title: Latin Music Talent Agency and Its CEO Found Guilty of Violating U.S. Sanctions by Doing Business with Cartel-Linked Concert Promoter

body_text: LOS ANGELES – The CEO of a Latin music conglomerate and his talent agency were found guilty by a jury today of conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act by conducting business with a Guadalajara-based concert promoter with ties to Mexican drug cartels. José Ángel Del Villar, 44, of Huntington Beach, the CEO of Del Records and its related talent agency Del Entertainment Inc., was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers in violation of the Kingpin Act and 10 counts of violating the Kingpin Act. Co-defendant Del Entertainment also was found guilty of all 11 counts of which Del Villar was convicted. According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, in April 2018, the defendants did business with Jesús Pérez Alvear, a.k.a. “Chucho,” of Guadalajara, Mexico, a music promoter who controlled Gallistica Diamante, a.k.a. Ticket Premier. Pérez promoted concerts for Del Entertainment in Mexico until March 2019. The U.S. Treasury Department listed Pérez and his company as “specially designated narcotics traffickers” under the Kingpin Act on April 6, 2018, after concluding he facilitated money laundering for the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and the Los Cuinis drug trafficking organization. The Kingpin Act prevents people in the United States from conducting business with sanctioned persons and entities. Even though Del Villar and Del Entertainment were aware that it was illegal to engage in transactions or dealings with Pérez, they willfully did business with him by continuing to have a Del Entertainment musical artist perform at concerts in which Pérez and Del Entertainment had a financial interest. For example, on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached a well-known musician and explicitly told him about Pérez’s designation under the Kingpin Act and how that prohibited him from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted. On April 28, 2018, the musician performed at a music concert which Pérez organized. Del Villar’s credit card was used to pay for a private jet that brought the musician from Van Nuys Airport to the performance in Aguascalientes, Mexico. On multiple other occasions in 2018 and 2019, Pérez and Del Villar continued to do business by arranging for the musician to perform at concerts in Mexico – including Mexicali and San José Iturbide, Guanajuato. “The defendants here chose to get into business with an individual they knew had ties to the CJNG and had been designated a narcotics trafficker under the Kingpin Act,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Cartels and transnational criminal organizations cause immeasurable harm to our country. We are using every tool to eliminate these organizations and will prosecute those that do business with cartels.” “Doing business with government-sanctioned individuals is illegal and can have very serious consequences,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today’s guilty verdict sends a message to music industry associates and others who engage in business with those sanctioned for laundering money for Mexican cartels that such criminal activity will not be tolerated by the FBI and our partners at the IRS and the United States Attorney’s Office.” United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong scheduled an August 15 sentencing hearing, at which time Del Villar will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count. Del Entertainment will face a sentence of five years of probation and a fine of $10 million for each count. Co-defendant Luca Scalisi, 58, of West Hollywood, has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him in this case and is scheduled to be tried separately in July 2025. Co-defendant Pérez, who previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transact in property of specially designated narcotics traffickers, was murdered in Mexico in December 2024. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control provided significant assistance in this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Benedetto L. Balding and Alexander B. Schwab of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, prosecuted this case, with substantial assistance from the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD –A Manchester man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Concord to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, Acting U.S. Attorney Jay McCormack announces. Luis Maldonado, age 50, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Samantha Elliott scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025. The defendant was originally charged with conspiracy on April 26, 2023, along with 20 other defendants. To date, 14 defendants in this conspiracy have been convicted. According to the plea agreement and statements made in court, the defendant was involved in a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine in Manchester and elsewhere. As of 2022, the defendant’s role in the DTO was selling crack and other drugs for the DTO. On May 19, 2022, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger. A search revealed that the defendant had $12,994 and a digital scale in his backpack, and the vehicle contained a secret compartment used to conceal narcotics. The defendant’s phone was searched and contained text messages between the defendant and others arranging drug transactions. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Gingrande is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . ###


title: Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in Gang-Related Shootout

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – Ulysses Jaheim Page, age 22, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and injuring a man in a gang-related shooting. Page pled guilty to the charge on September 19, 2024. According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, on May 4, 2024, Page, a validated Bloods gang member, was the backseat passenger in a car that was stopped by the Wilmington Police Department. The driver of the car had an unserved arrest warrant for a firearms offense. Officers searched the car and found a stolen firearm by Page’s feet. The firearm was swabbed for DNA and testing confirmed Pages’ DNA was on the gun. Page’s sentence was also based on an incident in 2023 when Page was involved in a gang related shootout. On April 27, 2023, Wilmington Police Department responded to a shooting at the Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington. During the investigation, officers learned that members of the 720 Gangster Disciples gang had planned a balloon release at the gravesite of a deceased gang leader. As a crowd gathered at the cemetery, a car pulled into the area, four individuals jumped out of the car and fired 28 shots into the crowd, striking one person in the arm. Members of the 720 Gangster Disciples returned approximately 29 shots. Page was identified as one of the shooters from the car. Page is a previously convicted felon prohibited from legally possessing a firearm. His felony convictions include common law robbery and possession of a stolen firearm in 2020 as well as multiple convictions in 2019 for larceny of a firearm. The conviction is a result of the ongoing Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) initiative, which is a collaborative effort with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, working with the community to identify and address the most significant drivers of violent crime. VCAP involves focused and strategic enforcement, interagency coordination, and intelligence-led policing. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Wilmington Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Dixon, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Van Trigt, 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 number 7:23-CR-00060-D-BM. ###


title: Copley Man Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: AKRON, Ohio – Brandon E. Crawford, 24, of Copley, Ohio, was sentenced March 11, 2025, by U.S. District Judge David Ruiz to 13 years in prison after he admitted to committing child sexual abuse related offenses (CSAM), also known as child pornography. He pleaded guilty to receipt and distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography. He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and register as a sex offender, per the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act. According to court documents, Crawford admitted to receiving and distributing CSAM files from about November 2022 to January 2024. During a search warrant execution, federal investigators seized a cellphone that contained sexually explicit content of children. During the investigation, they found that Crawford used social media applications on his cellphone to trade CSAM with others, including at least one image that involved a minor under the age of 12. The investigation was conducted by the FBI-Akron Field Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter E. Daly for the Northern District of Ohio. To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.


