title: El Salvadorian National Convicted and Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry into the United States after Three Prior Deportations

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – An El Salvadorian national, who was previously deported three times, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for unlawful reentry into the United States, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Juan Ruiz, 30, an El Salvadorian national who was unlawfully residing in Manchester, pleaded guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Samantha D. Elliott to time served, or two months. Ruiz is in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for deportation to El Salvador. Ruiz illegally entered the United States previously on three separate occasions and was deported on June 12, 2016, May 18, 2017, and October 14, 2021. On the evening of April 22, 2025, the Manchester Police Department responded to Ruiz’s apartment after receiving a report of a domestic violence incident. Law enforcement arrested Ruiz for simple assault. After learning of the defendant’s immigration status, they referred him to ICE. ICE led the investigation. The Manchester Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case. This effort 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). ###


title: Brothers from India sentenced to prison for smuggling fake or contaminated drugs into the U.S.

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – Two brothers from India were each sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 30 months in prison for their scheme to sell counterfeit and adulterated drugs in the United States, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Avanish Kumar Jha, 39, and Rajnish Kumar Jha, 36, were arrested in Singapore on April 20, 2023, based on the 2022 indictment. The men were extradited to the U.S. in February 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “The issue here is the introduction of adulterated drugs to people who think they are getting lifesaving drugs… This activity has so much risk to cause harm.” “When this investigation began, the first vial of medicine shipped to the undercover agent was not the cancer-fighting drug Keytruda at all but rather over-the-counter heartburn medicine in a bottle labeled as Keytruda. Keytruda’s active ingredient—the substance that could add months or even years to the lives of terminal cancer patients—was totally absent,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “The defendants made hundreds of thousands of dollars while defrauding people who were clinging to hope that a late-stage cancer medication could extend their life.” The investigation of the Jha brothers began in 2019, when investigators reviewed internet postings and other evidence indicating that the Jha brothers and their company, Dhrishti Pharma International, were offering to sell prescription drugs to buyers in the United States and elsewhere. Undercover agents with the Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI) of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began communicating with the Jha brothers and ordered some of their products. Of particular concern was a “medication” labeled as “Keytruda,” a Merck drug for late-stage cancer. An analysis revealed that the Jha brothers were selling counterfeit Keytruda that contained none of active ingredient that made the authentic product effective. Other products contained contaminants. The brothers shipped the counterfeit and adulterated drugs from India. They accepted various means of payment including wire transfers and direct money exchanges. In some cases, they used intermediaries in the United States to pick up cash payments. The drugs were packaged in such a way to avoid detection by international customs or other regulators. In January 2025, a judge in Singapore ruled the men could be extradited to the U.S. In early June 2025, both defendants entered pleas of guilty to one count of smuggling. In asking for the 30-month sentence, Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski wrote to the court, “Exporting counterfeit medicines is a cruel business that robs ill people of any hope for relief. Cancer patients unknowingly using fake Keytruda would have no chance of improvement with their terminal disease. The defendants profited by peddling counterfeit Keytruda and many other drugs, all in contravention of numerous U.S. laws and regulations that are meant to keep people safe…. Regrettably, schemes like this one are not unique. Many people line their pockets by flouting the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other important U.S. laws.” “Americans expect and deserve drugs that are safe, effective, and that meet appropriate standards for quality, yet these individuals distributed counterfeit prescription drugs to vulnerable cancer patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Iwanicki, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office. “Such conduct cannot be tolerated, and the FDA will continue to work with the Department of Justice to bring to justice those who place American patients at risk.” “This investigation is a prime example of collaboration between law enforcement agencies to leverage their unique authorities to target international criminal organizations,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin Jackson. “The Jha brothers, driven by greed, attempted to exploit vulnerable Americans battling serious illnesses by selling counterfeit cancer medications. HSI remains dedicated to pursuing and bringing to justice those who seek to victimize people with serious illnesses through these types of fraudulent schemes.” Judge Martinez imposed a $50,000 fine on each defendant and in August will consider whether to impose $81,596 in restitution to Merck for the expenses incurred by testing the fraudulent and adulterated drugs for law enforcement. The judge noted that the entire thrust of the crime was to make money. “It is important to send a deterrence message to anyone who might send adulterated drugs into any country,” Judge Martinez said. The case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations and ICE HSI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance with securing the extradition. Significant assistance was provided by law enforcement partners at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, including the ICE HSI Attaché and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Office of Overseas Criminal Investigations, and Singaporean authorities, particularly the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers.


title: Justice Department Opens Investigation into the State of Minnesota for Race- and Sex-Based Hiring Practices

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has opened an investigation into the State of Minnesota, including the Minnesota Department of Human Services, to determine whether it has engaged in race- and sex-based discrimination in its state employment hiring practices. In a policy issued earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Human Services requires its hiring supervisors to provide a “hiring justification when seeking to hire a non-underrepresented candidate.” Hiring supervisors who do not comply with the policy “may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.” The policy seems to be part of a broader effort by the state to engage in race- and sex-based employment practices in its “affirmative action” objectives. The Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section will investigate whether Minnesota is engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, sex, and other protected characteristics, pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. “Minnesotans deserve to have their state government employees hired based on merit, not based on illegal DEI,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Federal law has long prohibited employment policies that discriminate based on race or sex,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department refuses to tolerate such conduct, and states invite investigation when they engage in biased hiring practices tied to protected characteristics.” You can read the notice letter here .


title: Former City of Raleigh Firefighter Pleads Guilty to Dark Web Drug Trafficking Scheme

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

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A former City of Raleigh firefighter and his wife have pleaded guilty today to running a large-scale drug trafficking operation involving cocaine, methamphetamine, and other narcotics. Nicholas Banister, 36, and Amanda Banister, 36, admitted to using the dark web and cryptocurrency to distribute drugs across Eastern North Carolina. “The defendant, a Raleigh firefighter, served in a position of public trust, but was hiding in plain sight as he and his wife sold numerous types of illegal narcotics around businesses the community frequently visits,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Bubar. “I’m proud of our federal and state partners at the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement (NC ALE) for their hard work, which is holding these individuals accountable and making our community safer.” “It is unfortunate to see someone we trust to help keep us protected involved in criminal activities that jeopardize public safety,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “ATF realizes the danger and violence associated with drug trafficking, and we’re proud to work with our local and state law enforcement partners to break up those networks and better protect our communities.” “A primary focus for ALE is reducing crime associated with alcohol establishments and protecting the safety of our communities. In this case, undercover ALE special agents conducted a comprehensive investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of two individuals — one of whom had taken an oath to protect others but instead chose to put lives at risk,” said Bryan House, Director of North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement. “We’re hopeful this case, along with our continued efforts, will have a positive impact on our state.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, Banister conspired with his wife to sell cocaine and methamphetamine on four occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer at the Morgan Street Food Hall in Raleigh. The NC ALE executed a search warrant at Banister's residence in Raleigh, where they found 1,324.43 grams of methamphetamine, 844 grams of cocaine, over 7 kilograms of marijuana, 382 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, Xanax and Ecstasy pills, 216 units of LSD, 15 grams of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), two firearms, a digital wallet used to store cryptocurrency and $213,810 in U.S. currency. Banister had been selling cocaine, methamphetamine, and LSD every other week for at least a year prior to his arrest. Banister purchased the narcotics from the dark web using cryptocurrency, had them shipped to North Carolina, and then sold them to various buyers, primarily in the Glenwood South area. Banister utilized the Snapchat application to advertise narcotics by providing a “menu” for buyers. The following appeared on Banister’s Snapchat account and was presented in court: Banister was employed with the City of Raleigh Fire Department at the time of the charged offenses. Both Banister and his wife face a mandatory minimum of 10 years' imprisonment when sentenced at a later date. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after arraignment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II. The NC ALE and the ATF investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Aria Q. Merle prosecuted the case. SAUSA Merle is a prosecutor with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute federal violent crimes and other criminal matters. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-00106-D.


