer, brandished a 9mm pistol at a store clerk and demanded cash. Five days later, he robbed two more convenience stores in west Houston on the same night. In each, he again brandished the pistol and demanded money. During the Feb. 14 robberies, he also discharged the firearm inside the stores as he ordered clerks to quickly comply. The jury saw video surveillance capturing a blue Honda at all three robberies which showed the same man entering the stores. At the time of his arrest, authorities recovered the loaded 9mm pistol in his vehicle. Forensic analysis confirmed the firearm matched a recovered cartridge casing from the Feb. 14 robbery. The jury also heard several jail calls in which Ahmedaly discussed the firearm being used and admitted he was the man seen on store video. The defense claimed Ahmedaly was insane at the time of the offenses and attempted to offer testimony from his friend and sister as part of that argument. However, the court heard evidence that his sister and friend had, in fact, had minimal contact with him for years prior to the offenses. A forensic psychologist who had examined Ahmedaly found he was faking and exaggerating his psychotic symptoms. The jury also heard rebuttal information to explain his sane behavior and the same methods of operation he used in all three store robberies. On the stand, Ahmedaly admitted he knew what he did was wrong. The jury ultimately did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 11. At that time, Ahmedaly faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with assistance from the Houston Police Department, Harris County Constables Office - Precinct 5 and Waller County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Francisco J. Rodriguez and Andrew Sand are prosecuting the case.


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison  for Production of Child Pornography

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on September 8, 2025. Amir Kalomo Mulamba, age 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Upon release from federal prison, Mulamba must register as a sex offender. Mulamba was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2021. He pleaded guilty on June 16, 2025. The conviction stemmed from incidents between May 30, 2021, and June 25, 2021, when Mulamba used Snapchat to meet and coerce a 14-year-old female living in Utah to engage in sexually explicit conduct, record that conduct, and provide those recordings and images to Mulamba. The coercion included convincing the minor female to record and send to Mulamba a video of her penetrating herself with a foreign object. In exchange for the videos and images, Mulamba promised to buy the victim a cellular phone. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . Mulamba was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Charlotte Man Charged With Federal Crime In Fatal Attack of Iryna Zarutska on City’s Light Rail System

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte today, charging a Charlotte man with a federal crime in connection with the fatal attack of Iryna Zarutska on the city’s light rail system, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Decarlos Dejuan Brown, Jr., 34, is charged with one count of committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system. James C. Barnacle, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement. “Iryna Zarutska was a young woman living the American dream — her horrific murder is a direct result of failed soft-on-crime policies that put criminals before innocent people,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I have directed my attorneys to federally prosecute DeCarlos Brown Jr., a repeat violent offender with a history of violent crime, for murder. We will seek the maximum penalty for this unforgivable act of violence — he will never again see the light of day as a free man.” “The brutal attack on Iryna Zarutska on the Charlotte Light Rail was a disgraceful act that should never happen in America,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI jumped to assist in this investigation immediately to ensure justice is served and the perpetrator is never released from jail to kill again. I want to thank Attorney General Bondi for her pursuit of today’s federal charges, which are the first step toward delivering justice for Iryna and her family – as well as the millions of Americans who deserve to live in our great American cities free from being targeted by violent criminals.” “This brutal attack on an innocent woman simply trying to get to her destination is an attack on the American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Of course, crimes like this affect the victim the most—Iryna deserves justice, and we will bring justice to her and her family. But crimes like this also affect everyone who relies on mass transportation to get to and from work and go about their daily lives, and federal charges are necessary to protect the public and ensure confidence in our transportation systems.” “Iryna Zarutska had likely taken that train ride many times before. She was probably tired after a day at work and just wanted to go home, but tragically she never made it. We hope this federal charge will help bring her family a measure of justice and the courts will hold the subject charged in this horrific act accountable. Everyone in this country deserves to go work, to school, or just across town without fear of being attacked,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge. According to allegations in the affidavit filed with the criminal complaint: On August 22, 2025, at approximately 9:55 p.m., officers with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) responded to a call for service related to an assault that occurred on the Lynx Blue Line light rail in Charlotte. Callers indicated that a woman had been stabbed by a male. Responding officers located the victim inside the rail car. The victim, subsequently identified as Iryna Zarutska, had sustained fatal stab wounds. A pocketknife and other items were collected from the scene. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that showed the victim entering the light rail car and sitting down in the row in front of Brown. Approximately four minutes later, Brown pulled a knife from his pocket and unfolded it before striking the victim three times from behind. Following the attack, Brown walked away from the victim. Responding officers located Brown on the light rail platform and he was arrested. If convicted, Brown faces a maximum statutory sentence of life in prison or death. Ultimately, his sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI is investigating the case with the assistance of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Odulio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case. The charges against Brown are allegations and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national, who previously unlawfully resided in Lawrence under a false name, has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to conspiring to possess and distribute controlled substances. Eduardo Morales-Perez, a/k/a “Yenni Rafael Guerrero Aybar,” 41, pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2025 to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Oct. 8, 2025. In March 2018, law enforcement arranged an undercover cash pickup as part of a money laundering investigation. An individual arrived at the pre-arranged meeting location for the controlled purchase and provided $275,090 in cash to undercover law enforcement. That individual was driving a white Volvo registered to Morales-Perez’s girlfriend. Following the transaction, the white Volvo was observed at a property in Peabody. In May 2018, during surveillance of the Peabody location, Morales-Perez was observed exiting a truck with a can of acetone – a chemical commonly used in the illicit manufacturing process of fentanyl analogues – and carrying it into the Peabody residence. A subsequent search of the Peabody property in May 2018 resulted in the recovery of one kilogram pill press; drug distribution paraphernalia; over 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl and fentanyl analogues; over five kilograms of ANPP (a controlled substance that is frequently used in the manufacturing process of fentanyl); and $130,000 in cash that was packaged like the cash provided in the March controlled purchase. The drugs and cash were located in a hidden compartment above a light fixture. The charge of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Medford, Peabody and Ipswich Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.


