title: Two Bloods Gang Members Plead Guilty to Sex Trafficking Charges and an Associate Previously Pleaded Guilty to Laundering the Proceeds of Their Crimes

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: On January 27, 2026 and February 3, 2026, in federal court in Central Islip, co-defendants David M. Amin (D. Amin) and Bryce K. Amin (B. Amin), who are brothers and members of the Bloods street gang, pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy and substantive sex trafficking in connection with their roles in their family’s sex and narcotics trafficking business. Previously, in April 2025, co-defendant Patricia A. Peralta (Peralta), D. Amin’s spouse, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy. As part of this business, D. Amin and B. Amin engaged in acts of violence against multiple female victims, and provided drugs to them including fentanyl to cause those victims to engage in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ financial benefit. Peralta assisted the brothers in laundering the proceeds of this lucrative business, from which she likewise derived substantial financial benefits. D. Amin and Peralta’s guilty plea proceedings were held before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown, and B. Amin’s plea proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione. When sentenced, D. Amin and B. Amin face a mandatory minimum term of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life in prison, and Peralta faces up to 20 years in prison. Additionally, D. Amin and Peralta have agreed to forfeit more than $390,000, a 2021 Mercedes Benz AMG SUV, and a 2021 BMW M550i, all of which were seized from a storage facility in Suffolk County on the date of D. Amin’s arrest. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), and Errol D. Toulon, Jr., Suffolk County Sheriff, announced the guilty pleas. “The Amin brothers took advantage of vulnerable women battling addiction to coerce them into prostitution by making them beholden to illegal narcotics supplied by the defendants,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “These guilty pleas hold the defendants accountable for profiting from the sexual exploitation of others while subjecting their victims to harm and degradation. It is my hope that these prosecutions will also serve to vindicate the civil rights and dignity of survivors of this evil scourge.” Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the Nassau County Police Department for its assistance on the case. “The guilty pleas of David Amin and Bryce Amin send a clear message: HSI will relentlessly pursue those who traffic and exploit vulnerable individuals and expose them to deadly fentanyl,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “HSI New York is laser-focused on rooting out sex traffickers and dismantling criminal networks that threaten our families. Working alongside our law enforcement partners, HSI New York special agents will utilize every tool at our disposal to ensure predators like the Amin brothers face the full consequences of their actions.” “The Amin brothers preyed on vulnerable individuals, using drugs and manipulation to exploit them for profit. Their guilty pleas are a significant step toward justice for their victims. The Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to protect our communities from the devastating impact of human trafficking,” stated Suffolk County Sheriff Toulon. According to court filings and statements made during the guilty plea proceedings, between October 2018 and May 2023, the defendants conspired to use violence and threats of violence to compel multiple women to engage in commercial sex acts for the defendants’ financial benefit. D. Amin and B. Amin recruited drug addicted women for their sex trafficking operation on Long Island, and controlled the proceeds derived from the scheme. They also manipulated their victims into believing that they were in debt to the defendants. Additionally, D. Amin forced victims to have sex with him, which at times came with degrading rules the victims were forced to follow. D. Amin choked and struck his victims, left one or more victims stranded in public places without money, a phone, or identification and deprived them of drugs to force withdrawal symptoms. Similarly, B. Amin subjected the victims to violence and drug-related manipulation. In a recorded call from jail in January 2021, B. Amin boasted about his control over one of the victims, saying “You can groom a person to do something they’re not used to doing . . . .When I tell her sit, she listens, she does whatever I tell her to do. She’s my little puppet.” D. Amin also operated a significant drug trafficking operation on Long Island in which he sold large quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine and fentanyl. As part of their sex trafficking operation, the Amin brothers often sold drugs through female trafficking victims to individuals that were also paying them for commercial sex acts. These add-on services were advertised as “party favors.” The sex trafficking activity occurred at hotels on Long Island, in locations that include Bohemia, Islandia, Patchogue, and Bayport. In addition to working at the Sayville Motor Lodge, which is now closed, D. Amin forced victims to work out of cars and apartments in Suffolk County. Additionally, when D. Amin was arrested, law enforcement searched a storage unit that he controlled with Peralta and seized more than $390,000 in cash along with two luxury vehicles, each worth approximately $100,000. Relatedly, Peralta regularly deposited large sums of money derived from sex trafficking and narcotics trafficking into personal bank accounts. Those funds were used to purchase a third luxury vehicle and to pay for hotels used in the sex trafficking operation. This prosecution is also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Adam Toporovsky and Molly Delaney are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder. The Defendants : DAVID M. AMIN (also known as “Sonny B,” “Rico,” “Tone,” “Anthony,” and “Jonathan Santos”) Age: 31 Coram, Freeport, and Wyandanch, New York BRYCE K. AMIN (also known as “Busy B”) Age: 25 Coram, New York PATRICIA A. PERALTA Age: 31 Freeport and Wyandanch, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-92 (S-1) (GRB)


title: Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Transporting Meth with a Firearm Through KC Union Station

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Chicago, Ill., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for transporting more than 4 kilograms of methamphetamine through Kansas City, Mo., aboard a train. The man also pleaded guilty to possessing a revolver in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Larry L. Radcliffe, 40, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to one count of possession with intent to distribute an amount of methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Members of the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) were conducting interdiction activities at a Kansas City, Mo., train station on Sep. 30, 2024. As passengers disembarked from a train that originated in Los Angeles, Ca., officers conducted consensual encounters with other passengers who remained on the train. While one detective was interviewing a passenger, Larry L. Radcliffe jumped from his seat and exclaimed: “What’s going on?” Another detective believed this response was strange and was concerned for the safety of his colleague and accordingly engaged with Radcliffe and asked Radcliffe to step away from the officers. The detective identified himself and showed Radcliffe his law enforcement credentials. Radcliffe reported that he was traveling from Los Angeles, Ca. and going to Chicago, Ill. Radcliffe claimed that he did not have any form of identification on his person. The detective then noticed three pieces of luggage in an overhead bin and asked Radcliffe if they belonged to him. Radcliffe acknowledged ownership of two pieces of luggage but stated he was unsure if a third piece, a gray colored backpack, was his. The detective grabbed the gray colored backpack so that Radcliffe could get a closer look at it. The detective asked if the detective could look inside the backpack to ensure there was not a weapon in it and Radcliffe stated: “go ahead.” Upon searching the backpack, the detective discovered 10 bundles of methamphetamine wrapped in clear cellophane. A forensic drug testing laboratory later determined the bundles contained approximately 4.33 kilograms of pure methamphetamine. In a subsequent search, investigators found a .357 revolver in one of Radcliffe’s other backpacks. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Radcliffe admitted that he knowingly possessed the methamphetamine and that he was transporting it to a person that he knew would distribute it. Radcliffe also admitted that he knowingly possessed the firearm to protect himself and the methamphetamine he was transporting. Under federal statutes, Radcliffe is subject to a sentence of up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. Operation Take Back America 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.