title: Mobile Woman Sentenced to Five Years’ Probation and One Year of Home Confinement for Tax Fraud

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: According to court documents, Davis, 42, operated Davis Tax Service with her cousin, Kenneshia Davis, at three locations in Mobile. Internal Revenue Service records show that Davis underreported her income by over $1 Million in 2015 and 2016 and failed to file any tax returns for 2017 despite having significant income. Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Davis to serve five years of probation, of which the first year will be under home confinement and subject to ankle monitoring. Davis was also ordered to pay $53,435 in restitution. “Tax preparers who knowingly evade their own tax obligations can expect to be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Sean P. Costello, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama. “As a tax preparer, Brandy Davis knew her responsibilities in filing returns and properly reporting all income. However, she still willfully failed to fulfill her tax obligations.” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will vigorously investigate those individuals who knowingly and willfully evade their tax obligation." Davis’s business partner, Kenneshia Davis, was sentenced in June 2025 to serve a year and a day of incarceration and to pay $67,975 in restitution. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasee Heisterhagen prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: City Man Who Fraudulently Obtained Titles to Multiple Philadelphia Properties Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Macangelo Tillman, 52, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cynthia M. Rufe to 72 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and over $150,000 in restitution, in connection with a scheme to steal the title to Philadelphia properties that were the subject of future sheriff’s sales. In December 2023, Tillman was charged by indictment with five counts of wire fraud arising from the scheme. He pleaded guilty to those charges in March of this year. As detailed in court filings and statements, as part of the scheme, the defendant had deeds prepared that fraudulently transferred the ownership of the properties either to himself or his associates. Then, Tillman or others associated with him and acting at his direction, recorded those deeds with the City of Philadelphia. The defendant obtained notary stamps on deeds that were created to transfer title to properties by making false statements to notaries and/or using unauthentic notary stamps. He paid one notary public $50 to illegitimately notarize deeds that were purportedly executed by the grantor, without the grantors being present and/or without validating the identification for the grantors. He had a second notary do the same, as a favor to him. On other occasions, counterfeit deeds that were presented as legitimate to the Office of the Recorder of Deeds by Tillman, or others at his direction, displayed the forged signatures of the titleholders and were notarized using fraudulent notary stamps. Tillman’s scheme victimized the City of Philadelphia, as well as 11 homeowners or their heirs. His criminal acts deprived the City of the revenue from sheriff’s sales, and the payment of outstanding taxes related to properties previously owned by deceased individuals, or then currently owned by financially distressed individuals. Additionally, any balance exceeding the amount due the City of Philadelphia from the proposed sheriff’s sales would have been distributed to the homeowner or their heirs. Tillman’s scheme was motivated by his own, and his associates’, financial gain. Some of the stolen homes were rented, and others were sold to buyers who had no idea they were purchasing properties that had been acquired fraudulently. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Philadelphia Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anita Eve.


title: Shelby woman convicted of attempting to harbor illegal aliens

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: Note: The U.S. Attorney's quote was corrected on July 10, 2025, at approximately 1:20 p.m. GREAT FALLS – A Shelby woman who attempted to harbor illegal aliens was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Following a two-day trial, Kristin Louise Mitchell, 41, was found guilty of one count of attempted harboring of illegal aliens. Mitchell faces 5 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for November 5, 2025. Mitchell will remain released on conditions pending further proceedings. “Mitchell attempted to harbor illegal aliens. Those who are illegally in the United States need to leave. Those who try to hide them, especially aliens like Porfirio Alexander Suarez, who allegedly possessed a firearm in November 2023 when he was encountered by law enforcement in Texas, are committing a crime and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I want to thank the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted this case, the staff in our office for their assistance, and the law enforcement agents from the Toole County Sheriff’s Office, Montana Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Border Patrol for their hard work on the case.” U.S. Attorney Alme said. The government alleged in court documents that on February 21, 2025, a Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) officer encountered individuals during a traffic stop in Gallatin County. The stop was predicated on the vehicle displaying fictitious plates. The MHP officer cited the driver, Suarez, for the license plate violation and released the vehicle. On February 25, 2025, a Sweetgrass Station Border Patrol Agent ran a registration check on a temporary Montana vehicle tag in Shelby that came back to the same vehicle cited in the February 21 stop. On March 4, 2025, Border Patrol Agents observed Mitchell driving the same vehicle with two male occupants, including Suarez. Officers from the Toole County Sheriff’s Office also saw Mitchell driving the car and they conducted a traffic stop when the car failed to stop at an intersection. Mitchell was driving and told the deputies the two men with her were political asylees and did not speak English. The deputies contacted Border Patrol for assistance. A Border Patrol agent responded to the call and recognized Mitchell due to a prior encounter at the northern border. The agent attempted to speak with the two passengers in English and then in Spanish. When the agent asked the men about their citizenship, Mitchell answered for them and claimed they were political asylees from Venezuela. She also referred to one of the individuals as her boyfriend. Neither of the men could produce any documents to verify their status. The three occupants of the vehicle, including Mitchell, were detained and taken to the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station. Records checks on the other passengers revealed their identities as citizens of Venezuela, and neither had a record of being legally admitted into the country. Mitchell is a United States citizen and has multiple prior convictions for immigration offenses. Meanwhile, while the traffic stop was ongoing, other Border Patrol officers surveilling Mitchell’s home saw a third man outside the house; this man matched a description of one of the men encountered during the February 21 MHP stop in Gallatin County. He was detained and admitted he had been previously removed from the United States. Border Patrol determined this individual as a citizen of Honduras. One of the individuals was deposed in April 2025 and testified he was working on a commercial construction site near Bozeman for a man who refused to pay them, leaving him stranded. One of the Venezuelans knew Mitchell and they decided to drive to Shelby to stay with her. En route to Shelby, the men stopped at a Walmart and bought bottles of margaritas. They were stopped in East Helena and the driver was arrested for DUI. Mitchell was contacted and drove from Shelby to East Helena to bail the driver out of jail and collect the car, which was released to her. The three aliens then stayed with Mitchell at her home in Shelby for a few days before they were arrested. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol and Toole County Sheriff’s Office. 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). XXX


title: Three Defendants Convicted of Violent Kidnapping and Extortion Attempt in Astoria, Queens