title: Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Second Firearm Offense

body_text: BOSTON – A Rockland, Mass. man has pleaded guilty to being to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Lamont Boswell, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm and ammunition while being a convicted felon. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Dec. 3, 2025. Boswell also pleaded guilty to violating the terms of his supervised release. He has been in custody since he was arrested for violating his conditions of federal supervised release on April 3, 2025. On April 2, 2025, while conducting a wellness check on Boswell who appeared to be passed out in the driver’s seat of his parked car, law enforcement found a pistol inside the vehicle. The recovered firearm was a Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun, loaded with 13 9mm rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one 9mm round in the chamber. At the time of the offense, Boswell was under federal supervision following a 2021 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In that case, Boswell was also found to have illegally possessed a loaded firearms while driving his car. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special assistance was provided by Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office and the Scituate Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit 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 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: Shiprock Man Indicted on Federal Sexual Assault and Kidnapping Charges

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man has been indicted on federal charges in connection with the sexual assault and kidnapping of two victims in Indian Country. According to court documents, between June 2024 and February 2025, Keanu Lee , 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, forcibly sexually assaulted a minor identified as Jane Doe 1. Lee is further accused of kidnapping Jane Doe 1 and assaulting her, causing serious bodily injury. The indictment also alleges that between 2012 and 2014, Lee sexually assaulted a second minor victim, identified as Jane Doe 2. Lee is charged with three counts of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of kidnapping, and one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. He will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which is currently schedule for January 12, 2026. If convicted, Lee faces up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Acting Special Agent in Charge Philip Russell of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. The FBI continues to investigate Lee ’s involvement in crimes against other victims. If you have reason to believe you or someone you know may be a victim, or have information about Lee , please call the FBI at (505) 889-1300 or submit tips online at tips.fbi.gov. Keanu Lee booking photo Keanu Lee Driver's License photo An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Gang Member Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison

body_text: ZAEKWON McDANIEL, also known as “Gap” and “Yung Gap,” 27, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to life in prison, and a mandatory 10-year consecutive term of imprisonment, for offenses related to his leadership of the 960 gang, a violent Waterbury street gang. Today’s announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Maureen T. Platt, State’s Attorney for the Waterbury Judicial District; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando C. Spagnolo. According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address drug trafficking and related violence in Waterbury, the FBI, ATF, and Waterbury Police have been investigating multiple Waterbury-based groups, including the 960 gang. On September 14, 2021, a federal grand jury in Hartford returned a 36-count indictment charging McDaniel and 15 other 960 gang members with various offenses, including racketeering, murder, attempted murder and assault, firearm possession, narcotics trafficking, and obstruction of justice offenses. According to the evidence presented during his trial: On October 31, 2017, 960 members were involved in a drive-by shooting in the area of Porter Street and Bank Street in Waterbury in an attempt to murder members of a rival gang. An individual was shot and wounded in the shooting. Investigators recovered 17 shell casings from four different firearms at the scene, and also identified the car used by the assailants. McDaniel’s DNA was found on the steering wheel of the car. On November 22, 2017, McDaniel and 960 members Malik Bayon and Tahjay Love shot at Clarence Lewis and Antonio Santos who were in a car at a restaurant in Waterbury. Lewis sped from the scene at a high rate of speed and crashed into a house at the intersection of Wolcott Street and Dallas Avenue in Waterbury. Lewis, 22, and Santos, 20, were pronounced dead at the scene. Shell casings connected two of firearms used during the shooting to the shooting that occurred on October 31, 2017, and McDaniel’s DNA was found on a gun magazine that was dropped at the restaurant. On December 29, 2017, shortly before 9:00 p.m., McDaniel shot and injured the father of a rival gang member who was taking out the trash in front of his residence. 960 members videoed themselves wearing masks at the scene minutes before the shooting. To promote 960, McDaniel and other 960 members made rap videos that glorified gang violence, firearm possession, and drug dealing. Many of the rap lyrics were tied to criminal conduct committed by 960 members. McDaniel has been detained since January 3, 2018. On February 14, 2024, a jury found McDaniel, Tahjay Love, and Malik Bayon guilty of conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity with special circumstances, murder in violation of the Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (“VCAR”) statute, and two counts of causing death through the use of a firearm and in relation to a crime of violence. The jury also found McDaniel guilty of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and carrying and using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Love guilty of obstruction of justice; and Bayon guilty of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute narcotics, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Love and Bayon await sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Waterbury Police Department, ATF, and U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Southington Police Department, Watertown Police Department, New Milford Police Department, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the DEA Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey M. Stone, John T. Pierpont, Jr. and Natasha M. Freismuth, and Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Don E. Therkildesen, Jr. and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney Alexandra Arroyo, who were cross-designated as Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys in this matter. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.