title: Two men sentenced for kidnapping and human smuggling scheme

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Two Guatemalan nationals were sentenced to prison for orchestrating a ransom scheme in which they held 11 undocumented immigrants captive residence and extorted their families under threats of violence and cartel retaliation. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, the FBI received a kidnapping complaint on March 1, 2025, alleging that the family of an undocumented immigrant was being extorted for ransom under threats of violence and cartel involvement. Agents traced the ransom calls to a residence in southwest Albuquerque and executed a search warrant. Inside the home, agents discovered 11 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, including one unaccompanied minor. They also recovered more than 20 cell phones and a ledger documenting smuggling activity. Two Guatemalan nationals, Isaias David Jose and Tomas Mateo Gaspar , were identified as the captors. Victims reported that Jose and Gaspar locked them in rooms, confiscated their shoes and phones, and threatened them with violence. Jose and Gaspar subsequently pled guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Jose was sentenced to 22 months in prison, and Gaspar was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Upon their release from custody, both will be subject to deportation. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Mysliwiec is prosecuting the case as part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.


title: Former NFL Player Convicted for $197M Medicare Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted the owner of a marketing company, and former NFL player, for his role in a yearslong scheme to bilk Medicare and the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) out of nearly $200 million by selling patient information and sham doctors’ orders for orthotic braces that patients did not want or need. “This defendant’s conduct was egregious: he targeted seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s and dementia and billed Medicare for orthotic braces for deceased patients and amputees,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes undermine the integrity of our health care system by robbing taxpayer-funded programs meant for legitimate medical care. Today’s verdict sends a clear message: the Criminal Division will aggressively prosecute those who prey on our nation’s seniors and veterans to steal from Medicare.” “This scheme built on sham operations exploited seniors and corrupted the federal health care system. By falsifying doctors’ orders and selling patient information, the defendant sought to turn Medicare into their own personal ATM machine,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will stop and catch anyone who exploits vulnerable patients to bilk federal healthcare programs and hold them accountable to the full extent of the law.” “This guilty verdict holds the defendant accountable for his role in a healthcare fraud scheme that targeted a program meant for deserving veterans and their families,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to root out fraudsters and hold them responsible.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joel Rufus French, 47, of Amory, Mississippi, worked with overseas call centers that pressured elderly Americans to provide their personal and health insurance information and agree to accept medically unnecessary orthotic braces. Some of the individuals who agreed to the braces suffered from Alzheimer’s and dementia. In certain instances, the call centers altered call recordings to make it seem like Medicare patients agreed to the braces when they did not. French paid sham telemedicine companies to obtain signed orders from doctors and nurse practitioners who never examined, and often never even spoke to, the patients. He sold the orders to marketers and medical supply companies, which then submitted claims to Medicare. French also defrauded Medicare and CHAMPVA, the health care program for spouses and children of veterans who have or had a permanent and total service-connected disability or who died from a service-connected condition, by billing the programs for orthotic braces through eight durable medical equipment supply companies that he owned and managed, using false documents to hide his connection to the companies from Medicare. The evidence at trial showed that French and his co-conspirators caused Medicare to be billed for braces for amputees for limbs they did not have and for deceased beneficiaries. Also during the conspiracy, French withdrew approximately $225,000 in cash from a bank in Mississippi, over $10,000 of which was placed in a bag and driven to Orlando to pay accomplices who sold him beneficiaries’ personal and insurance information. The jury convicted French of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks. French faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, and five years in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set. HHS-OIG, FBI, and VA-OIG investigated the case. Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner and Trial Attorney William Hochul III of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.


title: Chinese National Extradited from Guatemala to Face Charges of Narcotics Trafficking, Money Laundering and Material Support to Terrorism

body_text: Wenshen Xu, a Chinese national, was extradited from Guatemala to the United States yesterday to face an indictment returned in the Eastern District of Virginia charging him with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, launder money derived from drug trafficking and provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, specifically the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). According to court documents, beginning in at least November 2023 and continuing until Xu was arrested in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on July 17, 2025, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly used a variety of clandestine methods, including mirror transfers, encrypted communications applications, a serial-number verification system and trade-based money laundering to launder narcotics proceeds on behalf of transnational criminal organizations as well as funds represented to be narcotics proceeds. Xu also allegedly conspired with individuals in the United States and elsewhere, including Colombia, to smuggle multi-kilogram loads of cocaine into the United States. On or about July 17, 2025, Xu and others allegedly agreed to arrange and facilitate the transportation of a multi-kilogram load of cocaine out of Cali, Colombia, on behalf of an individual who claimed to represent the CJNG. On Feb. 20, 2025, the CJNG was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. Xu was arrested by Guatemalan authorities on July 17, 2025 at the request of the United States, and was extradited to the United States on Jan. 30. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division made the announcement. The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit, DEA’s offices in Guatemala and Colombia, the Colombian National Police, and the Guatemalan National Police. The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for assisting with the extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Guatemala. Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and Christopher M. Carter for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Idaho man sentenced to 9 months in prison for stealing precious artifacts