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: A federal jury today in Brooklyn convicted Lesly Valentin, Aasim Boone, and Jarrett Bruce (also known as “Inf,” “Infinite,” and “Infamous”), of kidnapping conspiracy, transmission of interstate threats with intent to extort, and attempted obstruction of justice. The verdict followed a three-week trial before United States District Judge Rachel P. Kovner. When sentenced, the defendants face up to life in prison. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict. “This was a heinous crime in which the defendants targeted a victim, abducted him from outside of his home, and subjected him to barbaric acts of torture and cruelty, all for financial gain,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Once their crimes were uncovered, the defendants tried to destroy evidence. With today’s verdict, the defendants’ efforts to escape accountability have failed and they now face significant punishment.” Mr. Nocella thanked the Joint Violent Crimes Task Force, which is comprised of agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, for their assistance with the investigation. As proven at trial, Boone, Bruce, and Valentin conspired to kidnap the victim on December 9, 2022. The victim was seized outside of his apartment complex in Astoria, Queens. After forcing the victim at gunpoint into a vehicle, Boone, Bruce, and Valentin drove the victim to New Jersey, subjected him to escalating forms of torture, and held him for nearly five hours. During the attack, Boone, Bruce, and Valentin beat the victim with a gun, poured bleach on him, burned his back and legs with a blowtorch, and sliced the victim’s ear with a knife. The victim was finally released on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Several days after the kidnapping, Valentin sent text messages to the victim, threatening further harm to him and his family if he failed to provide his abductors $150,000 in cash and 50 pounds of marijuana. After their scheme was uncovered, defendant Boone attempted to destroy electronic evidence tying him to the commission of the crime. The government’s case is being supervised by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Joshua B. Dugan, Lorena Michelen, and Andrew Wang are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Wesley Roberts. The Defendants : AASIM BOONE Age: 42 Englewood, New Jersey JARRETT BRUCE (also known as “Inf,” “Infinite,” and “Infamous”) Age: 41 Englewood, New Jersey LESLY VALENTIN Age: 39 Asbury Park, New Jersey E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-292 (S-4) (RPK)


title: Bozeman man pleads guilty to cyberstalking

body_text: MISSOULA - A Bozeman man accused of sending threatening emails to a student at Montana State University admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. The defendant, Rex Wu, Jr., 23, pleaded guilty to one count of cyberstalking. Wu faces 5 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing has been set for November 6, 2025. Wu was released on conditions pending further proceedings. The government alleged in court documents that the MSU Police Department contacted the FBI in February 2023 because a student was receiving harassing and threatening communications. The emails were racially charged and included threats to kill the student and other members of the campus group she was affiliated with. The messages were sent from several accounts, including some on platforms that make it difficult to identify the owner. Law enforcement eventually identified Wu as the likely culprit by linking an IP address at a local apartment to him, as well as online donation records and various Gmail accounts. FBI agents interviewed Wu in Bozeman on February 27, 2025, and he admitted sending several harassing emails to the MSU student. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Starnes prosecuted the case. The FBI and Montana State University Campus Police conducted the investigation.


title: Justice Department Opens Application Period for Program to Enhance Tribal Access to National Crime Information Databases

body_text: WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information. TAP improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, including the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC). The program provides software, hardware, and training, as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 9 to August 29. Tribes selected to participate will be notified in September. There are currently 149 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children. “As a TAP Pilot Tribe, the Cherokee Nation has been participating in TAP for many years,” said Suzanne Drywater, Senior Director of Justice Services for the Cherokee Nation. “From sex offender registrations, law enforcement, foster home certification, human resources, and child support, our tribe has been able to exercise our sovereignty, and TAP has proven to be an invaluable resource that we use daily in a multitude of ways.” For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap . To qualify for funding, federally recognized Tribes must have – and agree to use TAP for – at least one of the following: A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers, A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect. TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.


title: New Madrid County Man Accused of Supplying Meth to Other Dealers

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from New Madrid County, Missouri has been accused of distributing methamphetamine to others. Craig M. Perkins, 54, of Howardville, was indicted in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on July 1 with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. That indictment accuses Perkins of possessing more than 500 grams of meth on May 21, 2025. Perkins appeared in court Tuesday for a detention hearing. A motion seeking to have him held in jail until trial says a court-approved search of Perkins’ home and vehicle recovered more than 1.9 kilograms of meth. The search followed a series of meth purchases from individuals supplied by Perkins that were carried out by a confidential informant working with the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the motion says. A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Stoddard County Sheriff’s Office, the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.


title: Westminster Man Sentenced to 23 Years in Federal Prison in Connection With Drug Trafficking and Firearms Crimes

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Rodney Gaines, 35, of Westminster, Maryland, today, to 23 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. A federal jury found Gaines guilty back on April 4, of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and two counts of distribution of cocaine. Judge Abelson also found that Gaines ordered and arranged the murder of a man in Westminster, Maryland, on January 31, 2022. The court applied sentencing guideline enhancements on the grounds that Gaines’s drug offenses involved firearms and violence or threats of violence, and that he served in a leadership role in the drug conspiracy. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr. Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Sheriff James T. DeWees, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office; and Chief Thomas Ledwell, Westminster Police Department. Evidence presented at trial included wiretaps that revealed Gaines arranged sales of cocaine to various customers. During the recorded conversations, the cocaine was referred to in coded phrases such as “powder,” “8-balls,” “balls,” and the “sister,” among other terms. Law enforcement also seized quantities of cocaine from Gaines’s customers after he sold to them. The wiretaps also showed that Gaines sold cocaine in conspiracy with numerous accomplices, including people who he directed to deliver cocaine to customers; prepared the crack cocaine by “cooking” powder cocaine into crack; and hid drugs at various locations, including burying the drugs in wooded areas around Westminster. Near the end of the investigation, law enforcement recovered more than $250,000 in cash in apparent drug proceeds from a storage unit that another member of the conspiracy acquired. The jury found that the conspiracy involved 280 grams or more of cocaine base, which carries a 10-year mandatory minimum to a life sentence in prison. Additionally, the defense presented evidence at trial that proved Gaines’s activities — and the activities of his conspiracy — involved firearms, including Gaines’s efforts to acquire firearms from co-conspirators in January 2022. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, MSP, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and Westminster Police Department for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai N. Everett and Michael C. Hanlon who prosecuted the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Two Former West Virginia Correctional Officers Sentenced on Federal Civil Rights Charges in Connection with Death of Inmate

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Two former correctional officers from the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, West Virginia, were sentenced today for their roles in an assault that resulted in the death of a pretrial detainee, identified by the initials Q.B., on March 1, 2022. Corey Snyder, 30, was sentenced to 19 years and seven months in prison for conspiring with other officers to violate inmate Q.B.’s civil rights by using unreasonable force against him, resulting in Q.B.’s death. Jacob Boothe, 27, was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to intervene to stop fellow officers from assaulting Q.B. According to court documents filed in connection with the guilty pleas, Snyder and Boothe responded to a call for officer assistance after Q.B. tried to push past another correctional officer and leave his assigned pod. When they arrived, officers were engaged in using force to restrain and handcuff Q.B. Snyder also began using force, including putting his arm around Q.B.’s neck and taking him to the floor. Snyder and other officers then conspired to violate Q.B.’s civil rights by unlawfully punishing Q.B. to retaliate against him for his attempt to leave the pod. As a part of that conspiracy, officers brought Q.B. to an interview room, where Snyder and other officers used unreasonable force against Q.B., including striking Q.B. in the head multiple times, kicking, knee-striking him, pulling and twisting his fingers, and using spray, all while Q.B. was restrained, handcuffed and posed no threat to anyone. Boothe was present during the assault and had an opportunity to intervene to stop other officers from assaulting Q.B., but he chose not to make any reasonable effort to do so. Snyder and Boothe each further admitted knowing that officers could not use unreasonable force to punish inmates, including pretrial detainees such as Q.B. In addition, Snyder admitted that he knew the interview room to which officers brought Q.B. was a “blind spot” – meaning, there were no surveillance cameras to record what happened there. Prior to the assault of Q.B. on March 1, 2022, Snyder and other officers would bring inmates, including pretrial detainees, who had engaged in misconduct to “blind spots,” so that officers could use unreasonable force without being captured on video, thereby avoiding accountability for their actions. Snyder and Boothe are two of six correctional officers who were indicted in this case. In November 2024, defendants Mark Holdren and Johnathan Walters each pleaded guilty in connection with the use of unreasonable force against Q.B., resulting in his death. On July 9, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Holdren to 20 years in prison and Walters was sentenced to 21 years in prison. In August 2024, Ashley Toney pleaded guilty to failing to intervene to protect Q.B. from the officers’ assault. On June 9, U.S. District Court Judge Joseph R. Goodwin sentenced Toney to six and a half years in prison. On January 27, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict at trial for the sixth indicted defendant, Chad Lester, a former Lieutenant at the Southern Regional Jail, finding him guilty on three obstruction of justice charges for his role in conspiring to cover up the death of Q.B. On May 15, Judge Goodwin sentenced Lester to 17 and a half years in prison. Prior to the indictment of the above six defendants, former correctional officers Steven Nicholas Wimmer and Andrew Fleshman each pleaded guilty to conspiring to use unreasonable force against Q.B. On May 8, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Frank W. Volk sentenced Wimmer to nine years in prison. Fleshman is scheduled for sentencing before Judge Volk on July 14. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and Trial Attorney Tenette Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.