title: Tampa Man Sentenced For Money Laundering Conspiracy And Operating An Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Pratikbhai Patel (32, Tampa) to three years and five months in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. As part of his sentence, Patel also agreed to pay more than $650,000 in restitution and forfeiture obligations. Patel previously pled guilty in two different cases. The first was on March 26, 2025, for conspiring to commit money laundering; the second on April 23, 2025, for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to court documents, from July through October 2018, Patel acted as a “runner” for an overseas call center scheme where conspirators falsely identified themselves as law enforcement officers and threatened victims with imminent arrest, lawsuit, or other economic consequences unless the victims made immediate payments to other conspirators. Patel received wired funds from victims in his business account, quickly withdrew the money before the victims disputed the wire transfer, then turned over the fraud proceeds to another conspirator. In a second case, from about September 2020 to February 2023, Patel used business accounts in the names of “Tampa Smoke Shop LLC” and “Mamba Distro LLC” to make same-day cash deposits that were then transferred to other entities with no known business purpose. In total, he completed 235 wire transfers in this manner to 115 unique counterparties in exchange for a fee between 1% and 1.5% of the wired funds. Patel was never licensed with the State of Florida to operate a money transmitting business. “The defendant preyed on vulnerable victims to satisfy his greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker, IRS Criminal Investigation Tampa Field Office. “This prosecution should serve as a warning to those intent on exploiting others through financial crimes. IRS-CI will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate complex fraud and money laundering schemes to protect our communities.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Suzanne Huyler and Dan Baeza. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multiagency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Justice Department Files Case Seeking to Revoke the Naturalization of Immigration Fraudster

component: Civil Division

body_text: Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida filed a civil denaturalization complaint in the U.S. District Court in Orlando, Florida, against a native of Argentina who illegally procured his U.S. citizenship by gaining permanent resident status through the Cuban Refugee Adjustment Act based on a false claim that he was born in Cuba. “The Justice Department is committed to preserving the integrity of United States citizenship and will aggressively pursue the denaturalization of fraudsters who lie to gain immigration benefits,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Civil denaturalization is an important tool in ensuring that only qualified individuals with good moral character earn U.S. citizenship. The civil complaint charges that Moio Bartolini exploited our immigration system and unlawfully secured the ultimate immigration benefit of naturalization. The filing of this case sends a clear message: if you do not tell the truth to immigration officials and break our immigration laws, we will prosecute you and denaturalize you.” In 2013, Fernando Adrian Moio Bartolini, 50, a native of Argentina and resident of Windermere, Florida, was convicted in the Southern District of Florida of committing passport fraud. During criminal proceedings, he admitted that after he entered the United States on a visitor’s visa, purchased a fraudulent Cuban birth certificate, obtained a fraudulent Cuban passport, and applied for permanent resident status in the United States under the Cuban Adjustment Act, claiming that he was a native and citizen of Cuba. After Bartolini illegally procured naturalization, he fraudulently obtained a U.S. passport, falsely stating on his passport application that he was born in Cuba. His fraud was uncovered when Moio Bartolini attempted to enter the United States at the Miami International Airport aboard a flight from Medellín, Colombia, and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer recognized his Argentinian accent. Moio Bartolini was arrested and charged with false statement in the application for and use of a passport. When he pleaded guilty, he admitted that he was born in Argentina and that he used the fraudulent Cuban documents to adjust status to permanent resident and, ultimately, to naturalize as a U.S. citizen. The civil denaturalization complaint charges Moio Bartolini with illegal procurement of naturalization because he did not lawfully adjust to permanent resident status and because he provided false testimony in his naturalization interview. The complaint also charges that Moio Bartolini procured U.S. citizenship through concealment of a material fact or willful misrepresentation. The Immigration and Nationality Act requires the U.S. District Court to revoke Moio Bartolini’s naturalization if it finds him liable on any of the charges. The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security and will be litigated by the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation, General Litigation and Appeals Section. The claims in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Attorney General Bondi Issues Memo Upholding Constitutional Rights and Parental Authority in America's Education System

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi sent a memo to FBI Director Kash Patel and all 93 U.S. Attorneys entitled Upholding Constitutional Rights and Parental Authority in America’s Education System. As Attorney General Bondi notes in the memo, “recent years have seen a disturbing trend in which government officials and public education authorities have ignored, dismissed, or even retaliated against concerned parents” for daring to voice opposition to their children’s curriculum. Notably, the prior administration engaged in such weaponization by targeting concerned parents at school board meetings with a threat tag reserved for potential terrorists. Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, parents’ First Amendment rights – and their “fundamental right to direct the moral and religious education of their children” – will be protected from unlawful attacks. Per today’s memo, Attorney General Bondi has instructed U.S. Attorneys to “work with federal, state, and local partners to identify and respond to credible threats against parents or violations of their lawful rights.” Please read the full memo HERE


title: Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: BECKLEY, W.Va. – Anthony Broadnax, 61, of Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after moving from Virginia to West Virginia. According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2021 through on or about July 26, 2021, Broadnax resided in Beckley, West Virginia, after relocating from Virginia. Broadnax failed to register in West Virginia or update his registration in Virginia as required by SORNA after his relocation. Broadnax is required to register as a sex offender and comply with SORNA because of his convictions for aggravated sexual battery on August 25, 1990, and rape on February 7, 1991, both in Prince William County, Virginia. Broadnax has a criminal history that also includes a prior conviction for failure to register as a sex offender. SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school. “It is vitally important that sex offenders are tracked and communities are kept aware through the enforcement of these registration and notification requirements,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. “Prosecuting SORNA violators is a top priority of this office and would not be possible without the outstanding investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and its coordination with other law enforcement agencies in these cases.” Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Rada Herrald 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. 5:21-cr-226. ###


title: Manchester Woman Pleads Guilty to Offenses Related to 2 Embezzlement Schemes