body_text: GREAT FALLS – A man from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho who stole items from the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in 2024 was sentenced today to 9 months in prison, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Roger Edward Hawkes, 71, pleaded guilty, also today, to one count of removing archeological resources. U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. The government alleged in court documents that Hawkes entered the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls on September 14, 2024, approached a table-top display entitled “Weapons of the Expedition Interpretation,” and stole two historic weapons. The first is an authentic, antique, English, single-shot, black-powder Mortimer pistol, and the second is a knife in a leather, beaded sheath. Both items were made in the late 1700s or early 1800s. As Hawkes left the building with the stolen artifacts, video surveillance appeared to show him conceal both items up his sleeve. The United States Forest Service posted information about the theft on Facebook and received tips Hawkes was selling knives at the Little Red Truck Cottage Market. A witness confirmed Hawkes was in Great Falls on September 15 and 16, 2024, selling western items, including knives and antique pistols. Local law enforcement was able to confirm Hawkes was at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center when the theft occurred. Hawkes sold the stolen pistol to Cisco’s Gallery and law enforcement recovered it on October 24, 2024. Following his arrest on an unrelated matter, an FBI Task Force Officer interviewed Hawkes about the September 2024 theft. He initially denied any involvement, but later said the knife, which he thought was a replica, was in his storage unit. He allowed the FBI to enter the unit and they recovered the knife. During a second interview in May 2025, Hawkes again denied stealing the pistol and knife and said pleading guilty in his prior case did not seem to help since he received a prison sentence as opposed to probation. Hawkes has a history of theft that spans more than 40 years in California, Nevada, and Idaho. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Myers prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the Great Falls Police Department, the United States Forest Service, and the FBI Art Crime Team/FBI Billings Division. XXX


title: Warm Springs Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Abusing Two Minors

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for sexually abusing two minors on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Harold Charley, 39, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison and a lifetime term of supervised release. According to court documents, in January 2024, Charley, a prior sex offender, engaged in sexual abusive contact with two minor victims between the ages of 12 and 16 over the course of several weeks on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. On September 23, 2025, Charley was charged by superseding information with two counts of abusive sexual contact. On October 7, 2025, Charley pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact. This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Warm Springs Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Paaso. This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Marshalltown Man Sent Back to Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – A Marshalltown man was sentenced on January 30, 2026, to 16 years in federal prison for attempted receipt of child pornography, while on federal supervised release. In September 2025, following a two-day trial, a jury convicted Cory Marvin Baker, 54, of attempted receipt of child pornography. According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, Baker was on federal supervised release for a 2013 conviction for possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. During an unannounced visit at Baker’s Marshalltown residence, United States Probation Officers conducted an authorized search of his bedroom and discovered a laptop, tablet, and cell phone. Baker was prohibited from possessing internet-capable devices, cameras, and cell phones without the approval of the Probation Office. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Baker used the devices to search for child sexual abuse material. In addition to his 2013 conviction for possession of child pornography, Baker was convicted in 2000 of sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Baker was ordered to serve an additional two-year prison sentence for violating his terms of supervised release. After completing his terms of imprisonment, Baker will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, Urbandale Police Department, and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force investigated the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Elk Run Heights Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing and Distributing Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who possessed and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced January 29, 2026, to more than 17 years in federal prison. Nicholas Armstrong, age 31, from Elk Run Heights, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Armstrong four times. After the buys, officers searched Armstrong’s home. They located over 350 grams of methamphetamine, multiple scales, packaging material, and three guns. About two months later, officers attempted to arrest Armstrong, but he fled from them. Officers caught Armstrong and found over 80 grams of methamphetamine on him. At the time of this arrest, Armstrong was on parole for another drug-related conviction. Armstrong was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Armstrong was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Armstrong is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-cr-2002. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Federal Felon Returned to Prison for Committing Same Crime

body_text: A felon who resisted police officers while in possession of a firearm was sentenced on February 2, 2026, to more than eight years in federal prison. Orrington Alexander Gardner, age 41, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 17, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon. Information from sentencing and a related supervised release hearing showed that Gardner was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon in the Northern District of Iowa in 2009. The district court sentenced him to the statutory maximum sentence of ten years for that offense. Gardner was released from federal prison in late June 2022. Less than three months later, Waterloo police officers received information that Gardner had a gun. On September 14, 2022, officers followed Gardner from his home and pulled over a car in which he was a passenger. An officer repeatedly asked Gardner to step out of the car, and he refused. Gardner began to roll up his window, and the officer opened the car door and attempted to grab Gardner’s hands. Gardner resisted the officer and reached towards his waistband where he had a loaded gun. After a struggle over Gardner’s hands, officers managed to take the gun from Gardner’s waistband and arrest him. Gardner was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Gardner was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Gardner is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and was investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2044. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Floresville Man to Spend Decade in Federal Prison for Child Pornography

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A Floresville man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution to 18 victims for receipt of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, Nathan Corey Van Zandt, 47, used file sharing software to find and download video and image files depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On March 24, 2024, ICE Homeland Security Investigations seized Van Zandt’s cell phone, which contained more than 6,000 images of CSAM, including images depicting prepubescent children being sexually assaulted. A seized laptop revealed more than 9,000 images and 400 videos depicting CSAM, including infants and toddlers and files depicting bondage, sadistic, and masochistic conduct. Van Zandt was arrested on March 28, 2024, and charged with one count of receipt of child pornography along with one count of possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to the receipt charge on Aug. 25, 2025. In addition to the imprisonment and restitution, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentenced Van Zandt to 10 years of supervised release. Van Zandt is also required to register as a sex offender. ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . ###


title: Cuban National Found Guilty of Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted a Cuban national for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Alejandro Ortiz-Mastrapa, 31, drove from Abilene to Del Rio on Aug. 9, 2025, to transport illegal aliens. He was apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents prior to making contact with the illegal aliens he intended to pick up. Evidence found on Ortiz-Mastrapa’s phone revealed a series of messages with a facilitator, who coordinated the event. Co-defendant Edian Orlando Ruiz-Cedeno was also charged in the conspiracy but pleaded guilty on Jan. 20. The U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Amy Greenbaum are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: Honduran National Sentenced to 31 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple Armed Robberies in Austin