title: Hamden Man Who Defrauded Pandemic Relief Programs Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OMAR RAJEH, 57, of Hamden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 15 months of imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, for defrauding COVID-19 pandemic relief programs of more than $750,000. Judge Underhill also ordered Rajeh to pay a $2,000 fine. According to court documents and statements made in court, in March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). The PPP was overseen by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”), and individual PPP loans were issued by private lenders, which received and processed PPP applications and supporting documentation, and then made loans using the lenders’ own funds, which were guaranteed by the SBA. A second source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the distribution of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), through the SBA, which provided working capital to eligible small businesses to meet operating expenses. Rajeh maintained an ownership or management interest in a New Haven restaurant, Mediterranea LLC, and a hookah lounge, M. Café Inc. Rajeh previously operated his restaurant under the name Al Amir LLC, but that entity was dissolved in 2018. Al Amir LLC was reregistered with the State of Connecticut in July 2020 in order to apply for pandemic loan funding. Between June 2020 and May 2021, Al Amir LLC, Mediterranea LLC, and M. Café Inc., sought and received approximately $1,057,244 in PPP and EIDL funding. Rajeh’s accountant, Yasir Hamed, prepared financial filings for his various entities and was involved in the preparation of fraudulent paperwork to obtain the funding. The loan applications fraudulently misrepresented that Al Amir LLC was in operation in February 2020; included false employee, monthly payroll, and business revenue information; included copies of false IRS forms; and contained other false information. Rajeh used a majority of the funds for personal and family expenses, some of which he sent overseas; to purchase a property in North Haven; and for general business expenses. He also kicked back approximately 10 percent of the loan funding he received to Hamed. Rajeh has agreed to pay $758,279 in restitution, which reflects the amount he acknowledged knowing was obtained by fraud. The government has agreed not to pursue the return of $298,965 in PPP funds that Rajeh received for his true restaurant business. On December 20, 2023, Rajeh pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in illegal monetary transactions. He is required to report to prison on October 1. On May 9, 2025, Hamed pleaded guilty to related charges . He awaits sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Heroin Possession, Admits to Attempting to Smuggle Drug into Jail

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy pleaded guilty today to possessing more than one pound of heroin that he admitted to attempting to smuggle inside a county jail in the Santa Clarita Valley last year. Michael Meiser, 40, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to his plea agreement, in April 2024, Meiser was working as an LASD deputy at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. He had agreed with inmates to smuggle narcotics into the jail in exchange for cash and payments via the Cash App digital wallet that inmates would arrange for Meiser and one of his relatives to receive. As part of that arrangement, on April 24, 2024, one of Meiser’s relatives received $1,500 via Cash App from an individual connected to an inmate and later informed Meiser about it. Six days later, Meiser drove his BMW to a Chevron gasoline station in Valencia, parked it next to a Chevrolet SUV, exited his car and opened its trunk. Inside the Chevrolet were two women, one of whom was associated with a jail inmate. Meiser walked to the Chevrolet’s driver side where one of the two women handed him a plastic grocery bag containing two Pringles cans loaded with approximately 511 grams (1.1 pounds) of heroin. The bag also contained two white envelopes that contained a total of $15,000 in cash, which represented Meiser’s payment from the inmates for smuggling heroin into the jail. Later that day, Meiser took the grocery bag and put it into his green backpack, which also contained his loaded handgun, before driving to a fellow LASD deputy’s apartment complex. Once there, Meiser – with his green backpack in tow – got into that deputy’s truck and headed to the jail in Castaic. The other deputy drove his truck into the jail with Meiser in the passenger seat and parked the vehicle in the jail’s parking lot, which was past the jail’s initial security checkpoint. Meiser then exited the deputy’s truck and took the green backpack – containing the heroin and the cash – and placed it inside the trunk of an LASD radio car. Eventually, Meiser placed the two heroin-containing Pringles canisters, which were hidden in a grocery bag, under computer towers inside the radio car’s trunk. By this time, he had removed the $15,000 in cash from the grocery bag and placed it in his green backpack. Meiser then closed the trunk, carried the green backpack to the other deputy’s truck, placed it inside that vehicle, and went to the jail’s gym with the other deputy. Later that day, Meiser met with an inmate participating in the smuggling scheme and spoke to him for several minutes. At the end of that day, Meiser got in the passenger seat of the other deputy’s truck. LASD investigators stopped them as the other deputy began driving the truck outside the jail. LASD investigators arrested Meiser and searched the other deputy’s truck, where they found the green backpack containing $15,000 in cash, Meiser’s loaded handgun, and his badge and LASD identification. Investigators also search the radio car’s trunk and found the two heroin-containing Pringles canisters. United States District Judge Fernando M. Olguin scheduled a December 11 sentencing hearing, at which time Meiser will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. The FBI investigated this matter with assistance the from LASD’s Internal Criminal Investigations Bureau. Assistant United States Attorney Thomas F. Rybarczyk of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Vietnamese National Sentenced to Prison for Using Stolen Identity of Deceased Child for Six Years