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that MARIA HIGGINS, 36, of Manchester, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to offenses related to two embezzlement schemes. According to court documents and statements made in court, from mid-2018 to April 2022, Higgins was employed as a bookkeeper for New England Kitchen & Bath LLC in Glastonbury. Higgins stole from the business by issuing company checks payable to herself, often including the words “commission” or “bonus” in the memo line of the check, and used a signature handstamp of the company’s owner to issue the checks; initiating wire transfers to bank accounts in her name; creating a fictitious supplier and billing the company for fictious expenses; using company debit cards to pay for personal expenses; and overseeing a construction proposal for a legitimate client project, expensing incurred costs of the project through the company, and having the client pay her directly. Higgins stole $504,807 through this scheme. From February 2023 to April 2024, Higgins was employed as an accounting manager for PVC Solutions, Inc., in Danbury, a company that produces and distributes PVC products. Higgins stole from the company by issuing company checks payable to herself; creating duplicate vendor payment templates to initiate wire transfers to her personal bank account; creating fictitious suppliers to bill the company on her behalf; and paying personal expenses through the company’s bank account. Higgins manipulated the company’s accounting records to conceal her criminal activity. Higgins stole $356,181 through this scheme. Higgins failed to report approximately $768,650 of her stolen income on her personal federal income tax returns for the 2018 through 2023 tax years, resulting in a loss of $167,831 to the IRS. Higgins pleaded guilty to interstate transportation of stolen money, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and tax evasion, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for December 2. Higgins has agreed to pay full restitution to New England Kitchen & Bath, PVC Solutions, Inc., and the IRS. Higgins is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.


title: Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to  Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: Daniel Kaler, 38, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty September 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to possessing child pornography. At the plea hearing, Kaler admitted that from November 2023 to October 2024 he received and possessed over 7,000 images and videos of child pornography. The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers. A CyberTip from Verizon’s cloud storage company to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children connected the downloads back to Kaler’s account. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for Kaler’s electronic devices. Analysis of Kaler’s devices showed he utilized third-party browsers called “Brave” and “Yandex” to search and download child pornography. Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Kaler was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Kaler faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4016. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Former Storm Lake City Employee Pleads Guilty to  Possessing Child Pornography

body_text: Brian Oakleaf, 52, from Storm Lake, Iowa, pled guilty September 9, 2025, to two counts of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City. At the plea hearing, evidence showed that from March 1, 2022, through July 29, 2024, Oakleaf received, distributed, and possessed child pornography, including a depiction involving a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age on two separate cellular phones. In May 2024, law enforcement conducted an investigation online into a file sharing program and directed their focus on an IP address that was sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Investigation into the ownership of the IP address at the time of the file sharing led investigators to Oakleaf. On July 29, 2024, investigators executed search warrants at Oakleaf’s residence and office at Storm Lake City Hall and seized cell phones and electronics. Forensic analysis of Oakleaf’s devices further showed that he used the file sharing program investigators were targeting and used a litany of known child exploitation search terms to obtain CSAM. Evidence further showed that he had used the alias of Dan Dyle to look at and trade child pornography. In the plea agreement, Oakleaf admitted he possessed 1 video over 90 minutes in length and over 20,000 images of child pornography across the two phones. The videos and images included depictions of toddlers, bondage, and sadistic and masochistic conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Oakleaf was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Oakleaf faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-4020. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Over Six Kilograms of Methamphetamine

body_text: BOSTON – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty on Sept. 3, 2025 in federal court in Boston to drug possession and distribution charges. Star Sirikhom, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2025. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022 along with five alleged co-conspirators. In 2019, an investigation began into a Colombia-based money laundering organization that was laundering drug proceeds on behalf of multiple drug trafficking organizations. During surveillance of a residence identified as a possible drug stash location, multiple people were observed entering the location with weighted bags or boxes and exiting with large trash bags, weighted bags, and five-gallon buckets which were placed in vehicles before departing the residence. In June 2021, Sirikhom was observed entering the stash house carrying a black backpack and exiting six minutes later with the same black backpack, which appeared to be weighted. During a subsequent traffic stop of Sirikhom’s vehicle, the backpack was seized from his trunk and found to contain over six kilograms of orange pills containing methamphetamine. The charges of to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine each provide for a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: South Windsor Man Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Immigrant Clients, USCIS

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BABAR KHAN, 46, of South Windsor, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 18 months of imprisonment and two years of supervised release for conspiracy and tax offenses related to a scheme through which individuals seeking immigration services were defrauded. According to court documents and statements made in court, Khan and his wife, Khatija Khan, operated JLLAS CORP. and EIMAAN LLC, which were created to provide services to clients involved in proceedings with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). From 2015 to 2020, the Khans recruited clients who sought some form of immigration status, relief, or benefit. Many of these clients were aliens residing in the U.S. without legal status and had limited education, a limited ability to understand English, and little to no knowledge of the documents that the Khans were filing with USCIS on their behalf. Khatija Khan represented herself as an attorney with a background in immigration matters, even though she was not an attorney. The Khans prepared petitions and applications for their clients that contained information that they knew to be false. They also fabricated false documents to support their clients’ applications with USCIS without their clients’ knowledge. They then mailed, or caused to be mailed, these fraudulent applications and documents to USCIS, where they were received and made part of the official Alien file of each respective client. Many of the Khans’ clients received no relief from USCIS despite paying the Khans significant amounts of money. To generate fees from clients, Khatija Khan filed applications with USCIS even when the submissions lacked merit or a legitimate basis. Victims lost more than $300,000 as a result of this scheme. In addition, in the 2016 tax year, Babar Khan failed to report to the IRS approximately $27,901 in additional taxable income and failed to pay an additional $7,942 in federal taxes that were owed. Babar Khan and Khatija Khan were arrested on December 19, 2019. After her arrest, Khatija Khan continued to defraud multiple clients. On February 28, 2022, Babar Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return. Khatija Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and one count of mail fraud. On September 1, 2022, she was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment. Babar Khan, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on March 18, 2026. Judge Underhill ordered Babar Khan to pay $371,743 in restitution, $367,743.75 to be paid jointly and severally with Khatija Khan. This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.