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A Honduran national was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 375 months in prison for multiple armed robberies, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, on Dec. 31, 2023, Christian Lopez-Burgos, 27, used a black-over-tan pistol during an attempted robbery of a fast-food restaurant on Interstate Highway 35 in Austin and a convenience store robbery on North Lamar Boulevard in Austin. From the convenience store, Lopez-Burgos and two other masked, armed males stole approximately $6,000 while Lopez-Burgos pointed his pistol at an employee working the cash register. On Jan. 23, 2024, Lopez-Burgos was caught on security video driving the same vehicle from the two previous robberies as he and four co-conspirators robbed another convenience store on North Lamar Boulevard, brandishing firearms at two employees and stealing approximately $5,000 from the store’s cash register. Later that day, Lopez-Burgos arrived in his previously noted vehicle at a vape and smoke shop in San Marcos. He returned four days later, on Jan. 27, 2024, with three other individuals to rob the business, stealing CBD and kratom items, as well as glass pipes, while one of the robbers pointed a shotgun at a store employee and ripped a necklace from the victim’s neck. Lopez-Burgos was also identified as one of three individuals who robbed another convenience store on Lamar Boulevard in Austin on Feb. 3, 2024. In that robbery, Lopez-Burgos and a co-conspirator entered the store brandishing firearms while the third robber served as a lookout at the front door. Lopez-Burgos demanded money from the store employee in a check-cashing room and fired three rounds at the victim in response to an alarm being pressed beneath the employee’s desk. Two other employees in the store then provided approximately $3,000 to the robbers. Lopez-Burgos was arrested in Houston on Feb. 15, 2024, after he attempted to evade police in the same vehicle with which he committed most of the string of armed robberies. A search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of multiple articles of clothing and items both worn during the robberies and stolen from the robberies, including glass pipes and the necklace stolen from the vape and smoke shop employee. Searches of Lopez-Burgos’s phones revealed a photo of the black-over-tan handgun and internet searches related to robberies in Austin on Dec. 31, 2023. Lopez-Burgos pleaded guilty in September to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of discharge of firearm in furtherance of crime of violence; and one count of brandishing of firearm in furtherance of crime of violence. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman presided over the case. The FBI along with the Austin, San Marcos, and Houston Police Departments investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Henneke, Thomas Parnham and Gabriel Cohen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: Yankton Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison  for Selling Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of a Young Woman

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that on January 26, 2026, Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Yankton, South Dakota, convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. Evan Nelson, 20, was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in August 2024. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $8,860.66 in restitution to the victim’s family. On December 22, 2023, Nelson sold several fentanyl pills to the victim, a 15-year-old female from Vermillion. She took one of the pills and suffered a fatal overdose from fentanyl toxicity. The next morning, her mother found her deceased in her bedroom in the family home. Text messages on the victim’s phone showed she arranged to purchase the pills from Nelson at a gas station near Gayville. Investigators later learned Nelson had purchased the pills from co-defendant Udda Kobaba several days earlier in Sioux Falls. Kobaba was previously sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the case. “I grieve for the lost and unfinished life of the fifteen-year-old victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “Illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids trafficked from Mexico and China first hit the streets of Sioux Falls in 2018. Although progress has been made, they remain one of the leading causes of misery and death in our state, especially among young people. But let me say this clearly: I have hope. The United States is deploying every tool and using every pressure point it has to achieve the goal of the total elimination of drug cartels. This prison sentence and the convictions and ongoing investigations of others involved in the trafficking chain are part of that national effort. If you are a drug dealer, get out while you can. Because when it comes to determination, effort, and the deployment of federal resources, I can promise you that we have only just begun.” “As parents, we want to protect our children from the harmful things in this world,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “And yet, today a family is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old girl, while the young man who sold her fentanyl now faces 22 years in federal prison. Let this story sink in and let it be the catalyst that moves you to talk with your own family about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs. The DEA will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to remove this threat, but we need your help to raise awareness to this potentially lethal substance.” This case was investigated by the Vermillion Police Department, the Yankton Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Nelson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Belarusian Man Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Gun Possession, Wire Fraud

body_text: AUSTIN, Texas – A Belarusian national was sentenced in a federal court in Austin to 51 months in prison for wire fraud and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. According to court documents, Pavel Dzmitrenka, 33, engaged in a large-scale, retail return wire fraud scheme, among others, primarily targeting The Home Depot. The retailer confirmed Dzmitrenka’s suspicious, ongoing pattern of high-volume purchase activity via their online store with subsequent product return activity was indicative of return fraud. Additionally, the retailer located hundreds of orders with suspected fraudulent UPS tracking entries identical to those associated with many of Dzmitrenka’s refunded orders. The investigation revealed that Dzmitrenka manipulated UPS tracking information that would indicate that a parcel was successfully returned or received by the retailer, triggering the completion of the return and the issuance of a refund by the retailer. In these fraud schemes, once a refund is received, the individuals engaged in the fraud keep the item(s), resell them for a profit, or attempt to receive additional refunds on the same item(s). A search warrant led to the discovery of thousands of emails, iMessages, WhatsApp chats, Telegram messages, photographs, videos, and screenshots showing Dzmitrenka was engaged in a retail return fraud scheme targeting numerous online retailers and services. Agents also discovered screenshots of communications depicting the arrangement of payments and execution of retail return fraud services, arranging for sale and shipment of fraudulently obtained merchandise by Dzmitrenka, and dozens of photographs and videos of large quantities of fraudulently obtained merchandise at his residence being prepared for shipment via USPS, FedEx, and UPS. The intended loss to the defrauded businesses to-date exceeds $1 million. Dzmitrenka used proceeds from his fraud scheme to purchase a 2023 Ferrari 812 GTS and deposited proceeds into two separate bank accounts. At the time of his arrest, Dzmitrenka, knowing that he was an illegal alien living in the U.S. with an expired visa, was in possession of two pistols and a 12-gauge shotgun. Dzmitrenka was arrested in February 2025 and named alongside two co-defendants in a four-count indictment. Dzmitrenka was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit odometer tampering, marriage fraud, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. He pleaded guilty to counts one and four on Aug. 26. His co-defendants, Alexander Scott Berghefer and Gina Elmore, are pending trial. ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Austin Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Henneke and Gabe Cohen prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America , a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. ###


title: Former Gloucester Police Officer Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former police officer with the Gloucester Police Department has been sentenced for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Alexander Aiello, 34, of Gloucester, was sentenced on Jan. 23, 2026 by U.S. Senior District Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2025, Aiello pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. On several occasions in 2024 and 2025, Aiello accessed a website on the dark web that was dedicated to downloading, viewing, advertising and distributing CSAM. Searches of Aiello’s person and residence on April 28, 2025 resulted in the seizure of the defendant’s cell phone and laptop as well as a USB thumb drive, which was found in Aiello’s nightstand in his bedroom. An examination of the devices revealed that a TOR Browser – an application that provides anonymous web access and access to dark web hidden services – was installed and actively running on Aiello’s laptop with evidence of downloaded files consistent with recent use. The USB drive was thoroughly encrypted and Aiello contained more than 200 files consistent with CSAM. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Gloucester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and a member of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Jury Convicts Gun-Toting Drug Dealer