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Vietnamese man residing in Braintree, Mass., was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. The defendant stole the identity of a deceased minor victim and ultimately used the stolen identity to work as a paramedic and firefighter, attending the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy and securing employment at the Melrose Fire Department in the name of the victim. Defendant also previously worked for the Norwell Firefighters Union as officer of the union. Truong Nguyen, 50, “a/k/a John Doe,” was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 25 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In March 2025 , Nguyen, whose identity was not known at the time he was charged, pleaded guilty to passport fraud and aggravated identity theft. Nguyen was arrested and charged in May 2024 and released on conditions including an unsecured bond of $50,000. He was later indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2024. “This defendant has illegally resided in the Unites States for over 30 years, assuming false identities to dodge deportation resulting from a 1991 felony conviction. For the last six years, Mr. Nguyen exploited the identity of a deceased child to avoid accountability for a litany of criminal offenses, including attempting to obtain a U.S. passport and falsifying information to become a firefighter,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Such identity fraud undermines the integrity of our identification systems. Our office is committed to holding accountable those who steal American identities and manipulate our public institutions for personal gain.” “Deterring, detecting, and investigating U.S. passport and visa fraud are essential to protecting the integrity of consular processes and safeguarding our national security,” said Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Boston Field Office. “DSS, working with our law enforcement partners, successfully led this investigation which brought charges and a conviction against this individual who committed identity theft, passport fraud, and then evaded U.S. law enforcement by assuming the identity of a deceased child for many years.” In March 2023, the defendant submitted a passport application in-person at the U.S. post office in Weymouth, presenting himself to be an individual identified as HH (the victim). In support of the application, Nguyen provided the victim’s name, date of birth and Social Security number, a copy of the victim’s U.S. birth certificate, as well a Massachusetts driver’s license with the victim’s information purporting to be his own. In June 2023, the Boston Passport Agency forwarded the defendant’s passport application and supporting documents to federal law enforcement, after verifying a death record for the victim when reviewing the application. The Social Security number, date of birth and parental information provided by Nguyen in his passport application matched the records for the deceased victim. It was ultimately confirmed that the victim died in Boston in 2002 at the age of 13. The passport was not issued to the Nguyen. A subsequent investigation determined that Nguyen used the victim’s identity to obtain and use multiple government-issued identification documents in the victim’s name, including Massachusetts driver’s licenses in June 2018, January 2019 and April 2023, as well as a Social Security card in the victim’s name in 2018. Nguyen also used the deceased victim’s identity to obtain an EMT-Basic Certification in 2021 and an EMT-Paramedic Certification in 2023, before applying for employment as a paramedic, again using the stolen identity. From November 2023 to January 2024, Nguyen used the deceased victim’s identity to attend the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. After graduating, Nguyen began employment with the Melrose Fire Department in the name of the victim, where he worked until his arrest in May 2024. The investigation further revealed that Nguyen (while using the identity of the victim) was the subject of an RMV fraud hearing in August 2018, after facial recognition determined the Nguyen had been issued Massachusetts driver’s licenses under two separate identities – that of an individual identified as Truong Nguyen issued in February 2018 and that of the deceased victim issued in June 2018. At the fraud hearing, Nguyen claimed the victim’s identity was his true identity and presented a birth certificate and Social Security card issued under the deceased victim’s identity. As a result of the hearing, RMV closed the case – believing the victim was Nguyen’s true identity – and suspended the license he had in the name of the deceased victim for six months, while suspending the license in his real name without reinstatement. According to court records, “John Doe” matched the identity of Nguyen and the individual’s corresponding records which span from 1997 to 2018. Specifically, Nguyen entered the United States from Vietnam in 1979 as a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). In 1995, Nguyen’s LPR status was revoked and he was ordered deported after being convicted of second-degree burglary in 1991. Although ordered deported, the investigation revealed that Nguyen was not deported to Vietnam. Nguyen was later arrested in 2010 under the name Truong X. Nguyen for embezzlement and larceny after allegedly stealing over $46,000 from the Norwell Firefighters Union while working as an officer of the union. At his March 2023 plea hearing, “John Doe” stated under oath that his true identity is Truong Nguyen. U.S. Attorney Foley and DSS SAC O’Brien made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Melrose Fire Department; Braintree and Melrose Police Departments; and the Middlesex County and Norfolk County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Two Johnstown Residents Each Sentenced to Eight Years or More of Prison for Trafficking Crack Cocaine

body_text: JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Two residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, were sentenced in federal court on their convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The sentences imposed by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan were: Defendant Age Sentence Kevin Johnson 39 100 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release Daniel Culmer 58 96 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release According to information presented to the Court, from in and around March 2021 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Johnson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of a mixture of crack cocaine. From in and around April 2021 to July 2021, Culmer conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture of crack. Johnson and Culmer were intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that they distributed to others. At the time of his offense, Culmer was on supervised release for a prior federal conviction in 2018 in the Western District of Pennsylvania for distributing heroin. Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.


title: Springfield Man Sentenced for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition After Being Convicted of a Felony

body_text: BOSTON – A previously convicted felon from Springfield, Mass. was sentenced on July 3, 2025, in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for unlawfully possessing a firearm. At the time of the offense, the defendant was on supervised release for a federal heroin trafficking conviction. Sean Krasin, 31, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni to 80 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In January 2025, Krasin pleaded guilty to being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. On June 20, 2022, Krasin possessed a Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. Krasin was arrested after attempting to evade arrest by jumping from the second-floor parking garage at the Holyoke Mall and running through a heavily wooded area adjacent to the mall. At the time of the offense, he was on supervised release for a 2018 heroin trafficking conviction out of federal court in Springfield, for which he was sentenced to five years in federal prison. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms in New England; Colonel Geoffrey Nobel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brian Keenan, Chief of the Holyoke Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Felon Sentenced to 52 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Drugs while in Possession of an Illegal Firearm

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for possessing fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine with the intent to distribute as well as possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Eddie Veilleux, age 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 52 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. Veilleux was also ordered to forfeit a 2020 Black BMW sedan. In March 2025, Veilleux pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person. “This sentence reflects the serious consequences that come with trafficking drugs while illegally possessing a firearm,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack. “We remain committed to investigating and disrupting drug traffickers and holding accountable armed convicted felons whose actions put our communities at risk.” “Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “Drug dealers are responsible for fueling drug addiction and much of the violent crimes across New England. This is unacceptable and will not be allowed to happen. DEA and its local, state and federal partners are dedicated to bringing to justice those that commit these crimes.” On November 24, 2023, Veilleux was arrested on outstanding state charges. A search of his vehicle found small baggies of crack cocaine, powder cocaine and fentanyl, as well as a scale, ledger, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. A loaded Ruger .44 magnum revolver was found in the trunk of the defendant’s car. As a previously convicted felon, Veilleux was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Kennedy prosecuted the case. ###


title: 53 Members of the Criminal Organization known as a LAS FARC Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms Violations in San Juan, Puerto Rico