title: Three Indicted and Arrested for Covid-Related Unemployment Insurance Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: In a coordinated arrest by several law enforcement agencies, three defendants were arrested today for their roles in a Covid-fraud scheme targeting the California Employment Development Department (EDD), U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. Yolanda Butler, 49, was arrested in Oklahoma, and her son Legerrius Holt, 28, was arrested in Colorado. Both are formerly of Stockton. The third defendant, Quamaine Massey, 33, formerly of North Carolina, was arrested in Ohio. On Aug. 7, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment charging the defendants with mail fraud; Butler and Holt are additionally charged with aggravated identity theft. According to court documents, between April 2020 and June 2021, the defendants perpetrated a mail fraud and identity theft scheme that targeted the Unemployment Insurance benefit program that California administers through EDD. Under the 2020 CARES Act and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, EDD was responsible for administering unemployment insurance benefits for qualifying residents who could no longer find employment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of dozens of individuals and filed at least 69 fraudulent unemployment insurance benefit claims under their identities. EDD approved many of these applications and mailed benefits in the form of prepaid debit cards to addresses under the defendants’ control, including dozens to Butler and Holt’s home address in Stockton and at least three to Massey’s home in North Carolina. Once received, the defendants activated the cards and spent the benefits on themselves. In total, the defendants’ conduct resulted in EDD and the United States paying out more than $1.1 million, with an intended loss of more than $1.4 million. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General, and California EDD. Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise N. Yasinow is prosecuting the case. If convicted, all defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for mail fraud, and Butler and Holt face a mandatory additional sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. The defendants also face a maximum fine of $250,000 on each count. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.


title: Former CEO of Orange County-Based Private Equity Fund Charged with Conning Investors Out of $62.5 Million via Bogus Promissory Notes

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man who was the founder and CEO of a private equity fund has been charged with defrauding hundreds of investors out of approximately $62.5 million via a promissory note scam involving real estate, Broadway shows, and cryptocurrency, the Justice Department announced today. Marco Giovanni Santarelli, 56, of Laguna Niguel, is charged with one count of wire fraud. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance on October 20 in United States District Court in Santa Ana. According to an information filed Monday, Santarelli founded and was the CEO of Norada Capital Management (NCM), a Laguna Niguel-based private equity fund. From June 2020 to June 2024, Santarelli solicited hundreds of investors nationwide to invest in unsecured promissory notes ranging from $25,000 to $500,000. He promised via marketing a high-yield monthly interest rate – approximately 12% to 15% – over three to seven years. Santarelli told investors they would receive monthly interest payments from income generated from five categories of businesses in which NCM would invest their money, including e-commerce, real estate, Broadway shows, and cryptocurrency. Via webinars, Santarelli promised that the notes were backed by diversified assets under management and offered steady, predictable monthly returns. He further promised that NCM was to be a “hands-off passive investment,” perfect for retirement funds, according to the information. Santarelli also provided balance sheets to investors listing the status of the assets, liabilities, and equity of NCM to the note holders, which listed the total asset value between $143.3 million and $224 million. In fact, NCM did not pay the promised returns and interest payments. Instead, the fund invested in risky assets that did not provide the promised safety and security, was unprofitable, had very little return on investment, and a large amount of debt. The balance sheets sent to investors hid more than $90 million in debt and included inflated assets. In Ponzi-scheme fashion, Santarelli made interest payments to investors using other investors’ money. In total, Santarelli caused more than 500 investors to lose approximately $62.5 million. An information contains allegations. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Santarelli would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI are investigating this matter with assistance from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Federal law enforcement has seized more than $5 million in proceeds connected to this scheme and continues to look for additional assets. Chief Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier is prosecuting this case.


title: Guatemalan National Extradited to the United States to Face Federal Cocaine Conspiracy Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A Guatemalan national has been extradited to the United States to face charges in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy. Roberto Carlo Giron Hernandez, a/k/a “Gordo,” a/k/a “RC,” 49, is scheduled to make his initial appearance in federal court in Miami tomorrow. According to court documents, Giron Hernandez is charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine knowing, intending, or having reasonable cause to believe that the cocaine would be imported into the United States. Guatemalan authorities arrested Giron Hernandez on February 3, pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant. A federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida returned a one-count indictment charging Giron Hernandez with conspiracy to distribute cocaine for importation into the United States. If convicted, Giron Hernandez faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and DEA Guatemala Country Attaché Aubree Fierro made the announcement. DEA Miami Field Division and DEA Guatemala Country Office are investigating the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, Department of State, and the Guatemalan government provided valuable assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Giron Hernandez. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Kirkpatrick 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). 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 , under case number 24-cr-20408. ###


title: Political consultant pleads guilty to defrauding multiple victims of over $250,000