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

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Grifton man for conspiracy to sell and selling cocaine and crack and possessing guns as a convicted felon and while selling crack. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kevin Tyrone Eure, AKA “Boo Dro”, 37, was a drug dealer in the Craven County area. Law enforcement confirmed this by covertly purchasing of cocaine and crack from him. They followed up by executing a search warrant at his home in Grifton. Investigators found crack and packaging materials: digital scales and vacuum sealed bags, that he used to package his drugs for sale. Investigators also located a bullet proof vest, over 37 pounds of ammunition, and 12 guns of various sizes throughout his home. He hid the guns in random spots around his home, including in the slot of a toaster and Draco hidden inside a dryer. When interviewed, Eure admitted to selling cocaine and crack for the past eight years throughout eastern North Carolina. “Selling crack and cocaine is illegal. Stashing a bunch of guns in your house while slinging drugs makes the crime that much worse.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “It’s really easy to avoid this type of trouble: stop selling drugs, don’t have guns if you are a felon. I hope he learns his lesson and doesn’t commit any more crimes when he eventually gets out of prison. He will have a long time to reconsider these bad choices.” Eure faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to approximately 40 years confinement when sentenced in May. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ATF, the North Carolina SBI, the Craven County Sherrif’s Office, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Kellhofer prosecuted the case. 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.Click or tap here to enter text..


component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: Bath Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Over $225,000 From an Elderly Disabled Veteran CONCORD – A Bath man pleaded guilty today to draining disability benefits for years from the bank account of an elderly disabled veteran living in a nursing home, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Donald Estes, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud. U.S. District Judge Paul J. Barbadoro scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2026. The victim was an elderly disabled veteran who was living in a nursing home until the time he passed away. The victim was unable to manage his own money or make decisions. Each month, the Department of Veterans Affairs deposited disability benefits into the victim’s bank account. Initially, the victim’s mother served as the victim’s legal guardian until she passed away. After her passing, the victim’s nursing home reached out to Estes asking whether he would serve as the victim’s legal guardian. Estes never applied to serve as the victim’s legal guardian. Instead, Estes had the victim sign an agreement adding Estes to the victim’s bank account. Between August 2020 and December 2023, Estes proceeded to steal $225,200 from the bank account. Estes misspent the stolen funds on personal purchases or deposited the funds into other bank accounts he controlled. The charging statute for bank fraud provides a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General and U.S. Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.


title: Albuquerque man faces federal charges for possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man is facing federal charges for knowingly possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material, including images and videos of prepubescent children. According to court records, in August 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Albuquerque began investigating Julian Alcantar Rodriguez , 35, who was linked to multiple reports of online child sexual exploitation spanning from October 2021 to July 2025. The activity involved numerous social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google, and investigators identified Alcantar as the individual behind the accounts. On January 22, 2026, HSI executed a search warrant at Alcantar ’s Southwest Albuquerque residence and recovered Alcantar’s cellphone, which contained numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Alcantar is charged with distribution and possession of child pornography. He will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Alcantar faces five to 20 years in prison. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Ryan G. McRae, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations - Albuquerque investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Justice and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. View the Criminal Complaint (Rodriguez).pdf A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: ARMED DRUG TRAFFICKER SENTENCED FOR FIREARMS AND NARCOTICS OFFENSES

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Corderrius Terrelle McShane, 38, of Ocala, Florida, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This substantial prison sentence is a reflection of the incredible threat this violent drug trafficker posed to our community by flooding our streets with fentanyl, a devastatingly deadly drug that President Donald J. Trump recently designated as a weapon of mass destruction. This successful federal prosecution is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi when they launched Operation Take Back America to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice to eliminate the threats posed by drug traffickers and violent felons like this defendant. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe streets and drug-free communities, and that is exactly what my office will continue to deliver.” Court documents showed the defendant sold approximately 55 grams of fentanyl in November 2024. Also, that same month, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle the defendant was driving, during which officers located over 230 grams of fentanyl and a loaded firearm. The defendant has prior felony convictions for possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, resisting law enforcement with violence, possession of cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton. 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, human and drug trafficking. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: GAINESVILLE MAN FEDERALLY CHARGED FOR UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF A SILENCER

body_text: GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Dean Allen Harper, 55, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of an unmarked and unregistered firearm/silencer. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. Harper appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 25, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida. Harper faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. 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, human and drug trafficking. As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Two Individuals Sentenced to 70 and 80 Years in Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit a Child

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona. On Thursday, United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco, sentenced Wisam Sharieff, 44, of Euless, Texas, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Sharieff was also ordered to pay a $135,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act (AVAA). In June 2025, Sharieff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, and sexual exploitation of children. In October 2025, Sharieff’s co-defendant Blake Miller Barakat, also known as “Hamna,” 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, was sentenced to 840 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. Barakat was also ordered to pay a $30,000.00 AVAA special assessment. In June 2025, Barakat pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Using the title of Imam, Sharieff was an online instructor who specialized in Quran recitation and professed to have taught over 25,000 students worldwide. Barakat was one of Sharieff’s online students. According to court documents, Sharieff told Barakat that a person could improve their recitation and become closer to Allah through achieving sexual pleasure. In October 2024, Sharieff and Barakat repeatedly watched and shared adult pornography videos with each other online and then influenced a seven-year-old child to watch these videos. Both defendants further coerced this child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. “The defendants’ crimes are among the most appalling of societal and criminal offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “This District will relentlessly pursue criminals that target children. I commend the dedicated collaboration of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Texas in bringing these defendants to justice.” “The exploitation of children is an egregious crime that demands immediate and decisive law enforcement action,” stated David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Division. “The FBI stands ready to exert maximum effort, with urgency and in lockstep with our partners, to protect children and hold these predators accountable.” The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the FBI Dallas-Fort Worth Violent Crimes Task Force, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (AL), and Euless Police Department (TX). Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case. The Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA) created new penalties and made several changes to existing child pornography laws. In the passage of this legislation, Congress intended for victims of child pornography to be compensated for the harms resulting from every perpetrator who contributes to their anguish. The amounts received as AVAA special assessments are deposited in the Child Pornography Victims Reserve to pay defined monetary assistance to victims. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Wilmington Man Lures Child into Sex Trafficking and Kiddie Porn, Gets Over 13 Years in Prison