title: United States Seeks Civil Forfeiture of Approximately $23 Million in Cryptocurrency Seized from Gotbit

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The United States Attorney’s Office filed a civil forfeiture action to recover approximately $23 million in cryptocurrency alleged to be proceeds of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud and property involved in a transaction or attempted transaction in violation of one or more specified statutory offenses. The government seized USDT (Tether) and USDC (Circle) from un-hosted cryptocurrency wallets controlled by Gotbit Consulting LLC (Gotbit). Tether and Circle are stablecoins, meaning their value is tied to the U.S. dollar. On March 21, 2025 , Gotbit, a financial services firm known in the cryptocurrency industry as a “market maker,” and its founder, Aleksei Andriunin, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to criminal charges relating to Gotbit’s fraudulent manipulation of cryptocurrency trading volume on behalf of client cryptocurrency companies. As part of Gotbit’s plea agreement, it admitted the cryptocurrency was subject to civil forfeiture and agreed to consent to civil forfeiture of the cryptocurrency. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is handling the forfeiture matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Markham and David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the criminal case. The details contained in the civil forfeiture complaint are allegations.


title: Native Of Mexico Indicted On Illegal Reentry Charge

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Daniel Martinez-Canjay, age 34, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of illegal reentry. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about November 13, 2024, Martinez-Canjay was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Martinez-Canjay had been removed from the United States on or about April 24, 2019, through Hidalgo, Texas, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so. This case was investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Williams is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Rodney Paul Martin Sentenced To 90 Months For Enticement Of A Minor To Engage In Criminal Sexual Activity

body_text: CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On March 27, 2025, Rodney Paul Martin, 58, formerly of Homosassa, Florida, was sentenced to 90 months by the Honorable Charles E. Atchley, Jr., United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following Martin’s imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 15 years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Mr. Martin agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 2422(b) and 2427. According to the filed plea agreement, Martin, using a social media platform, contacted a notional 15-year-old minor boy, who was, in fact, an undercover officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Using a messaging application, Martin attempted to entice the notional minor into creating sexually explicit images and transmitting those images to Martin over the internet U.S. Attorney, Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge, Joseph E. Carrico, of the FBI, made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI. Special Assistant United States Attorney Charles D. Minor, assigned from the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office, and Assistant United States Attorney James T. Brooks represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.” ###


title: Three District Men Indicted Following Firearms Arrest During Early Morning Traffic Stop in Logan Circle

body_text: WASHINGTON – Wesley Hilliard, 32, and Sequan Collier, 27, and Naseer Green, 19, all of Washington D.C., were indicted today on federal gun charges in the latest case to be federally adopted as part of the “Make D.C. Safe Again” initiative, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Hilliard and Collier are both charged with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; Green is charged with carrying a pistol without a license and unlawful possession of a machine gun. The charges follow their March 16 th arrests in the Logan Circle Neighborhood. According to court documents, at approximately 2:00 a.m. on March 16, 2025, officers from the Metropolitan Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a running vehicle parked illegally near a fire hydrant on 7th Street NW in the Logan Circle neighborhood. Court documents allege that the vehicle was occupied by three individuals: driver Sequan Collier, front-seat passenger Naseer Green, and rear-seat passenger Wesley Hilliard. Officers allegedly observed open containers of alcohol in the vehicle and detected the presence of firearms. All three individuals were then detained by police. It is alleged that a handgun was recovered from the seat where Hilliard had been sitting. Hilliard, also a convicted felon, is currently on supervised release for a federal narcotics offense. It is further alleged that a loaded firearm was recovered from Collier’s waistband. A records check confirmed Collier is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms. Green was also allegedly found with a loaded firearm, modified with a device that converts it to fully automatic fire. The firearm was reported stolen from the state of Georgia. Green does not possess a valid license to carry a firearm in the District. All recovered firearms were allegedly loaded with rounds chambered. Due to the absence of firearms manufacturing in the District, the weapons are presumed to have traveled in interstate commerce. The investigation is ongoing. The ATF and MPD are investigating this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Dreher. This case is part of Make DC Safe Again, a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Maryland Man Indicted for Passport Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Today, a federal grand jury indicted Beautiful Life Allah, aka Tezelle Miller, aka Tezell Miller, 65, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, charging him with passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, false statements, and false representation of a social security number. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with David M. Richeson, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) – Washington Field Office, and Colleen Lawlor, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG) – Philadelphia Field Division. According to the indictment, Allah used someone else’s social security number to submit a passport application; submitted a fraudulent custody order to apply for a passport for his minor child; and made false statements on passport applications from August 2022 through February 2023. If convicted, Allah faces up to 10 years for passport fraud, a mandatory minimum sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft, up to five years for false statements, and up to five years for false representation of a social security number. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended DSS and SSA-OIG for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kertisha Dixon who is prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud . # # #


title: Jury Convicts Ohio Man of Armed Cocaine Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – A Cincinnati, Ohio, man was convicted on Thursday by a federal jury in Covington for armed cocaine trafficking and illegal firearm possession. After slightly under three hours of deliberation, following a three-day trial, the jury convicted 33-year-old Anthony Wynn of one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to testimony at trial, in August 2020, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by Wynn to investigate a possible DUI. During the stop, officers located two bags of crack cocaine and a bag of marijuana on Wynn’s person. Officers also found a loaded firearm in the glove box and a digital scale in the center console. An additional loaded firearm was found in the trunk. Wynn possessed the firearms to protect himself, drugs, and drug proceeds from robbery. Also, Wynn was aware at the time of his arrest that he had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Wynn was previously convicted of facilitation of robbery and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance in Campbell County Circuit Court in 2010; and first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, and two counts of first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, heroin, in Kenton County Circuit Court in 2015. Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Office; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the conviction. The investigation was conducted by ATF and Covington Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Bracke and Joel King. Wynn will appear for sentencing on July 16, 2025. He faces a minimum of 5 years and a maximum of life in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence. This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, Acting U.S. Attorney McCaffrey coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. — END —


title: New Jersey Woman Sentenced for Investment Fraud

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Diana Mae Fernandez, age 38, of Bergenfield, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 33 months in federal prison for an investment scheme in which victims from West Virginia and elsewhere lost more than $300,000. According to court documents and statements made in court, Fernandez, also known as “Diana Fernandez Koporan,” “Dana Fernandez,” and “Dajana Ko,” operated purported investment firms known as “The Self Made Success” and “Diana Mae K., LLC.” She used social media to advertise her services as “no risk” or offering “guaranteed” profit returns. Multiple victims, including an individual from Marion County, West Virginia, were defrauded of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Fernandez used the money she stole for her own benefit. Fernandez was ordered to pay $330,144.00 in restitution to the victims. She will serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI investigated the case. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Mexican National Indicted for Passport and Visa Fraud After Assuming the Identity of a United States Citizen Over 40 Years Ago

component: USAO - Arizona

number: 2025-042_Diaz Vazquez

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, 60, a Mexican national living in Arizona, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Phoenix on Tuesday with Passport and Visa Fraud. According to the criminal complaint in this case, an individual purporting to be Gene Edward Katzorke (“Katzorke”), first applied for and received a U.S. passport in 1986, submitting an Arizona license and U.S. birth certificate as supporting documentation. In subsequent years, the same individual filed multiple passport renewal applications, using his previously issued passport to support his identity claim. In 2022, Katzorke’s application was flagged for investigation after agents discovered an obituary from the 1960s for a Gene Edward Katzorke. During the investigation, United States Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agents learned that Gene Edward Katzorke had died in 1966, at the age of 2 years old. They also learned that Katzorke’s name was linked in criminal databases to Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vazquez, a Mexican national. On March 7, 2025, Diaz Vazquez, purporting to be Gene Edward Katzorke, arrived at the Western Passport Center for a regularly scheduled appointment regarding his most recent passport applications. After confirming that he had applied for the renewal under Katzorke’s name, Diaz Vazquez was arrested for Passport and Visa Fraud. During a post-arrest interview, Diaz Vazquez admitted his real name to be Enrrique Ricardo Diaz Vasquez and his place of birth as Guadalajara, Mexico. Diaz Vazquez told law enforcement agents that he wanted to join the U.S. military and picked the name Gene Edward Katzorke as his alias after visiting a cemetery. Diaz Vazquez successfully joined the military under Katzorke’s name, but then fled to Mexico after facing criminal charges for a homicide involving a nine-month-old infant in Tucson, Arizona. Diaz Vazquez was eventually deported from Mexico to the United States under the belief that he was a U.S. Citizen, and he has been living under Katzorke’s name since that time. Passport and Visa Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The Diplomatic Security Service Tucson Resident Office and the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Sydney Yew, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution diaz_vazquez-_indictment.pdf CASE NUMBER: CR-25-00469-PHX-SPL RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-042_Diaz Vazquez # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: New York Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brian Ellis Jones, 44, of Freeport, New York, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, from March 15, 2023 through June 24, 2023, Jones sent 11 packages containing methamphetamine from New York to co-defendant Jason Todd Painter in Clendenin, West Virginia. Jones admitted that the packages contained a total of at least 33 pounds of methamphetamine. Painter kept some of the methamphetamine for himself and held the rest for Jones to pick up. Jones occasionally directed Painter to deliver methamphetamine to other individuals in the Kanawha County area. On July 15, 2023, Jones shipped a package through the United States Postal Service from New York to Clendenin. Law enforcement intercepted the package and discovered methamphetamine inside. On July 18, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Jones and found $1,133 on his person. Jones admitted that he possessed the money and that it was a portion of his drug proceeds. Painter, 40, of Clendenin, was sentenced on November 13, 2024 to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-182. ###


title: Meridian Man Sentenced to 74 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person

component: Department of Justice

body_text: Jackson, MS – A Meridian, MS man was sentenced today to 74 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to court documents, Lester Landrum, 42, while under state correctional supervision as a probationer was found in possession of a firearm during an operation led by the East Mississippi Drug Task Force in Meridian. Landrum pleaded guilty to the charged conduct on December 16, 2024. In delivering the sentence, the Court ordered that the 74-month sentence for the instant offense run consecutive to the unfinished term of his prior state sentence. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi made the announcement. The ATF and the Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.


title: Repeat Offender from Hampden Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Hampden man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography involving a child under 12. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Michael King , 67, to 10 years imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $41,000 in restitution. King pleaded guilty on October 30, 2024. According to court records, in November 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Bing indicating that a user had uploaded a sexually explicit image of a child. The user’s IP address was traced to Michael King, and in May 2023, investigators from the Maine State Police and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at King’s residence. In an interview with agents, King admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material and using the Bing application to copy images and videos. He advised the agents they would find his computer under the couch. The laptop was seized, and hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse were recovered, many of young children. King is a repeat offender, having been also convicted of a similar offense in 2017 in Penobscot County Superior Court. HSI and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: 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’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Covert Agent, NCMEC CyberTips Lead to 30-Month Sentence for Cornville Man Who Accessed Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Cornville man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for accessing child sexual abuse material. U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Wade Willette , 46, to 30 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Willette pleaded guilty on October 3, 2024. According to court records, in August 2020, an individual using the Kik Messenger app contacted an FBI online covert employee (OCE) after the OCE posted on an online bulletin board known to be frequented by people with a sexual interest in children and/or child pornography. The username for the Kik account and associated email address were traced to Willette. In January 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik revealing that the same username had uploaded three videos containing child sexual abuse material the previous month. In March 2023, investigators executed a search warrant at Willette’s residence, and FBI agents interviewed him. In the interview, he confirmed the Kik account was his, that he had searched for and viewed child sexual abuse material on his phone, and that he had engaged in online conversations about child pornography in the past. Two images of young children being sexually abused were recovered from his phone. The FBI investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, “child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with NCMEC at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: 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’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, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Four Individuals and One Company Plead Guilty to Bid Rigging Schemes and Related Crimes Plaguing Public Schools in Mississippi and Louisiana

body_text: Four individuals and one company pleaded guilty in three separate U.S. District Courts for their roles in various bid rigging and wire fraud conspiracies which targeted the sale of sports equipment to public schools throughout Mississippi and Louisiana. The schemes affected sales to hundreds of public schools in both states. The individuals and company pleaded guilty between February and March of 2025. Yesterday, Patrick Joseph Stewart of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to one count of bid rigging and one count of wire fraud affecting sales to at least 69 public schools in the Eastern District of Louisiana. In the Southern District of Mississippi, Maurice Daniel Bowering Jr., of Hattiesburg, Mississippi pleaded guilty to five counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 50 public schools on March 6; and Robert Tucker Craig of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to three counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 38 public schools and one count of obstruction for the deletion of related evidence on Feb. 19. Lastly, Robert Douglas Heflin of Starkville, Mississippi pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 31 public schools on March 4; and Mississippi company Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc., pleaded guilty to two counts of bid rigging affecting sales to at least 60 public schools on Feb. 20, in the Northern District of Mississippi. “School sports are integral to the development and upbringing of American children. From these opportunities, they learn the benefits of teamwork and open competition. Bid rigging, on the other hand, is the antithesis of American meritocracy. It is also patently unlawful,” said Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The defendants here selfishly targeted school sports programs, depriving students of an opportunity to thrive. The Antitrust Division’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force has zero tolerance for bid collusion schemes, particularly when they target children.” “The defendants rigged bids for school sports equipment which resulted in an unfair playing field,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick Lemon for the Southern District of Mississippi. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi is committed to working with our law enforcement and Antitrust Division partners to protect school athletics and taxpayer dollars.” “Financial fraud perpetrated against the U.S. government is a serious crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “Particularly egregious, is fraud that undercuts government procurement processes and erodes public trust in the fair-bidding practice. These guilty pleas send a clear and decisive message that our office, along with our federal partners, will continue to protect the taxpayer by vigorously investigating and prosecuting all such corruption cases.” “Bid rigging and the collusion that makes it possible drive up prices for taxpayers and will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “We will continue our commitment to work with the FBI and to root out corruption.” “This investigation underscores the FBI’s commitment to safeguarding public schools from criminal schemes that defraud the American people and exploit taxpayer money,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “Stewart, Bowering, Craig, Heflin, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. were in positions to help shape children's learning, the benefits of physical fitness in living prosperous lives. Instead, these co-conspirators chose to abuse the trust given to them by stealing future opportunities from students in fraudulently filling their pockets with the hard-earned tax dollars schools are entrusted to invest in the development of America's future leaders. The FBI will continue to work with our federal partners to relentlessly pursue and bring justice to individuals and companies who use fraudulent schemes to defraud our communities.” According to court documents, Tucker, Bowering, Heflin, Stewart, and Wilder Fitness Equipment Inc. entered into conspiracies in which they agreed to submit complementary bids to public schools to obtain procurements for sports equipment and related services. The longest of the charged conspiracies lasted more than a decade. Two other co-conspirators, Charles Ferrell Trimm and Bradley D. Willcutt, previously pleaded guilty in the Southern District of Mississippi in May 2024 and September 2024, respectively. The maximum penalty for the Sherman Act is 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime. The maximum penalty for conspiracy to commit wire fraud is 20 years in prison, a criminal fine, and Court-ordered restitution. The maximum penalty for obstruction in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) is 20 years in prison and a criminal fine of no more than $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine the sentences after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Today’s guilty pleas result from an ongoing federal antitrust investigation into bid rigging and other anticompetitive conduct in the school sports equipment industry being conducted by the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant Chief Laura Butte; Trial Attorneys Jill Rogowski, Marc Hedrich, and Hannah Muller; and Senior Litigation Counsel Paul Torzilli are prosecuting the case. Anyone with information about this investigation or other procurement fraud schemes should notify the PCSF at www.justice.gov/atr/webform/pcsf-citizen-complaint . The Justice Department created the PCSF in November 2019. It is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force .


title: Nevada Resident Arrested and Charged in Connection with Violent Tesla Arson in Las Vegas

body_text: A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business. Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody. “The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.” “As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi's leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.” “Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as Clark County Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat domestic violent extremism.” According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building. Criminal Complaint filed 03/27/2025; Case No.: 2:25-mj-00261-EJY, U.S. District Court District of Nevada. Criminal Complaint filed 03/27/2025; Case No.: 2:25-mj-00261-EJY, U.S. District Court District of Nevada. On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan. Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement. If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Violent Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: TRAVON JONES, also known as “Budda,” 22, was sentenced today U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 270 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang, and his role in the murder and attempted murder of rival gang members. Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick. According to court documents, statements made in court, and the evidence presented during a month-long trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence. Jones has been a member of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns. The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport. These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End. Due to the level of gun violence Bridgeport was experiencing, the investigation commenced shortly before East End members shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang, on January 26, 2020. The next day, in retaliation for these shootings, GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a state courthouse on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport that resulted in four victims being shot while sitting inside a car. Jones and other East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals. East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities. The investigation determined that on July 12, 2019, Jones and fellow East End member Tyrone Moore shot and killed Sean Warren, also known as “Kujoe,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang. In addition, on October 17, 2019, Jones shot and attempted to kill Joshua Gilbert, also a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang. Jones initially pleaded guilty on August 29, 2022, but Judge Bolden subsequently granted his motion to withdraw his guilty plea. On December 5, 2023, a jury found Jones and three associates guilty of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity. Jones has been detained since October 17, 2019. Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has and solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders. Tyrone Moore pleaded guilty and on June 26, 2023, was sentenced to 250 months of imprisonment. This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory, and the Waterbury Police Department. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, Rahul Kale, and Karen L. Peck. This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald Renard Taylor, 49, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2023, Taylor sold 104.63 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $850. Taylor admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling 27.71 grams of methamphetamine for $240 on June 14, 2023, and 55.75 grams of methamphetamine for $440 on July 13, 3023, to the confidential informant. All three transactions occurred in Dunbar. On August 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s Dunbar residence and seized 139.7 grams of methamphetamine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, 544.8 grams of cocaine and $19,479. Officers also seized six firearms: a Highpoint 9mm pistol, a Bearman .38-caliber pistol, a F.I.E. Corp .25-caliber pistol, a Glock L9 9mm pistol, a Taurus GX4 9mm pistol, and a Davis Industries .25-caliber pistol. Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-44. ###


title: St. Louis County Man Admits Five Bank Robberies

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing five bank robberies and one attempted robbery. Derrick Snulligan, now 62, of Velda Village Hills, admitted handing a note demanding money to the teller of a bank in Northwoods, Missouri on April 18, 2023. He did the same thing at the same bank on Aug. 28, 2023. On Oct. 13, 2023, he tried a third time, but a teller activated an alarm and told Snulligan to leave. In each robbery, Snulligan was wearing a mask. After being thwarted in that robbery, Snulligan decided to make his notes more threatening. On June 24, 2024, he handed a note to an employee of a Hazelwood credit union that read, “I[f] you don’t want to get hurt, go in your drawer and give me 6-one hundred dollar bills, 4-fifty dollar bills, 10-ten dollar bills, and 20-5 dollar bills as quickly as possible,” his plea agreement says. The teller handed cash to Snulligan, who fled. Three days later, Snulligan handed a note to the teller of a St. Louis credit union demanding money. After taking cash, he fled in a blue vehicle. That same day, he committed a similar robbery at a Florissant credit union. His note read, “If you don’t want to get shot I suggest you go in your drawer and give me 30 one hundred dollar bill[s], 20 fifty dollar bills, 30, 20 dollar bills and 40, 10 dollar bills as quickly as possible.” Snulligan again fled in a blue vehicle, which was identified as a Buick Encore. Investigators traced the vehicle to Snulligan, who admitted committing the robberies and returned some of the money. Snulligan is also known as Derrick Jackson. Snulligan, of Velda Village Hills, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to five counts of bank robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The FBI, the Florissant Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Northwoods Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case. 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.


title: James Mailhiot, Jr. Sentenced for Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that James Mailhiot, Jr., 56, of Rutland, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Rutland to four years of probation following his guilty plea to a charge of federal income tax evasion. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier ordered that Mailhiot perform 200 hours of community service during his probationary term, pay restitution totaling $296,618, and an additional fine of $25,000. At today’s hearing, counsel represented to the court that Mailhiot was prepared to pay his restitution obligation in full immediately after sentencing. On November 14, 2024, the United States Attorney filed a one-count information charging Mailhiot with evading a significant portion of the income taxes he owed to the United States for Tax Years 2019 through 2022. Mailhiot pleaded guilty to that information last December. According to the information, Mailhiot owned and operated a roofing business that generated approximately $1.6 million in gross revenues between 2019 and 2022. Mailhiot used an out-of-state accountant to prepare his federal income tax returns. To enable the accountant to prepare each return, Mailhiot sent the accountant records of revenues earned and expenses incurred on the various roofing jobs he completed that year. In fact, the records Mailhiot gave to the accountant were very incomplete, resulting in a very substantial understatement of the taxable income he earned each year, and very substantial underpayments of the taxes he owed to the Internal Revenue Service. According to the information, Mailhiot’s underpayments for years 2019-2022 totaled $296,000. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation. Mailhiot is represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.


title: Former Postal Clerk Sentenced for Stealing from Cherryfield Post Office

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: An Ellsworth woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for theft of public money. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Melissa Milliken , 33, to three years of probation. She was also ordered to pay $17,130.22 in restitution. According to court records, in October 2022, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) launched an investigation after receiving a report that postal funds were missing following stamp stock and cash counts at the Cherryfield Post Office. Surveillance video from within the post office captured Milliken placing money into her pockets. Milliken admitted to investigators that she had been stealing from the post office for approximately a year. Investigators determined she stole more than $17,130 in government money between December 2021 and September 2023. USPS-OIG Northeast Area Field Office, under Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi, investigated the case. ###


title: Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Passport Fraud and Other Offenses

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican National, residing in Leominster, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to charges related to passport fraud and other offenses. Hector Eduardo Arias Mejia, 44, pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and making a false statement in an application for a United States passport. U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. In December 2023, Arias Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury. Arias Mejia, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, applied for a United States passport and a Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles Real ID using the name and other biographical information of a resident of Puerto Rico. In support of his application, Aris Mejia submitted a Massachusetts driver’s license in the citizen’s identity (with Arias Mejia’s photo on it), a Social Security card with the name of the citizen and a birth certificate issued in Puerto Rico in the citizen’s name. On February 25, 2020 Arias Mejia, again using the citizen’s identity, applied for a United States Passport at the Fall River post office. In support of the passport application, Arias Mejia submitted the Real ID he obtained in the citizen’s name and the birth certificate in the citizen’s name. The passport was issued. Law enforcement became aware of Arias Mejia fraudulent acts when it investigated individuals who simultaneously received government benefits in Boston and Puerto Rico. When it was revealed that the same individual was receiving benefits in both places, the individual in Puerto Rico was interviewed and it was determined that he was lawfully receiving benefits. Further investigation revealed that the person receiving benefits under the same name in Boston was Arias Mejia, a Dominican national. Aris Mejia had been using the Puerto Rico citizen’s identity since at least 2011. The charge of making a false statement in an application for a United States passport provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity and benefit fraud schemes. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Santo Domingo; Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety; U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: East Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Trafficking and Gun Possession Offenses

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that WARREN SIMPSON, also known as “Wodi,” 43, of East Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in Bridgeport to drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses. According to court documents and statements made in court, in July and August 2024, ATF special agents conducted multiple controlled purchases of cocaine from Simpson in Hartford. On September 12, 2024, as investigators approached Simpson’s residence on Judson Avenue in East Hartford to execute a federal search warrant, Simpson attempted to flee and tossed bags containing narcotics as he ran. Investigators apprehended Simpson and recovered the bags. Searches of Simpson’s residence and vehicle, and the discarded bags, revealed approximately 248 grams of fentanyl, approximately 690 grams of cocaine, drug processing and packaging materials, a .40 caliber Smith & Wesson pistol, and ammunition. Simpson’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for possession of narcotics, larceny, and criminal possession of a firearm. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm and ammunition that have moved in interstate or foreign commerce. Simpson pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams more of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Simpson is released on a $200,000 bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled. This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Mahard. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Pennsylvania Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Scheme to Transport Contraband into FCI McDowell with Drone

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gamalier Rivera, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison. According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 9, 2024, correctional officers at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell detected a drone flying over the prison facility. The flight path of the drone took it from the fence securing the prison facility to a cell in one of the housing units. Officers searched the cell and found a broken exterior window, numerous cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana within the cell. Officers traced the flight path back to the drone’s launch site, where they found and apprehended Rivera and co-defendants Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles. Officers seized the drone, the drone’s remote controller, and contraband consistent with what was found in the cell. As part of his guilty plea, Rivera admitted that he, DeJesus, and Aviles participated in the introduction of the contraband into FCI McDowell by using the drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison facility. Rivera further admitted that he expected to be paid for his participation in the contraband introduction. Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. A federal grand jury indicted Rivera, DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, and Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, and also indicted Arturo Joel Gallegos, 26, Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno, 22, and Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez, 24, all of Chicago, Illinois, in a separate case. Charges in both cases allege the defendants provided or attempted to provide contraband to FCI McDowell inmates in February 2024. The indictments against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. “Today’s guilty plea is the result of the vigilance and dedication of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and the excellent coordination and teamwork between BOP, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office,” said Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston. Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-127. ###


title: California Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficking in Downeast Maine, Hawaii

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A California man, Codee Houston , 33, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiring to commit money laundering. In addition, Houston agreed to the transfer of a pending case from the District of Hawaii and pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute. According to court records, from May 2022 through May 2023, Houston and others were part of a conspiracy to traffic methamphetamine in Maine. While living in California, Houston shipped large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Maine. In Maine, his coconspirators distributed the methamphetamine in the Downeast region of the state. Proceeds from the sale of the methamphetamine were sent to Houston using various money services, including Walmart2Walmart, Cash App, and Venmo. He enlisted the aid of coconspirators to use their identifications and accounts to receive the money. He did this to conceal and disguise his involvement in the transactions and the money laundering. From April 2023 through September 2023, Houston conducted similar acts in Hawaii, distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. On four separate occasions he shipped packages from California to Hawaii that contained controlled substances. The substances were later tested and confirmed to be pressed fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine. For the most serious offenses, Houston faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life imprisonment and a maximum fine of $10 million to be followed by five years to life of supervised release. Houston will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI investigated the Maine case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Ellsworth Police Department, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Holden Police Department, and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the Hawaii case with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. ###


title: Nevada Resident Arrested And Charged In Connection With Violent Tesla Arson In Las Vegas

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident made his initial appearance today in United States District Court in Las Vegas, Nevada, to face federal charges related to an arson at a Tesla collision business. Paul Hyon Kim, 36, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm and one count of arson. Kim was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers on March 26. He remains in federal custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for March 28, 2025, and preliminary hearing scheduled for April 10, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah. “The Department of Justice has been clear: anyone who participates in the wave of domestic terrorism targeting Tesla properties will suffer severe legal consequences,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We will continue to find, arrest, and prosecute these attackers until the lesson is learned.” “As promised, acts of violence and vandalism will not be tolerated, and today law enforcement personnel acted quickly to arrest an individual on charges including arson,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Under Attorney General Bondi's leadership, we will continue to pursue these investigations with the full force of law and will bring to justice anyone responsible for these attacks.” “Today’s federal charges demonstrate our strong partnerships and collaboration with law enforcement partners and the joint pursuit to end domestic terrorism,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada. “Thank you to the detectives from the Southern Nevada Counterterrorism Center (SNCTC), FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) ARMOR (All-Hazard Regional Multi-Agency Operations and Response) unit, as well as Clark County Fire Department Arson Investigators, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and the Justice Department’s National Security Division for their hard work and tireless efforts. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and remain steadfastly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat domestic violent extremism.” “The arrest announced today showcases the remarkable outcomes achievable through collaborative task force partnerships,” said Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans, FBI Las Vegas Division. “To ensure community safety, it is essential for law enforcement at all levels to work in unison. Although our agencies have distinct roles and responsibilities, the fight against crime is a shared commitment.” “ATF responded alongside our law enforcement partners to the targeted attack on a Tesla collision shop in Las Vegas,” said Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani, San Francisco Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). “At the forefront of ATF’s mission is combating violent crime. Crimes of this nature will not be tolerated and are a threat to public safety. Threats to public safety will be taken seriously and law enforcement will utilize our resources to ensure justice is served. ATF deployed our experts in arson related crimes in response to this incident. Those experts included members of our Arson Task Force. A task force that is a collaboration between ATF and the Clark County Fire Department. A certified fire investigator, bomb technician, certified explosive specialist, and an accelerant detection K9 were utilized at the scene. Special agents from our local field office also responded to the incident. ATF is pleased to see the arrest made today. We will continue to work alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that these targeted attacks are investigated and that the person(s) responsible are prosecuted.” According to allegations in the complaint, on March 18, 2025, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department patrol officers responded to an emergency call about a person setting vehicles on fire and hearing gunshots at a Tesla collision business. The Clark County Fire Department arrived to suppress the fires. During the investigation, it was determined that Molotov cocktails and a .30 caliber AR-style firearm were used to damage and destroy five Tesla vehicles, and graffiti was sprayed to write “Resist” on the front of the building. Photo: Suspect in black hoodie, black pants, and carrying a black backpack while spray painting the glass doors of a business. Photo: A Molotov cocktail that did not ignite laying on seat in vehicle with broken glass window On March 26, law enforcement officials executed various state search warrants related to this case, including a search warrant at Kim’s residence. Inside the residence, they found various firearms, including an AR style rifle consistent with the firearm used in the March 18, 2025 incident and with a suppressor on it, a black gun belt with a pouch and a small drop of pink paint residue, a black hoodie, face masks, and a handwritten note with what appeared to be an escape plan. Attorney General Pamela Bondi for the Department of Justice; Director Kash Patel of the FBI; Acting U.S. Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Cicolani of the ATF San Francisco Field Division; and Sheriff Kevin McMahill for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, and with significant assistance by the Clark County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. If convicted, Kim faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison for the unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm charge and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison up to a maximum of 20 years in prison for the arson charge. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the ATF are investigating the case and with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Operskalski for the District of Nevada and Trial Attorney Patrick Cashman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ### usao-nv_criminal_complaint-paul_hyon_kim_2-25-mj-261_0.pdf


title: Florida Man Who Bought Diamond-Studded “Grills” With Fraud Cash Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A federal district judge in South Florida has sentenced an Orlando man to almost six years in prison for leading a scheme that defrauded California’s Employment Development Department of over $4 million in state and federal unemployment insurance benefit money. The judge also ordered him to pay over $1.2 million in restitution. Zachary Kameron Ramyard, 23, of Orlando, Fla. pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in October 2024. From August 2020 to August 2022, Ramyard and others submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) claims to California’s Employment Development Department (EDD). UI payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. They purchased the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims (including names, dates of birth, and social security numbers), created counterfeit driver licenses with it, and submitted at least 68 fraudulent UI benefits applications using the victims’ PII. Ramyard also withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in UI funds from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) in different states using fraudulent debit cards. (The EDD typically distributed UI benefits electronically to debit cards that were mailed to claimants.) Ramyard used the cash to buy luxury items like the diamond-studded teeth jewelry, also known as “grills,” pictured above. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne, Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), Southeast Region announced the sentence. HSI Miami and DOL-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Egozi prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Paster is handling asset forfeiture. Additional Background Information: Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWAP). In the State of California, the EDD administered the UI program. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was enacted. It was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other sources of relief, the CARES Act authorized and provided funding to the SBA to provide Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”) to eligible small businesses, including sole proprietorships and independent contractors, experiencing substantial financial disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic to allow them to meet financial obligations and operating expenses that could otherwise have been met had the disaster not occurred. EIDL applications were submitted directly to the SBA via the SBA’s on-line application website, and the applications were processed, and the loans funded for qualifying applicants directly by the SBA. COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force: On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please click here . Reporting: Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 22-cr-20382. ###


title: Repeat illegal alien admits to human smuggling after high-speed chase

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Laredo has admitted to unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling charges, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jesus Hernandez-Herrera has five prior removals from the United States. On Dec. 10, 2024, law enforcement was conducting surveillance on Clark Boulevard in Laredo in an area human smuggling organizations commonly use. There, a Ford Expedition and Cadillac were driving in tandem and stopped at an intersection where three suspected illegal aliens approached the two vehicles. Authorities followed the Expedition to a location on Green Street where they observed suspected illegal aliens leave the residence and enter the Expedition. They attempted to perform a traffic stop, but the driver - Hernandez-Herrera - led them on a high-speed pursuit. At times, speeds reached 95 miles per hour with Hernandez-Herrera weaving in and out of heavy traffic. The pursuit ended when Hernandez-Herrera crashed into two vehicles on Santa Maria Avenue. He and four illegal aliens ran on foot. Hernandez-Herrera ran into oncoming traffic, but law enforcement was able to apprehend him before he could cross onto the southbound lanes of IH-35. He took full responsibility and admitted there were additional aliens in the Green Street residence. Authorities discovered an additional four people illegally in the United States and approximately 50.8 kilograms of marijuana at the location. "This is precisely the type of dangerous behavior we need to deter through vigorous enforcement of our immigration laws," said Ganjei. “Here you have human smuggling, drugs, high-speed flight from officers, and a car crash. The Laredo community shouldn’t have to bear the brunt of such reckless criminality, and the Southern District of Texas is working hard to make sure they don’t have to. Similar offenders will find themselves in the same position, that being federal charges and a long prison stay." U.S. District Judge John Kazen will impose sentencing at a later date. At that time, Hernandez-Herrera faces up to 20 years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is prosecuting the case.


title: McAllen man admits attempting to send kilograms of cocaine in the mail

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 26-year-old McAllen resident has entered a guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Narciso Dominguez III attempted to place packages in the mail that contained narcotics. On May 23, 2024, authorities were conducting surveillance at suspected stash house locations in McAllen. During the operation, they observed Dominguez purchase shipping products such as boxes and bubble wrap and followed him to one of the locations. He departed and drove to a local mail shipping establishment where he provided multiple packages to be mailed to Dallas. Authorities conducted a search of the items and discovered a total of 19 kilograms of cocaine in the same shipping materials as he had previously purchased. He admitted he knew the items contained cocaine. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton will impose sentencing July 15. At that time, Dominguez faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia prosecuted the case.


title: Fourth Defendant Pleads Guilty in Car Dealership Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: Jackson, Mississippi – A Louisiana woman pleaded guilty today to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud in connection with a scheme to use the stolen identities of others to purchase expensive vehicles in the Jackson, Mississippi metropolitan area. According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2023, Anna Waldei, 27, of New Orleans, Louisiana, and her coconspirators obtained the identity information of credit-worthy individuals, created false identity documents in the names of those individuals, and then posed as those individuals at automotive dealerships in order to apply for vehicle financing. Waldei and her coconspirators submitted credit applications and purchased or attempted to purchase vehicles from dealerships in the Jackson metro area. The defendants traveled from Louisiana to Mississippi in a vehicle rented by Waldei. Waldei is scheduled to be sentenced on June 25, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement. The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are investigating the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.


title: Attorney General Pamela Bondi Launches Compliance Review Investigation into Admissions Policies at Stanford University and Several University of California Schools, Advancing President Trump’s Mandate to End Illegal DEI Policies

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, Attorney General Pamela Bondi directed the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to begin compliance review investigations into admissions policies at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, Irvine. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll. , 600 U.S. 181 (2023), colleges and universities are prohibited from using DEI discrimination in selecting students for admission, and the Department of Justice is demanding compliance. “President Trump and I are dedicated to ending illegal discrimination and restoring merit-based opportunity across the country,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Every student in America deserves to be judged solely based on their hard work, intellect, and character, not the color of their skin.” For decades, elite colleges and universities have prioritized racial quotas over equality of opportunity, dividing Americans and discriminating against entire groups of applicants, all in the name of DEI. The prior administration advanced the ideology behind this illegal practice and did nothing to protect the civil rights of American students. “The Department of Justice will put an end to a shameful system in which someone’s race matters more than their ability,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle. “Every college and university should know that illegal discrimination in admissions will be investigated and eliminated.” The compliance investigations into these universities are just the beginning of the Department’s work in eradicating illegal DEI and protecting equality under the law.


title: U.S. Department of Justice Announces Second Amendment Pattern-or-Practice Investigation into California’s Los Angeles County

body_text: Protecting the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans is a high priority for this Administration. As part of a broader review of restrictive firearms-related laws in California and other States, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division today announced an investigation into the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to determine whether it is engaging in a pattern or practice of depriving ordinary, law-abiding Californians of their Second Amendment rights. A recent federal court decision found that “the law and facts [we]re clearly in … favor” of two private plaintiffs who challenged the lengthy eighteen-month delays that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department had imposed when processing their concealed handgun license applications. And the Civil Rights Division has reason to believe that those two plaintiffs are not the only residents of Los Angeles County experiencing similarly long delays that are unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of the people of Los Angeles. The Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that the Second Amendment is not “a second-class right.” And over the past two decades, the Supreme Court has recognized that the Second Amendment is a fundamental, individual constitutional right and has taken multiple opportunities to strengthen Second Amendment protections for ordinary, law-abiding citizens. Some States and localities, however, have resisted this recent pro-Second Amendment caselaw. And California has been a particularly egregious offender. In response to recent Supreme Court caselaw, California enacted new legislation to further restrict the ability of ordinary, law-abiding Californians to keep and bear arms. And many California localities appear to be imposing additional burdens beyond those required by California state law, including by subjecting ordinary, law-abiding Californians to expensive fees and lengthy wait times associated with applications for concealed handgun licenses. “This Department of Justice will not stand idly by while States and localities infringe on the Second Amendment rights of ordinary, law-abiding Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Second Amendment is not a second-class right, and under my watch, the Department will actively enforce the Second Amendment just like it actively enforces other fundamental constitutional rights.” Attorney General Bondi hopes that states and localities will voluntarily embrace their duty to protect the Second Amendment rights of their citizens. But if necessary, today’s announcement will be the first of many similar investigations, lawsuits, or other actions involving other localities in California, the State of California itself, and any other states or localities that insist on unduly burdening, or effectively denying, the Second Amendment rights of their ordinary, law-abiding citizens.