body_text: GREAT FALLS - A political consultant from Helena accused of defrauding several clients admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Abbey Lee Cook, 35, pleaded guilty to 3 counts of wire fraud. Cook faces maximum penalties on each count of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 12, 2026. Cook was released with conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in January 2021, Cook registered the business Abbey Lee Cook and Associates, LLC with the State of Montana. Cook, through her business, provided political campaign compliance services for multiple candidates and political action committees (PACs) in Montana. Her services included, but were not limited to, establishing bank accounts, depositing political donations, and filing campaign financial reports with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practice (COPP) on behalf of her clients. In and around 2021 Cook starting volunteering for Victim 2, an issue advocacy PAC in Montana. Her primary duty was to file reports with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP). Cook obtained signature card authority for Victim 2’s bank account and, commencing in September 2021, began to issue checks from Victim 2’s account to her business account without authorization. These fraudulent transfers and checks, which ranged in value from $800 to $15,000, resulted in a loss to Victim 2 of roughly $82,000. One such fraudulent transfer occurred on March 20, 2023, when Cook wrote a check from Victim 2’s account to her business account, without authorization, in the amount of $3,000.00. Another occurred on August 23, 2023, when Cook wrote a check from Victim 2’s account to her business account, without authorization, in the amount of $15,000. During this period, Cook filed false reports with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP), materially underreporting the amount of money she was taking from Victim 2. Victim 1 hired Cook in connection with a 2024 campaign for statewide office. Cook’s duties included, among other activities, monitoring and paying bills on behalf of the campaign and preparing internal financial reporting documents. In her job, Cook had access to Victim 1’s campaign account. Commencing in March 2024, Cook began to wire money from Victim 1’s campaign account to her own account without authorization. These fraudulent transfers occurred through October 2024 when Victim 1’s campaign noticed an issue and Cook’s access to the bank account was terminated. During this period, Cook filed false reports with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices (COPP), materially underreporting the amount of money she was taking from Victim 1. Victim 5, a Montana State representative, hired Cook in approximately in June 2023 for campaign-compliance work. Cook was provided signatory authority for Victim 5’s campaign bank account and, commencing in approximately June 2023, began to fraudulently write checks or transfer money to her business without authorization. The total loss to Victim 5 was roughly $53,100 and included a check issued on or about November 8, 2023, for $3,000. During the period of the alleged fraud Cook took active steps to conceal her activity. In addition to the multiple false filings with the COPP, she also ignored inquiries from her victims concerning certain financial transactions and transferred money between victims’ accounts without their knowledge and authorization. One such transfer occurred on or about July 2, 2024, when Cook transferred approximately $26,000 from Victim 2’s account to Victim 4’s campaign account. Victim 4, a candidate for statewide office, had also retained Cook’s services at the time. When flagged by representatives for Victims 2 and 4, Cook falsely said she was redirecting payments that were misdirected. When told to put that representation in writing, she never did. In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Cook admitted she transferred the money without authorization or knowledge of Victims 2 and 4, for the purpose of covering financial obligations on behalf of Victim 4. During the period of the scheme a significant percentage of the money fraudulently transferred to her account was used by Cook to pay her personal credit card, loan payments for vehicles, and payments for commercial property. In June 2025, Cook admitted much of this conduct to law enforcement. The total loss to her victims because of Cook’s fraudulent conduct, as reflected in the Information, exceeded $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Las Vegas Woman Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Selling Fentanyl Pills Resulting In Death

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman was sentenced today by United States District Judge Richard F. Boulware II to 10 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release for selling pills containing fentanyl, resulting in a victim’s death. The government recommended a prison sentence of 144 months. From the fall of 2019 to January 2020, Danielle Partington was the victim’s pill supplier, and she supplied the victim with pills on multiple dates. On January 20, 2020, the victim called and texted Partington to purchase pills. Partington coordinated with a co-conspirator to deliver 80 pills containing fentanyl to the victim. On January 23, 2020, the victim overdosed on the fentanyl sold to him by Partington and her co-conspirator. On March 7, 2025, Partington pleaded guilty to one-count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Illicit fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just two milligrams, about the size of a few grains of salt, can be lethal. It is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45, and it kills at an unprecedented rate. Acting United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Anthony Chrysanthis for DEA’s Los Angeles Division made the announcement. This case was investigated by the DEA. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua Brister and Edward Penetar prosecuted the case. DEA has launched the public awareness campaign, One Pill Can Kill, to educate the public on dangers of counterfeit pills and how to keep Americans safe. For more information, visit DEA.gov/onepill . ###