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Jesse Lonzo Teal, 73, to 13.5 years in federal prison for luring a minor into sex trafficking and producing child sexual abuse material. Teal pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Teal used the internet to recruit women—including a minor girl—to perform commercial sex at his Wilmington residence. Teal targeted vulnerable victims, struggling with addiction and at least one with low intellectual functioning. He used drugs and alcohol to make them pliable, and then he bullied and belittled them. Teal recorded hundreds of images and videos of the women in sexually explicit poses and engaged in sexual activity, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. Teal offered to sell the minor girl’s body for commercial sex, paid her to engage in sex with him and others, and took child sexual abuse material images of her. Teal was charged as part of the investigation into Cape Fear Escorts, which served as a front for prostitution and human trafficking for more than a decade. Last year, a federal judge sentenced Christopher Todd Evans, its owner, to 25 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $200,630.18 in restitution. “This will not stand. We will not tolerate disgusting creeps who take advantage of our young girls and vulnerable women. This dirty old man can think about his terrible choices in a federal prison until his mid 80s.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel prosecuted the case. 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. 7:25-CR-47-M-RJ.


title: Homeland Security Task Force Gathering to Sign Documents to Acknowledge Partnership

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle attends Homeland Security Task Force Regional Meeting. We aim to collaborate closely to deepen and strengthen our partnership.


title: Justice Department Sues to Revoke Naturalization of California Sex Offender

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: On Jan. 30, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Erwin Galindo, who committed several unlawful sexual acts with minors prior to naturalizing and, later, withheld his illegal acts throughout his naturalization process. Galindo sexually abused an 11-year-old child, and he sexually abused and raped a 14-year-old child. After naturalizing, Galindo was convicted in California of two counts of lewd or lascivious acts upon a child and was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison. His acts and his concealment of these material facts warrant revocation of Galindo’s 2015 naturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1451. “This Department of Justice will continue to strip citizenship from those who commit heinous crimes and conceal them during the naturalization process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “American citizenship is a great and sacred privilege that must be earned honestly.” “A monster who commits horrific acts of sexual abuse against children should not ever have become a U.S. citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department ’ s Civil Division. “This Administration will not hesitate to take his citizenship back.” This case is being civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.


title: Federal Jury Finds Mission Man Guilty of Second Degree Murder

body_text: PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Frank White Thunder, age 38, of Mission, South Dakota, was found guilty of Second Degree Murder, Commission of a Crime of Violence While Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, Robbery, Assault With a Dangerous Weapon, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender following a four-day federal jury trial in Pierre, South Dakota. The jury issued its verdict on January 30, 2026. The charge for Second Degree Murder carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The charge for Commission of a Crime of Violence While Failing to Register as a Sex Offender carries a mandatory minimum five years in federal prison up to a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The charge for Robbery carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The charges for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. The charge for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. White Thunder and co-defendants Jesse White Thunder, age 40, and Michael Leader Charge, age 25, both also of Mission, South Dakota, were indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024. At trial, the evidence established that on the evening of October 22, 2024, Michael Leader Charge drove Frank White Thunder and Jesse White Thunder to a residence in the Antelope housing community, near Mission. Frank White Thunder confronted the victim outside the residence and stabbed him in the torso with a martial-arts style sword, mortally wounding the victim. Jesse White Thunder was standing nearby and immediately took from the victim’s pockets two imitation pistols. Surveillance video showed the defendants’ vehicle leaving the scene and all three men were located the next day. Frank White Thunder was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in 2008. As a result of this conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and to update his registration within three business days of any change in residence. At the time of the murder, he had an active federal arrest warrant for failing to register as a sex offender. On October 6, 2025, Jesse White Thunder and Michael Leader Charge each pleaded guilty to Accessory After the Fact to an Assault With a Dangerous Weapon. They are each awaiting sentencing. “This was a senseless, intentional killing,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We will do our best at the upcoming sentencing to make sure this defendant never has the opportunity to murder again.” This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the United States Marshals Service, and the FBI. Supervisory Assistant United States Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered, and a sentencing date has not yet been set. Kucera was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.


title: Former Basketball Coach Admits Sending Sexually Explicit Photos to Students

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former high school basketball coach on Monday admitted sending sexually explicit photos to students and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with them. Lee Anthony Bogan Jr., 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of attempting to receive child pornography. He admitted using a social media application to contact high school students beginning in the spring of 2024. In these messages, Bogan expressed romantic and sexual interest in the students, seeking to gauge their responses. He also sent photos of his genitals, believing that the app would cause the messages to disappear shortly after they were received, his plea agreement says. Bogan, who worked at a St. Louis area high school and was known as “Coach Teejay,” was unaware that the minors took screen shots of the explicit photos before they disappeared. Bogan, of Jennings, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6. The charge carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum of 20. The Ladue Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Department of Justice Opposes Unfair Class Action Settlement Involving Accessibility of Website under the ADA

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice filed a Statement of Interest arguing that a proposed class action settlement involving an apparel company’s website would afford little value to consumers with vision disabilities while generously compensating attorneys. Plaintiffs in the case, Alcazar v. Fashion Nova Inc. , alleged that Fashion Nova Inc., a California-based apparel retailer, operated an online clothing website that was not accessible and denied blind users full and equal access to its goods and services in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under a proposed settlement reached between the parties, Fashion Nova agreed to pay approximate $2.43 million divided evenly among class members in California who timely filed a valid claim. Plaintiffs seek over $2.52 million in attorneys’ fees and costs. The settlement also provides for injunctive relief generically requiring Fashion Nova’s website to be accessible. “A class action under the ADA should, above all else, secure greater accessibility for consumers with disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Congress intended the Department and Courts to be skeptical of settlements that instead enrich private counsel.” The proposed agreement is unfair because the proposed injunctive relief for class members is not meaningful — it is a mere recitation of the obligation to make visually delivered materials available to individuals who are blind or low vision with no confirmation or enforcement mechanism. As proposed, the agreement does not ensure Fashion Nova takes concrete steps to make its website accessible. The case is pending in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, which must approve any settlement. The Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 provides the Attorney General and state officials an opportunity to review federal class action settlements before district courts grant final approval. The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, and full participation for people with disabilities, including people who are incarcerated. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit justice.gov/crt . For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit ADA.gov .


title: Mexican National Without Legal Immigration Status Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sex Offense Against a Minor

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Luis Velez was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. Velez has no legal status in the United States and will be deported after serving his term of imprisonment. Velez pleaded guilty in July 2024. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence. “The defendant preyed on children, manipulating and threatening them into creating sexually explicit images for his own sexual gratification,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is committed to holding accountable such sexual predators and I urge parents and caregivers to discuss with their children the dangers of communicating online with strangers and anyone else who may exploit them.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Boston Police Department for their work on the case. “Luis Velez repeatedly forced multiple minors to create and send sexually explicit images by threatening to harm their families. Velez preyed upon his victims’ fear to satisfy his perverted desires. The FBI will continue to defend our city’s children from sexual predators, especially those residing unlawfully in this country,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. As set forth in court filings, in 2022, Velez—a 26-year-old man at the time of the charged conduct without legal immigration status in the United States—posed as a 14-year-old boy and began communicating with an 11-year-old girl (Jane Doe 1) through Instagram. At Velez’s insistence, Jane Doe 1 electronically sent sexually explicit images of herself to Velez, and then Velez threatened to hurt Jane Doe 1’s family if she did not send additional sexually explicit images. Velez communicated with various other minors on Instagram, at times posing as a girl and at other times as a boy in order to obtain—as he had done with Jane Doe 1—sexually explicit images from these minors. This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Stephen H. Petraeus are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : LUIS VELEZ Age: 29 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-235 (PKC)


title: Two Year Prison Sentence for Woman  Who Laundered Over $20M Dollars

body_text: A New York woman was sentenced today to two years in prison for her involvement in a Chinese money laundering scheme. According to court documents, Rui Fang Yu, 40, of New York City, laundered over $20 million in proceeds from drug trafficking. Yu accepted large amounts of cash from co-conspirators involved in the laundering of drug proceeds, including from the sale of heroin and cocaine by a drug trafficking organization in the United States linked to a Mexican cartel. Yu used her position as an accountant at an airline ticket consolidator in Flushing, Queens, to launder these proceeds through her employer’s bank accounts. This complex scheme used trade-based money laundering to conceal drug proceeds through business transactions ostensibly made to purchase airline tickets. Ultimately, Yu and the co-conspirators facilitated the laundering of these funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators in the United States and China. In August 2025, Yu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Wang and Robert Pollack for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case. The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.


title: Violent Domestic Abuser Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pandemic Fraud Scheme

body_text: A man who laundered $20,000 in fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) moneys was sentenced January 30, 2026, to 33 months in federal prison. Don Edward Williams, Jr., age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with proceeds of a specified unlawful activity. In a plea agreement, Williams admitted he obtained $20,833 by means of a fraudulent PPP loan in May 2021. Williams’ PPP loan application falsely represented that he had earned over $100,000 in gross income during 2019 from a construction business. A lender participating in the PPP deposited $20,833 into an account that Williams controlled at a credit union in Cedar Rapids. By 9:00 a.m. that morning, Williams had withdrawn $20,000 of the PPP money in cash. Over the next three days, Williams made an additional $390 in cash withdrawals and spent the remaining government money at a crab shack and a smoke shop. In March 2022, Williams submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), which oversaw and guaranteed the PPP. Williams’ forgiveness application falsely stated that Williams had spent the PPP money on payroll expenses, and the SBA forgave the loan. When federal agents interviewed Williams about his PPP loan in January 2025, Williams repeatedly denied any knowledge of the PPP loan or withdrawing money from a credit union. Eventually, Williams confessed to withdrawing the PPP money from his account. Williams has an extensive and violent criminal history. Williams has 18 prior adult convictions, including 11 committed while on probation or parole. Williams has four prior domestic abuse assault convictions, including a 2024 incident in which he slapped his girlfriend in the face, pushed her to the ground, grabbed her by her wig, drug her across the floor causing a rug burn, choked her, and punched her head. Williams fled the scene when law enforcement arrived. When officers ultimately found Williams, he refused their orders to stop, and Williams injured an officer during an ensuing physical struggle. Williams’ other convictions in state court include illegal firearms possession, interference with official acts, attempted eluding, false identification, theft, drugs, and burglary. While on release in his federal case, Williams participated in a fraudulent scheme to defraud an Iowa county treasurer’s office. Williams agreed to register and title a car in his own name even though the car belonged to a felon who was barred from driving. After the felon was cited for driving while barred, Williams agreed to re-register and re-title the car in the name of a third individual so that the barred felon could continue to drive it. Later, the felon was arrested for allegedly driving while under the influence. Williams’ federal release bond was revoked after the scheme was discovered. Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Williams was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $20,833 in restitution to the SBA. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-CR-32. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Warwick Man Sentenced for Trafficking Two Kilos of Cocaine