body_text: SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On June 11, 2025, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 53 gang members from the municipality of San Juan with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, possession and distribution of controlled substances, and firearms violations, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau (PRPB) San Juan Strike Force, with the collaboration of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI),U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), San Juan Municipal Police, Guaynabo Municipal Police, and Bayamón Municipal Police. “We are committed to dismantling criminal organizations that seek to profit through the distribution of dangerous drugs like cocaine and fentanyl across Puerto Rico and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “This organization employed violence and intimidation tactics to maintain control in the Santurce area, but with today’s arrest operation we reinforce our commitment to protect our communities and prosecute these individuals to the fullest extent of the law.” “Our message to these criminals is clear: we are reclaiming our streets from the grip of drug trafficking and the violence it brings,” said Rebecca González Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of HSI. “State and federal law enforcement agencies stand united in this mission. Our unwavering commitment is to restore peace to our communities and safeguard the true families of our island.” The indictment alleges that from 2019, the drug trafficking organization distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as “crack”), cocaine, marijuana, and fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) within 1,000 feet of the Fray Bartolome de Las Casas, El Mirador de las Casas, and Las Margaritas Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas in and nearby the municipality of San Juan, Puerto Rico, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of the conspiracy was to distribute wholesale quantities and street amount quantities of controlled substances in the Municipality of San Juan, specifically, the Santurce neighborhood and areas nearby, all for significant financial gain and profit. The object of LAS FARC was to maintain control of all the drug trafficking activities within the controlled areas using force, threats, violence, and intimidation. In preserving power and protecting territory, members of LAS FARC would profit from the illegal distribution of narcotics and the trafficking of illegal firearms. When members of the LAS FARC perceived threats to the organization and/or its members, they would incur in violent acts including but not limited to murder to protect themselves and their organization. Members of LAS FARC would also transport, distribute, and profit from the distribution of kilogram quantities of cocaine into the continental United States. The investigation revealed that during the conspiracy the defendants and their co-conspirators used traffic barrels to prevent law enforcement from patrolling areas under LAS FARC’s control. The defendants provided armed escort to leaders and high-ranking members of the organization to protect them from law enforcement and/or enemy gang members, oftentimes using high powered rifles; they used to confront, intimidate and/or threaten law enforcement officers when patrolling the areas where LAS FARC operated. Leaders used part of the proceeds of the illegal activity to purchase legitimate assets, including, but not limited to, personalized jewelry. The defendants acted in different roles to further the goals of the drug trafficking conspiracy, including as leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts, and facilitators. Forty-one (41) defendants are facing one charge of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crimeand fifteen (15) of those defendants are facing one count of possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The defendants charged in the indictment are: [1] Alberto Valdez, a.k.a. “Pelota/Pelotero” [2]Juan José De La Cruz-Natera, a.k.a. “Magu/El Gordo/Merengue/Merenguillo/Junior/Jr” [3] Jesús Manuel Laureano-Pérez, a.k.a. “Mono” [4] Carlos Alberto Pereira-Cruz, a.k.a. “Carlitos/Lebrón” [5] Johan Oscar Pereira-Cruz, a.k.a. “Johi” [6] Juan Rafael Concepción-Mercado, a.k.a. “Martillo” [7] Moisés Serrano-De Jesús, a.k.a. “Bebote” [8] José Luis Díaz-Martínez, a.k.a. “Jirafa” [9] Gabiel Elias Lozada-Manzano, a.k.a. “El Father” [10] Luis Abdiel Reyes-Nieves, a.k.a. “Tutin/La T” [11] Xavier José Thompson-Bido, a.k.a. “Pimpollo/Ajusta Cuenta/Tarjeta” [12] Ezequiel Olivo-Bido, a.k.a. “Cachete/Ct/Conejo” [13] Raul Malavé-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Raulito” [14] Luis Xavier Morales-Alonso, a.k.a. “Tostin” [15] Christopher Cordero-Soto, a.k.a. “Big Boy/Biboy” [16] Yanzie Vázquez-González, a.k.a. “Yancy/Intel” [17] Ángel Luis Álvarez-Torres, a.k.a. “Luisito/La L” [18] Michael Félix Sánchez-Ogando, a.k.a. “Panda/Bam Bam/Negro Mate” [19] Jose Efraín Reyes-Ortiz [20] Lázaro Escalera-Colón [21] Anderson Melo, a.k.a. “David/Deivi/Bryan Sierra Ramos/Deivi Portorreal Diloche” [22] Jean Carlos Ramos-Valdivia, a.k.a. “Caponi/El Flaco” [23] Juan Carlos Uribarry-Carmona, a.k.a. “JC” [24] Luis Manuel Olivo-Morán, a.k.a. “Luis Melo” [25] Junior Francisco Alcántara-Escoboso, a.k.a. “Vaquero/Coronado” [26] Yodnnel Adrián Vázquez-Kuidlan, a.k.a. “Gárgola” [27] Ricardo Alfonso Fernández-Ulloa, a.k.a. “El Feo/Dior” [28]Maycol A. Franco, a.k.a. “Maycol El Negro/Demensia/Negro/Michael El Negro” [29] Jean Carlos Candelario-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Yankee” [30] Jeffrey Figueroa-Rosado, a.k.a. “Jincho” [31] Yoscar Argenis Restituyo-Campechano, a.k.a. “Restituyo/Joskal Alberto De La Cruz” [32] Michael J. García-Torres, a.k.a. “Bollo/Bollo Loco” [33] Pedro Santiago-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Cuate/El Cuate/Doctor” [34] Michael Jovan Rodríguez-Cruz, a.k.a. “Kabe” [35] Bryan Abdiel Camarena-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Vida Fácil/La Mosca” [36] Christopher Casiano-López, a.k.a. “Ifer/Ifen” [37] Edward Caleb Johnson-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Caleb/El Pelotero” [38] Joseph David Vázquez-Ayala, a.k.a. “El Nuevo Pablo” [39] Jowi Ramírez-Sánchez [40] Diwell José Pierret-Mercedes, a.k.a. “Barber/Navaja” [41] Juan Gabriel Morales-Alonso, a.k.a. “Maliant/Malanga” [42] José Miguel Nieves-Caraballo, a.k.a. “Movie” [43] Jonathan Prado-Torres, a.k.a. “Chayanne/Chayanne El Pato/El Pato/Chaiian”, “CH” [44] Pablo Jonuel Fuentes-Morales, a.k.a. “Pablito” [45] Alexie Manuel Delgado-Torres, a.k.a. “A6/Ale6/Taxista/A/X” [46] Lennard Nicolás Santiago-Pérez, a.k.a. “Jekko” [47] Yariel Enrique Morales-Fuentes, a.k.a. “Chantiel” [48] Ramsiel Mercedes-Rivera, a.k.a. “Bebote” [49] Bryan Joel Díaz-Hernández, a.k.a. “El Peke/El Futuro” [50] Moisés Josué Benítez, a.k.a. “Jozzu” [51] Hironel Burgos-Rosa, a.k.a. “Real Nicky” [52] Roberto Crispín-Padilla, a.k.a. “El Domi” [53] Estefany Dinanye Parra-Rosa Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) and Chief of the Gang Section Alberto López-Rocafort; Deputy Chief of the Gang Section, AUSA Teresa Zapata-Valladares; AUSA Laura Díaz-González and Special AUSA Carlos J. Romo-Aledo from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted on the drug charges, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 10 years, and up to life in prison. If convicted of both the drug and firearms charges in Count Seven, the defendants face a minimum sentence of 15 years, and up to life in prison. The defendants charged with possession of machineguns in furtherance of drug trafficking in Count Eight face a mandatory sentence of thirty years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the drug trafficking charges. All defendants are facing a narcotics forfeiture allegation of $3,924,753.75. 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 and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Ypsilanti Man Pleads Guilty in Online Refund Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Mubasher Riaz, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Riaz was engaged in an online refund scheme from July 2017 through his arrest in November 2023, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division. According to court records, defendants Mubasher Riaz and his brother, Muzzammil Riaz, were charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud earlier this year. Muzzammil Riaz pled guilty to his lesser role in the scheme on June 4, 2025. As part of their pleas, both defendants admitted to purchasing online goods using fraudulent identities, virtual private networks, different electronic devices, and other means intended to avoid fraud detection by online vendors. The defendants purchased goods from hundreds of vendors, including cell phones, tablets, electronic doorbells, and clothing. After receiving the purchased goods, defendants submitted refund claims, falsely claiming the purchased goods were defective. Despite submitting a refund, the defendants did not return the purchased goods. Instead, the defendants shipped back an empty box, a counterfeit item, or alternative item such as a book that matched the expected shipment weight of the return. Mubasher Riaz would then resell the unlawfully obtained goods for profit. FBI agents uncovered the scheme while executing a search warrant at the home of Mubasher Riaz in November 2023. At the time, Mubasher was under investigation for sexual exploitation of children. Agents found evidence of fraud in plain view in the home, including over 40 cell phones and 30 tablets that were individually labeled with the personal identifying information of different identities used for the fraud scheme. The total loss incurred by online vendors was over $400,000. While the defendants used numerous accounts, some of the more common accounts used to make the online purchases and fraudulent refunds include the following: docriaz1983@gmail.com honorrollmd@gmail.com joota429@gmail.com muza34082@outlook.com juka4299@gmail.com juano42@yahoo.com Law enforcement believes many possible victims of the scheme exist. Potential victims are encouraged to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at www.fbi.gov/mubasherriazvictims (Please note that the link to the website is case sensitive). This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Zurek.