title: Poplar man pleads guilty to sexually abusing two victims on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS - A Poplar man who sexual abused two victims on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Emmett Alfred Buckles, 41, pleaded guilty to 2 counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Buckles faces a term of 15 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years to a lifetime of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for January 14, 2026. Buckles was detained pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that in March of 2024, Jane Doe 1 was forensically interviewed and disclosed she was sexually abused by Buckles. Doe 1 described that on January 22, 2024, she was drinking and doing drugs when Buckles contacted her via Facebook. Doe 1 was over the age of 12, but under the age of 16. Buckles was 39. Buckles then joined Doe 1 and they hung out together. Later in the night and into early next morning Doe 1 and Buckles ended up at his house in Poplar. While there, Buckles sexually abused Doe in an assault that Doe described lasting hours. Doe described the layout of Buckles’ bedroom and various items in his room. Law enforcement obtained Facebook messages between Jane Doe 2 and Buckles. Doe 2 was over the age of 12, but under the age of 16. Doe 2 was subsequently interviewed and described that in January 2024 she was using meth with Buckles, and he shot her up with meth. Buckles then sexually assaulted her. Doe 2 drew a sketch of Buckles’ room that described a similar layout to what Doe 1 observed. Federal agents executed a search warrant at Buckles’ house in Poplar. During the search, law enforcement officers observed that many details regarding the layout of Buckles’ bedroom were consistent with both Jane Does’ statements. This included the layout and various items of personal property. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Potsdam Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Richard LaPage, age 51, of Potsdam, New York, pled guilty yesterday to distribution, receipt and possession of child pornography. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement. LaPage admitted that between December 2023 and October 2024, he used smartphone social networking applications to send and receive child pornography files to and from other users. Investigators also identified more than 150 child pornography images and videos on four of LaPage’s electronic devices. Previously, on April 25, 2010, LaPage was convicted of the New York State offense of attempted criminal sexual act in the first degree, which criminalizes an adult’s attempt to engage in sexual contact with a child less than 13 years old. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “The defendant, already a registered sex offender, again engaged in disgusting criminal conduct that revictimized the children whose abuse was depicted in the images he distributed, received, and possessed. Sex offenders who reoffend face particularly lengthy prison terms under federal law, and we will do everything in our power to make sure they serve the lengthiest terms possible so that our children are safe from these sick, twisted people.” Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the HSI Buffalo Field Office, said: “Richard LaPage is a repeat child predator with a criminal history of targeting young children for his own abhorrent desires. Today and always, HSI Massena, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and our local partners refuse to allow our communities to become safe havens for sex offenders intent on continuing their exploitation of minors.” Sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2026, before Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Because of his prior conviction, LaPage faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years in prison on the distribution and receipt charges and 10 years in prison on the possession charges; a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years in prison on the distribution and receipt charges and 20 years in prison on the possession charges; a fine of up to $250,000; and a term of supervised release of between 5 years and up to life. LaPage also will have to pay restitution to victims, forfeit property he used to commit the offenses, and will again be required to register as a sex offender. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statutes a defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. The case was investigated by HSI and the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit (CCU), with assistance from the Potsdam Police Department and St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis is prosecuting the case. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: United States Files Forfeiture Action Against More Than $12 Million in Funds Involved in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud and Money Laundering

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture complaint on Friday against more than $12 million in Tether cryptocurrency relating to a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. According to the complaint, the FBI identified 10 female Mandarin-speaking victims of a cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme who lost at total of more than $10.3 million. The unidentified perpetrator(s) courted his victims after striking up unsolicited conversations via text message and then persuaded them to invest large sums of money using a fraudulent website called ShakepayEX, which was made to mimic a popular cryptocurrency exchange based in Canada. When the victims tried to withdraw their funds, they were met with various excuses and fraudulent demands. Law enforcement used blockchain analysis and other investigative techniques to determine that the cryptocurrency sought to be forfeited was tied to the scheme. Acting United States Attorney Sarcone said: “Cryptocurrency investment scams are the latest vehicle for con artists from all over the world to victimize Americans right here in our backyards. But this civil action is the latest example that law enforcement can and will use all the tools at our disposal to ensure that those who abuse legitimate technology will not profit from their deviant conduct.” FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said: “Cryptocurrency scams are one of the most prevalent and damaging fraud schemes the FBI investigates. They have a devastating financial impact on victims and cause a tremendous amount of emotional distress. This filing serves as a reminder the FBI will continue to work with our partners to use every resource available to identify these schemes, investigate the criminals perpetrating them, and seek justice and relief for the victims.” The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal is representing the United States. Anyone who believes they are a victim of a cybercrime – including cryptocurrency scams, romance scams, and investment scams – should contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov .


title: Buffalo man sentenced for his role in conspiracy to steal mail

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Eric Michael Robinson, 33, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit mail theft, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation, to include six months home detention, by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that in October 2024, Robinson conspired with co-defendants Lamor Runell Bolden and Antonio Jones, Jr. to steal mail from mail receptacles in Cheektowaga, NY. In addition, the defendants also possessed a key used to open authorized mail receptacles. Robinson drove Bolden and Jones to a mail facility in Cheektowaga at approximately 1:00 a.m. on the morning of October 2, 2024. Robinson parked behind a row of blue collection mailboxes outside the postal facility. Bolden and Jones got out of the car, while Robinson remained in the driver’s seat and kept watch. Jones opened the mailboxes with the stolen key and stole mail from the mailboxes. Bolden and Jones got back into the car and Robinson drove away from the mail facility. A short time later, their car was stopped by law enforcement. At the time the car was stopped, various opened and unopened pieces of mail were found inside. Robinson admits that he and his co-conspirators used the stolen key to open mailboxes at other locations around the Western District of New York. Lamor Runell Bolden and Antonio Jones, Jr. were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Boston Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons. # # # #


title: Pakistan native pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal reentry

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Saima Qamar, 55, a citizen of Canada and native of Pakistan, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to re-entry of a removed alien. She was then sentenced to serve three months in prison and will then be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in April 2019, Qamar was physically removed from the United States. On June 9, 2025, she was found in Niagara County, NY, by Border Patrol Agents and did not have any documents allowing her to be legally present in the United States. This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol Niagara Falls Station, under the direction of Patrol Agent in Charge Brady Waikal. # # # #


title: Mexican man pleads guilty to illegal re-entry

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Oscar Leo Hernandez Sanchez, 38, a citizen and national of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to illegal re-entry of a removed alien. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that Hernandez Sanchez is an alien without any legal status in the United States. He was physically removed from the United States in December 2011. On June 26, 2025, Hernandez Sanchez was found Erie County, NY, by United States Customs and Border Protection and did not have any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy. # # # #