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A Warwick man has been sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for trafficking two kilos of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. Manuel Jose Miranda, 37, was sentenced to federal prison on January 22, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose, to 60 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release. Miranda pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. “This case reflects the ongoing trafficking of dangerous, illegal narcotics into our communities and the harm that it causes,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “Large- scale trafficking such as this fuel’s addiction, violence, and loss throughout Rhode Island and across the nation. Our office will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these networks and hold those responsible accountable.” According to court documents, in September 2024, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted a package addressed to Miranda’s residence that contained two kilograms of cocaine. The package was resealed and delivered to the residence by an undercover Postal Inspector and remained under law enforcement surveillance. After Miranda retrieved the package from the outside of the residence and placed it in his backpack, law enforcement attempted to stop him as he fled on his motorcycle. He was ordered to stop and get off the motorcycle and the parcel containing the two kilos of cocaine was located inside his backpack. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigation, and the Warwick Police Department.


title: South Boston Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Machine Guns and Narcotics Charges

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ROANOKE, Va. – A South Boston, Va., man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for brandishing a machine gun and possessing distribution quantities of cocaine. Following a two-day jury trial in May 2025, Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, was found guilty of possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, possessing a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon. “The Western District will seek firm and swift accountability against those who illegally possess machine guns and other firearms while trafficking narcotics in the Western District of Virginia,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the work of our partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, South Boston Police Department, and Halifax Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their outstanding assistance with this case.” “Today’s sentence sends a clear and unequivocal message: those that repeatedly violate federal firearms laws and terrorize our communities will be held accountable. Mr. Jacobs is a previously convicted felon had no right to possess firearms of any kind, much less a machine gun conversion device,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts on bringing this case to justice. We will continue to relentlessly pursue violent offenders and remove illegal firearms from our streets to keep families safe.” According to evidence presented at trial and sentencing, on February 3, 2024, South Boston Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that two men in a Jaguar brandished firearms at people in downtown South Boston causing the people to flee. Officers quickly found Jacobs beside the reported Jaguar, parked in a nearby shopping plaza. His chambered and loaded firearms were in the car: a .45-caliber Glock pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat and a RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat, both equipped with machine gun conversion devices allowing fully automatic fire. Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and distributing the drugs. Alexander James Hiett, Jacobs’s passenger on February 3, 2024, previously pled guilty to related gun charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison. The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The United States also extends its thanks to the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States.


title: Chadwick M. Elgersma Appointed U.S. Attorney for The Western District of Wisconsin

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma has been appointed as United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin. Chief U.S. District Court Judge James D. Peterson signed the order on January 22, 2026. “I am honored to serve as United States Attorney,” said Mr. Elgersma. “I thank the Court, President Trump, and Attorney General Bondi for the trust they placed in me, and I pledge to work closely with my federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe.” As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Elgersma will be responsible for overseeing federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation involving the United States in the Western District of Wisconsin. The Western District of Wisconsin encompasses the western 44 counties in Wisconsin. Chief Judge Peterson’s order can be found in the News & Announcements section of the district court’s website located at www.wiwd.uscourts.gov.


title: Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Convicted Rapist

body_text: Today, the United States filed a denaturalization action in the Eastern District of New York against Gurmeet Singh, a native of India, who, according to the Department of Justice’s complaint, concealed and misrepresented in his naturalization application that he had previously kidnapped and sexual assaulted a female passenger of his taxicab. After his passenger fell asleep in the backseat, he drove her to a side street and the passenger awoke to find Singh on top of her with a knife to her throat, telling her to stop resisting if she wanted to live. Singh then bound and gagged her, blindfolded her, removed her clothes, and raped her. Singh concealed these acts throughout his naturalization proceedings and naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Oct. 19, 2011. After naturalizing, Singh was convicted in New York of Rape in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison. “This Department of Justice will continue to strip citizenship from those who commit heinous crimes and conceal them during the naturalization process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “American citizenship is a great and sacred privilege that must be earned honestly.” “This individual’s vile acts prove that he should not have been granted U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Singh entered our country through family-based immigration laws, then committed horrible crimes before lying about them to become a U.S. citizen. We will now correct this injustice.” “The defendant in this case secured U.S. citizenship through deceit, and on the heels of committing the heinous crimes of rape and kidnapping,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr for the Eastern District of New York. “This case, brought to strip the defendant of citizenship that he did not earn and to which he was not entitled, demonstrates our Office’s commitment to protecting the American people and defending the sanctity of U.S. citizenship.” Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation. This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The litigation is being handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and Assistant U.S. Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik for the Eastern District of New York and reviewed by John Inkeles, Chief, Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit. The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.


title: New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Trafficking Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DIEGO EZEQUIEL GARRO, 24, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 90 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for firearm and drug trafficking offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 18, 2023, West Haven Police arrested Garro after he was found sleeping in a parked vehicle that had a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine containing 34 rounds of ammunition on the passenger seat. During the arrest, Garro attempted to flee from officers in his vehicle and dragged one officer several feet. After Garro was taken into custody, officers retrieved the firearm, and a search of the car also revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana; drug packaging materials and scales; and approximately $1,300 in cash. Subsequent investigation revealed that, in December 2022 and January 2023, at Garro’s direction, an individual had purchased the seized handgun, and at least four other semi-automatic handguns, and provided them to Garro in exchange for narcotics. Garro has been detained since October 3, 2024. On August 29, 2025, he pleaded guilty to four counts of firearm trafficking and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances. This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.


body_text: Lowell Man Convicted of Directing the Robbery of a Mail Carrier Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison CONCORD – A Lowell resident was sentenced today in federal court for aiding and abetting the robbery of a mail carrier in order to steal mail in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Tyler Savinon, 19, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In April of 2025, Savinon pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the robbery of a mail carrier. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Savinon directed two co-conspirators to rob the mail carrier to obtain a proprietary key that would unlock blue mail collection boxes in the Nashua area. Investigators determined that Savinon had used the stolen key to access at least two collection boxes in Nashua—one on Dunstable Road and one on Spring Street. “Mail carriers perform an essential public service, and they deserve to do their jobs without fear of violence or intimidation,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for knowingly aiding a crime that put a federal employee and the public at risk.” “Combating mail theft and violent crimes targeting postal employees is of the highest priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Acting Inspector-in-Charge Nicholas J. Bucciarelli of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “As the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service leads the Postal Service’s efforts to protect all postal employees, including letter carriers, and ensure the secure delivery of mail to the American public. Today’s sentencing highlights our dedication to keeping our employees safe.” The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department and the Lowell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski is prosecuting the case.