title: Mexican national sentenced to federal prison in human smuggling conspiracy

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: TYLER, Texas –A Mexican national has been sentenced for illegally smuggling aliens through the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Octavio Hernandez-Hernandez, 50, a Mexican national illegally living in Austin, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens within the United States and was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on July 10, 2025. According to information presented in court, in 2022 and 2023, Hernandez-Hernandez conspired with others to transport illegal aliens from the Texas border to other locations throughout the United States. Hernandez-Hernandez provided instructions and directions to those who were transporting the illegal aliens, including some from Smith County. Hernandez-Hernandez admitted to conspiring to smuggle at least 100 illegal aliens, including unaccompanied minors. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case was investigated by the FBI; Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and Texas Department of Public Safety-Criminal Investigation Division. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Jackson. ###


title: Former Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Role in Drugs Trafficked through U.S. Mail

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – Marcus Gaines, 34, of Toledo, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to his role in a drug trafficking scheme that used the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents, USPS received a package in June 2024 which postal inspectors suspected of containing narcotics. A federal search warrant was obtained to open the parcel and resulted in the seizure of two suspicious substances. A forensic laboratory later performed a chemical analysis which confirmed the substances to be approximately 2.2 pounds of powder cocaine, and 1 pound of heroin mixed with fentanyl. According to the original complaint and underlying affidavit, Gaines was employed by USPS as a letter carrier at the time the package in question was seized. Investigators found that the intended delivery address for the parcel containing the narcotics was on his assigned mail delivery route. Investigators repackaged the seized parcel with a sham substance and placed it back into the mail stream. Gaines collected the parcel, and it was transported along his delivery route with other U.S. mail and packages. The defendant then drove to a parking lot along his route and met with a co-conspirator where an exchange occurred. During the investigation, federal agents learned that the co-conspirator paid Gaines $500 for each package he delivered which contained narcotics. Each delivery occurred at a location selected by the co-conspirator which fell within the delivery route traveled by Gaines during his shift. When Gaines identified parcels labeled with fictitious names addressed to locations along his route, he knew to deliver those packages to the co-conspirator rather than the listed address. On July 10, 2025, Gaines pleaded guilty to the following charges: 1 Count - Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances 2 Counts - Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance He faces a maximum of up to 20 years in prison and up to $1 million in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 30, 2025. The co-conspirator also faces charges related to the drug trafficking scheme. This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the United States Postal Service-Office of the Inspector General. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio. USPIS is the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit uspis.gov/report .


title: July Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Kennedy Antonio Ramirez Acosta. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Ramirez Acosta, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-239 Ventura Rivera Arteaga; Ruben Amadow Meza Medina. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 & 4); Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien (Count 3); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6). Rivera Arteaga, 40, a Mexican national, and Meza Medina, 20, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl. They are separately charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute and maintaining two separate residences for fentanyl distribution. Additionally, Rivera Arteaga is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Dec. 2024. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-229 Elijah Lee Chandler, Jr. Attempted Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Chandler, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to possess more than 500 grams of methamphetamine and with possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-231 Douglas Eugene Chaney. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Chaney, 50, of Tulsa, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from April to May 2025. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-230 Daniel Contreras-Martinez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Contreras-Martinez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2008. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-244 Ramey Joe-Don Dill. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Dill, 38, of Ochelata, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender in May 2025. The U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-232 Luis Flores-Rodriguez. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Flores-Rodriguez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-245 Franklin Francisco Gioani-Arubio. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gioani-Arubio, 31, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Nov. 2017. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mallory Richard is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-246 Jarod Wade Jenkins. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Jenkins, 26, of Hominy, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-247 Thomas William Martin. Production of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography. Martin, 42, of Mannford, is charged with coercing a minor child to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. He is additionally charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. The FBI, the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Heign and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-233 Felecia Martinez. Attempted Bulk Cash Smuggling Out of the United States. Martinez, 40, of Tulsa and a member of the Potawatomi Nation Tribe, is charged with concealing $32,950 in cash and attempting to transport it to Mexico. At the time of the offense, Martinez was on pre-trial release in the Northern District of Oklahoma related to a case charging her with drug conspiracy, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and maintaining a drug-involved premises. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Probation Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma, the Department of Homeland Security Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team, and the Laredo Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam McConney and Matthew Cyran are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-234 Sebastain Quino-Velasco. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Quino-Velasco, 51, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2010. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Valeria Luster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-248 Rebecca Dawn Quintero Torres. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Use of a Communication Facility in Committing, Causing, and Facilitating the Commission of a Drug Trafficking Felony. Quintero-Torres, 50, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine in June 2025. She is further charged with using the United Parcel Service and knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-240 Dominic Rocky Torres. Conspiracy to Commit Hobbs Act Robbery; Hobbs Act Robbery; Aiding and Abetting Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Use of Minor in Crime of Violence (superseding). Torres, 22, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with conspiring with others and aiding and abetting others to obstruct commerce by robbery. Further, he knowingly aided and abetted in brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Lastly, Torres intentionally used a minor child to commit a crime of violence. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Jessica Wright are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-112 Luciano Vasquez, Jr. Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Varquez, 58, of Sand Springs, is charged with conspiring with others to launder more than $16 million, including depositing two fraudulent United States Treasury tax refund checks totaling more than $727,800. The U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-242 John Edgar Williams, IV; Jeremy Mindez Ruff; Savannah D’naisha May Gage; Nevaeh Charise Cox; Trinity Rinique Goudeau; Shavari Shantell Melton; Vanessa Lashay Bell; Ashley Elaine Charles. Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking (Count 1); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Counts 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 13); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Count 4); Distribution of Child Pornography (Count 5); Sex Trafficking (Counts 6 & 12); Sex Trafficking a Minor (Counts 8, 11, and 14) (superseding). Williams, 38, Gage, 25, Cox, 39, Goudeau, 24, Melton, 20, Bell, 20, Charles, 37, of Tulsa, and Ruff, 39, of Dallas, Texas, are charged with conspiring with each other to recruit, entice, and harbor a person by threats of force to engage in a commercial sex act for payment. Williams, Gage, Ruff, and Goudeau are charged separately for transporting people to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. Williams, Ruff, Gage, Cox, Goudeau, Melton, and Charles are further charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to promote and manage a business enterprise involving prostitution. Ruff, Cox, Gage, Goudeau, and Melton are charged with recruiting and enticing minor children, between 14 and 18 years old, to engage in sexually explicit acts. Additionally, Williams, Gage, and Goudeau are charged with benefiting financially from recruiting, harboring, and providing transportation to an individual to engage in commercial sex acts. Lastly, Cox is further charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore, John Brasher, and John W. Dowdell are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-197 Allan Ray Wright; Jamie Lynn Wright. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Allan Wright, 30, and Jamie Wright, 32, of Tulsa are charged with attempting to coerce a minor child they believed to be under 18 years old to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Ashley Robert are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-241


title: Former Troup County Payroll Manager Charged with Embezzling over $500,000 in Government Funds

body_text: NEWNAN, Ga. - Wesleigh Gaddy, 35, of Hogansville, Ga., appeared in federal court today on a charge of theft from a program receiving federal funds. “Gaddy allegedly stole more than half a million taxpayer dollars by exploiting the personal information of dozens of former Troup County employees,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Such corruption is outrageous, and our office is committed to prosecuting anyone who manipulates a position of public service for unlawful private benefit.” “Misappropriating public funds is a betrayal of the public trust and authorities granted with a role of public service," said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI is committed to holding those accountable who abuse this trust and their position for their own gain.” “As a public servant, Gaddy used her entrusted position to steal the identities of county employees to access taxpayers’ money for her benefit,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation special agents will continue investigating public officials and servants who steal from the taxpayers they are supposed to serve.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In April 2025, a Troup County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported a discrepancy with his paycheck to the Troup County Board of Commissioners, which manages Troup County’s finances and is a recipient of federal funding. Specifically, the deputy noted that an employee portal showed several direct deposit payments were made to him when he did not work for the county and never received those payments. A review of the county’s payroll data showed that, between March 2023 and May 2025, while Wesleigh Gaddy was Troup County’s payroll specialist, hundreds of payments, totaling more than $500,000, were withdrawn from county funds for the purported benefit of more than 75 former Troup County employees. But those funds were directed to only three banking accounts, and none of the employees worked for the county at the time of the payments. The complaint filed on July 3, 2025 alleges that Gaddy controlled at least one of the recipient accounts and that, when interviewed by law enforcement, Gaddy admitted to stealing funds from Troup County’s payroll and sending the money to her own accounts. Members of the public are reminded that the complaint only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office referred the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Garrett Bradford are prosecuting the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Leader of Mexican Sex Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 188 Months in Prison

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Hugo Hernandez-Velazquez was sentenced by United States District Judge William F. Kuntz to 188 months’ imprisonment for sex trafficking multiple victims by force, fraud, and coercion. The defendant was extradited from Mexico to the United States in February 2021. He pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking in April 2023. Hernandez-Velazquez will be deported to Mexico after completing his sentence. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentence. “For years, the defendant and his siblings operated an illegal, abusive, and exploitative sex trafficking operation that stripped victims of their dignity and subjected them to inhumane violence,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “It is my hope that the prosecution of their tormentors and the punishment meted out will provide a measure of closure for the brave survivors who assisted the investigation and will help them on their path to healing.” “For nearly a decade, the defendant and his family oversaw a vicious sex trafficking campaign wrought with violence, manipulation, coercion, and outright force against women whom they lured into romantic relationships through false promises of love and support,” stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Patel. “Every day, victims are targeted for human trafficking and other vile forms of exploitation and abuse, often at the hands of their own spouses or purported caretakers. Today's sentencing is no doubt a direct result of the bravery of each survivor who courageously spoke up. Together with our partners, HSI is unflinchingly committed to investigating and vigorously pursuing anyone, anywhere, who sexually exploits the very individuals they claim to care for.” Mr. Nocella commended HSI New York’s Trafficking in Persons Unit for leading the investigation of the Hernandez-Velazquez Sex Trafficking Organization; thanked the HSI Mexico City Attaché Office, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, Interpol, International Affairs Department of the Attorney General’s Office in Mexico, the Law Enforcement Unit of the State of Tlaxcala Attorney General’s Office, Interpol Mexico, and the New York City Police Department for their assistance; and praised the government of Mexico for its role in advancing bilateral anti-trafficking enforcement efforts. Mr. Nocella also acknowledged the non-governmental victim service providers and advocates for their dedicated efforts to restore and improve the lives of survivors of trafficking and their families. Between approximately 2001 and 2009, the defendant and his siblings, Ernesto, Giovanni and Arcelia Hernandez-Velazquez, ran the Hernandez-Velazquez Sex Trafficking organization (the family organization) based in Mexico. The family organization used force, fraud, and coercion to cause young women in Mexico to engage in prostitution in the United States. Members of the family organization lured victims into romantic relationships through false promises of love and support. The victims were pressured to travel to the United States with promises of a better life with their trafficker. Once smuggled into the United States, the victims were forced to engage in prostitution. The family organization maintained a base in Queens, New York, where victims would reside while they were forced to work in New York and other states, including Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The defendant subjected his victims to physical beatings, forced abortions, and threats. The defendant also threatened violence to the victims’ families to force the victims to continue prostituting on his behalf. Judge Kuntz previously sentenced Hernandez-Velazquez’s siblings who also pleaded guilty to sex trafficking: Ernesto Hernandez-Velazquez and Giovanni Hernandez-Velazquez were each sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment; and Arcelia Hernandez-Velazquez, who pleaded guilty to a Mann Act Violation, was sentenced to time served after approximately 60 months in U.S. custody. The investigation, prosecution, bilateral enforcement action, and extradition of the defendant from Mexico was coordinated through the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative. Since 2009, the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security have collaborated with Mexican law enforcement counterparts in a Bilateral Human Trafficking Enforcement Initiative to dismantle human trafficking networks operating across the U.S.-Mexico border, bring human traffickers to justice, restore the rights and dignity of human trafficking victims, and reunite victims with their children. These efforts have resulted in successful prosecutions in both Mexico and the United States, including U.S. federal prosecutions of over 175 defendants in multiple cases in Georgia, New York, Florida, and Texas, in addition to numerous Mexican federal and state prosecutions of associated sex traffickers. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Reid is in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : HUGO HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ (also known as “Norberto Hernandez Velasquez” and “La Gallina”) Age: 48 Mexico Defendants Previously Sentenced : ERNESTO HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ (also known as “Chapas”) Age: 45 Queens, New York GIOVANNI HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ Age: 37 Mexico ARCELIA HERNANDEZ-VELAZQUEZ (also known as “La Gordis”) Age: 46 Queens, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 19-CR-306 (S-1) (WFK)


title: Oakland Woman Sentenced for Bank Robbery

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: Yasmin Charisse Millett, 22, of Oakland was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to two years and four months in prison for bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, from June 2023 through September 2024, Millett and co‑conspirators committed at least 10 bank robberies across a string of California cities, including Sacramento, Vallejo, Suisun City, Benicia, Concord, and Antioch. As part of the conspiracy, Millett would recruit and instruct others to enter banks or credit unions with sunglasses, a purse, and a threatening demand note. Generally, the demand notes would instruct the bank employees to provide money or “I will kill everyone in here.” On July 17, 2023, Millett and two co-conspirators used a stolen white Audi A7 with dark, tinted windows to commit a bank robbery at a credit union in Suisun City. Millett provided one of the co-conspirators with instructions on how to commit the robbery. Millett waited in the vehicle while the co-conspirator entered the bank and handed the threatening demand note to the credit union employee. The note demanded money and threatened to shoot the employee if the employee did not comply with the demand. After reading the note, the credit union employee handed over the money, and the co-conspirator returned to the waiting getaway vehicle. Millett and the co-conspirators each took a portion of the stolen money. The next day, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of the stolen white Audi A7 that Millett was driving. The officer found bait money on Millett from the bank robbery that had occurred the previous day in Suisun City. The officer also found a crumpled demand note on the driver’s seat that stated, “Don’t Make eye contact Don’t look suspicious Don’t Push emergency Button Put smile on your face or I will shoot.” Co-defendants Dontae Jones Jr., 20, residing in Northern California with no fixed address, and JoMya Mauriyne Futch, 21, of Richmond both pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery on April 17, 2025, and are scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 7, 2025. This case is the product of an investigation by FBI field offices in San Francisco and Sacramento, with assistance from the Sacramento Police Department, Vacaville Police Department, Suisun City Police Department, Vallejo Police Department, Antioch Police Department, Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, Benicia Police Department, Concord Police Department, California Highway Patrol, Hayward Police Department, and Fremont Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitnee Goins is prosecuting the case.