title: Mexican man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entry

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jorge Alfredo Martinez Sanchez, 50, a citizen and national of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to illegal re-entry of a removed alien. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Smith, who handled the case, stated that in October 2017, Martinez Sanchez was physically removed from the United States. On July 27, 2025, he was found in Erie County, NY. Martinez Sanchez was encountered by United States Border Patrol and did not have with him any documents allowing him to be legally present in the United States. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks. # # # #


title: Roanoke Man Who Posed as Baseball Prospect Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used burner phones to pose as officials from both Major and Minor League baseball teams, was sentenced recently to 41 months in federal prison for failing to register as a convicted sex offender and making false statements. Janike Dunbar Holt, 29, a.k.a. “Nike,” a.k.a. “Janike Tagovailoa” a.k.a. “Keanu Tagovailoa,” a.k.a. “Trey Tagovailoa,” previously pled guilty to one count of failure to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act and one count of making a false statement to law enforcement. According to court documents, in August 2018, Holt was convicted of three counts of taking indecent liberties with a child in North Carolina after he had sexual relations with a fifteen-year-old. Holt was released from custody in October of 2018 and, after initially complying with his required sex offender registration requirements, Holt failed to report an address change in June 2022. In March 2022, Holt began dating a woman (Individual 1) who had a minor child (Minor A). Holt was not the father of Minor A, but he told others that he was. In addition, Holt was asking several other women for money that he claimed was to support Minor A, to visit Minor A, or to help obtain custody of Minor A. However, Holt did not actually use the money for these stated purposes or otherwise provide this money to Individual 1 or Minor A. Around October 2022, Holt began dating Individual 2. Holt falsely told Individual 2 that he had a child (Minor A) and got Individual 2 to give him $65 for diapers for the child and for gas to go visit her. Individual 2 gave Holt access to her bank accounts, and Holt stole $5,000 from her. Individual 2 was able recover this money from her bank. At other times in 2022, Holt also dated Individual 3. While living with Individual 3, Holt stole at least three checks from her, which he subsequently made out to himself. Holt filled out one of these checks and asked another person, Individual 5, to cash it for him. Holt made out another of these stolen checks for $225,000, with the memo line reading “Lawsuit Refund.” The check was never cashed. Holt later made out another of these stolen checks for $75,000, with the memo line reading “Law-suit settlement.” He asked two other people, Individuals 7 and 8, to cash this check for him, but they refused. On February 6, 2023, Holt asked a friend to drive him from North Carolina to Virginia, where he was planning to move. Holt lived with his brother in Roanoke for a few days before moving in with a new girlfriend, Individual 6. Holt continued living with his new girlfriend until March 14, 2023. While living in Roanoke, Holt never registered as a sex offender in Virginia, despite being required to under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. Despite living with Individual 6, Holt also spent a significant amount of time at a house where the mother of two of his brother’s children (Individual 7) lived with her mother (Individual 8). Holt falsely told his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that he had been recruited to play for a Major League Baseball team. Holt used burner phones to send text messages to his brother, Individual 7, and Individual 8 while pretending to be actual individuals affiliated with a Major League Baseball team and a Minor League Baseball team. Holt used the names of these individuals without their knowledge. Holt told his brother, Individual 6, Individual 7, and Individual 8 that they would all be moving as a result of his purported Major League Baseball career. In preparation, and at Holt’s urging, Individual 7 and Individual 8 sold some of their vehicles and gave Holt the proceeds. Holt also attempted to sell Individual 6’s vehicle without her knowledge. On March 14, 2023, Holt was arrested on a warrant out of North Carolina. While being interviewed by a deputy marshal, Holt made several false statements, including that he had a child (Minor A), that he had not been living in Roanoke, Virginia but had been driving back and forth between Roanoke and North Carolina every other day, and that his probation officer was aware that he was habitually traveling between Roanoke and North Carolina. Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement today. The United States Marshals Service is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Scheff is prosecuting the case.


title: CRAWFORDVILLE WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUG AND FIREARM CHARGES

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Lisa Marie Ezell, 39, of Crawfordville, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. United States Attorney Heekin said, “Our law enforcement partners work hard every day to take dangerous drugs and guns off our streets, and this successful prosecution is another step in keeping our communities safe. My office is committed to aggressively pursuing criminals like this defendant with the full force of the law to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the dangerous drug traffickers who have flooded our streets with deadly narcotics.” Court documents reflect that in July 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ezell’s residence after previously conducting several controlled purchases of large quantities of methamphetamine from her. During the search, officers recovered large quantities of methamphetamine, 18 firearms, and several thousand dollars believed to be the proceeds of her drug trafficking operations. Due to her prior criminal record, including for a previous serious drug felony, Ezell was prohibited from possessing firearms and now faces a minimum term of fifteen years’ imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count, and up to fifteen years’ imprisonment on the possession of firearm by convicted felon count. Additionally, Ezell is subject to a consecutive sentence of a minimum term of five years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense count. The case involved a joint investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Harley W. Ferguson. 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). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED IN WIRE FRAUD AND MONEY LAUNDERING CONSPIRACIES

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Salvatore John Carpanzano, 66, and Heather Gayle Fisher, 54, both of Pensacola, Florida, have been indicted in federal court on charges related to a multi-year scheme to defraud victims out of millions of dollars. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Carpanzano and Fisher appeared in federal court for their initial appearances on September 3, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for October 20, 2025, at 8:30 am before Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. in Pensacola, Florida. The Indictment charges Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and two counts of Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. If convicted, Carpanzano and Fisher each face up to fifty years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy charges. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .