title: Denton men get lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking methamphetamine

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

body_text: PLANO, Texas –Two Denton men have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Clayton Willis Caddell, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 181 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on January 9, 2026. Robert Alfonso Cazarin, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to156 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on January 9, 2026. According to information presented in court, from at least 2022, Caddell and Cazarin conspired with others to distribute illegal drugs, including methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; and Denton County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson. ###


title: Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison For Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in U.S. Marine’s Death

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Nameer Mohammad Atta was sentenced in federal court today to 20 years in prison for distributing the fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a 26-year-old active-duty lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps on May 21, 2020. When handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro told the defendant he “needs to take accountability for his actions.” Judge Montenegro also highlighted the “devastation caused by the defendant’s conduct” by profiting from his prolific sales of fentanyl. A jury convicted Atta after a two-day trial in September 2022. According to evidence presented at trial, Atta sold counterfeit “M30” pills in April and May 2020 to the Marine, identified in court records as C.M.R., knowing that these pills were counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained illicit fentanyl. Atta used social media to market and arrange sales of these pills, referring to them as the “most trusted” in San Diego, and in text messages as the “most trusted” and “most potent” in the area. Atta referred to these pills as “M30s,” “Percs” and “Perc30s,” nicknames for fentanyl-laced pills. Atta’s final sale to C.M.R. occurred on May 20, 2020. C.M.R. died from an overdose the next day. “The defendant’s decision to sell fentanyl resulted in the tragic loss of a young United States Marine,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “When a dealer chooses to distribute a poison they know can kill, the consequences should be measured in decades, not years. This sentence reflects the gravity of that loss and the value of the life that was taken.” “This was a selfish, deliberate act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “The defendant chose to market deadly fentanyl pills on social media, fully aware of the risk, and a young Marine is dead as a result. We will continue to hold accountable those who use market this deadly poison and show complete disregard for human life.” “Those who ruthlessly disregard others’ safety by distributing fentanyl for personal gain must be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Payne of the NCIS Marine Corps West Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to aggressively investigating any individual or entity complicit in the illicit distribution of substances that pose significant threats to the readiness and security of Department of the Navy personnel, families, and local communities.” “HSI remains steadfast in its collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that individuals who distribute lethal doses of fentanyl are held fully accountable for their actions,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “This sentence underscores the gravity of fentanyl distribution, the impact it has in our communities, and HSI’s commitment to pursuing those responsible for distributing the deadly drug.” This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Owen Roth and J’me K. Forrest contributed significantly to the case. DEFENDANT Case Number 21-cr-1289-RBM Nameer Mohammad Atta Age: 25 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S. Code, Sections 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C) Maximum Penalty: Life in prison, with mandatory minimum 20 years in custody INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Naval Criminal Investigative Service Drug Enforcement Administration Homeland Security Investigations


title: Rapper Torrence Ivy Hatch aka “Boosie Badazz” Sentenced for Felon in Possession of a Firearm

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Torrence Ivy HATCH (aka “Boosie”, aka “Lil Boosie”, aka “Boosie Badazz”) was sentenced in federal court today for violating Title 18, U.S.C., Section 922(g)(1), Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. District Court Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo sentenced HATCH to 3-years’ supervised release, 300-hours of community service, and a $50,000 fine. According to a plea agreement, on or about May 6, 2023, within the Southern District of California, HATCH, knowing his status as a convicted felon, did knowingly possess a firearm, a Glock-19 pistol, that traveled in and affected interstate commerce. The firearm was loaded with ten 9-millimeter caliber rounds of ammunition; in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). On or about May 6, 2023, San Diego Police identified HATCH while watching the Instagram Live of a known member of the “Neighborhood Crip” street gang. HATCH was seen in the Instagram Live with a gun tucked in his waistband as he appeared to be filming a music video. Officers determined where the video was being recorded and conducted a traffic stop on HATCH and who he sated was his security detail. When asked by officers, HATCH denied having any weapons, but his security detail turned over a bag containing a 9-millimeter Springfield “Hellcat,” loaded with seven rounds of ammunition and not registered in California. All occupants were removed from the vehicle, and during a search of the vehicle, officers located a 9-millimeter Glock 19 pistol in the backseat of the car, where HATCH had been seated. Following the search, officers placed HATCH, whose prior criminal convictions include a 2011 felony drug trafficking conviction, under arrest for felon in possession of a firearm. Following his arrest and while at the police station, officers observed HATCH threatening his security detail including threatening to put “10K” on their head and put them in a “body bag.” HATCH told agents all the firearms had been in the possession of his security detail the entire time. Agents later determined that the gun found in the back seat of the vehicle was the same firearm HATCH had in his waistband during the filming of the music video, that HATCH’s DNA was found on both firearms, and that the firearms were purchased by HATCH’s girlfriend in Georgia, and not his security detail. HATCH ultimately admitted the 9-millimeter Glock 19 pistol found on the seat where he was sitting was the same firearm he possessed in the video. “Our office remains committed to enforcing federal firearm laws to protect public safety and ensure that prohibited individuals are held accountable when they violate those laws,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. DEFENDANTS Case Number 24CR1508-CAB Torrence Ivy Hatch Age: 43 Palmetto, GA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Felon in Possession of a firearm, 18 U.S.C. 922(g)(1) Maximum penalties: 10 years custody $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release; Mandatory Special Assessment of $100; Forfeiture INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives San Diego Police Department


title: Sutter County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO , Calif. — Thomas Davis, 40, of Yuba City, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 15 years in prison for receipt of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced. According to court documents, between May 2023 and January 2024, Davis used the BitTorrent network to download child pornography. During this period Davis built a collection of more than 400 videos and 200 images containing child sexual abuse material, including some which depicted the sexual abuse of toddlers. This case was the product of an investigation by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the California Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Charles Campbell is prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. Learn more at Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Hunterdon County Man Indicted on Possession of Videos and Images of Child Sexual Abuse

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Hunterdon County man was arraigned after being indicted on a charge of possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. David Tuytjens, 70, of Tewksbury Township, New Jersey, was charged in a one-count Indictment with possession of child pornography. Yesterday, he was arraigned before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court and entered a plea of not guilty. Tuytjens was initially charged by complaint on the same offense in April 2025. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: In December 2024, officers from the New Jersey State Parole Board visited Tuytjens’ residence and discovered various electronic devices, including a 64 gigabyte MicroSD storage card inside of a laptop. Officers conducted their visit because Tuytjens is prohibited from possessing, among other things, Internet-capable devices as an individual under Community Supervision for Life due to a prior State conviction for aggravated sexual assault. An examination of the storage card contents revealed at least 800 images and 30 video files containing child sexual abuse materials (“CSAM”). A review of the CSAM has revealed images depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, images portraying sadistic or masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse or exploitation of an infant or toddler. Due to Tuytjens’ prior convictions, including a federal conviction for possession of child pornography, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. The charge also carries with it a maximum $250,000 fine. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in the Newark Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., and the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson, with the investigation leading to the indictment. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton. The charge contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Carlos Diaz-Cobo, Esq. tuytjens.indictment.pdf


title: Mexican National Admits to Cocaine Distribution and Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – A Mexican national admitted to distribution of controlled substances and illegal firearm possession, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today. Hector Riano-Corcuera, 33, a citizen and national of Mexico and most recently of East Brunswick, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi to a two-count Information charging him with distribution of controlled substances and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Riano-Corcuera had been previously charged by complaint with these offenses on June 27, 2025. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On or about June 26, 2025, law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested Riano-Corcuera after he sold approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine to another individual. Prior to the arrest, Riano-Corcuera fled on foot from the officers before being caught. Once apprehended, officers recovered a loaded Sig Sauer 9mm firearm from a bag that Riano-Corcuera had been wearing. Law enforcement then executed a search of Riano-Corcuera’s residence, where they recovered additional quantities of cocaine, two semiautomatic rifles, three handguns, and a variety of firearm ammunition. The cocaine distribution charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a fine of up to $10 million. The unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for May 13, 2026. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda Thorne-James in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea. He also thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel in Newark, IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Linda Estremera, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Bradley D. Billhimer, the Asbury Park Police Department, under the direction of Deputy Chief of Police Guy Thompson, the East Brunswick Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Frank LoSacco, the Lakewood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Gregory H. Meyer, the Manchester Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Antonio Ellis, the Middletown Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police R. Craig Weber, the Neptune Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Anthony Gualario, the Ocean Gate Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Kuchta, and the Spotswood Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Philip Corbisiero, for their assistance in the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton. ### Defense counsel: Andrea Aldana, Esq., Federal Public Defenders. riano_corcuera.information.pdf


title: Portland Woman Pleads Guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland woman pleaded guilty yesterday for engaging in sexual contact of an unaccompanied minor under the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement. Teresa Valdovinos-Godinez, 34, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact. According to court documents, between September 12, 2023, and October 8, 2023, Valdovinos-Godinez engaged in abusive sexual contact with an individual in federal custody while she was working as a counselor at Morrison Mi Futuro, a residential facility for unaccompanied minors in Portland. On August 12, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging Valdovinos-Godinez with abusive sexual contact. Valdovinos-Godinez faces a maximum sentence of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. She will be sentenced on April 2, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge. As part of the plea agreement, Valdovinos-Godinez has agreed to pay restitution in full to the victim. The Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Rochat and Pamela Paaso are prosecuting the case. This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Kauai Woman Sentenced to 36 Months for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - Hawaii

body_text: HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Trish Leila Henderson, 46, of Kauai, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi to 36 months in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, Henderson was part of a conspiracy that was acquiring controlled substances through the U.S. mail and was engaged in the distribution of methamphetamine on Kauai. In total, Henderson was held responsible for over 22 pounds of methamphetamine. Henderson is one of eleven defendants charged in three separate indictments for crimes related to the operation of a trans-Pacific drug trafficking network, nine of whom have pled guilty with the remaining awaiting trial. The overall investigation yielded seizures of more than 150 pounds of methamphetamine, several kilograms of fentanyl and carfentanil, eight firearms, ammunition, and over $150,000 in cash. At sentencing, Judge Kobayashi commented that Henderson had shown strong mitigating circumstances, including her drug treatment and her efforts to rebuild her community following the harm she had caused in distributing methamphetamine on Kauai. Henderson is the third defendant in a nine-defendant indictment to be sentenced. Her coconspirators, including those charged in other indictments, have been sentenced as follows: On April 30, 2025, in one of the related cases charged by separate indictment, Shawn Pauahi Santana was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and to distributing methamphetamine. On December 10, 2025, Faith Michelle Nelson was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On December 16, 2025, Francis Anthony Abergas, Jr., was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and 5 years’ supervised release after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a felony. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu Police Departments, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret C. Nammar is prosecuting the case.


title: Multi-State ATM “Jackpotting” Ring Busted in Middle District of Georgia

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – A group of Venezuelan nationals involved in a series of ATM “jackpotting” thefts across Georgia and additional states have pleaded guilty to federal charges. Hector Alejandro Alvarado Alvarez, 22, of Venezuela, and Cesar Augusto Gil Sanchez, 22, of Venezuela, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Jan. 7 and face a maximum of 30 years in prison. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. Co-defendants Javier Alejandro Suarez-Godoy, 20, of Venezuela, was sentenced to time served on Jan. 7, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on Sept. 24, 2025; David Josfrangel Suarez-Sanchez, 24, of Venezuela, was sentenced to serve ten months in prison on Sept. 24, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; and Giobriel Alexander Valera-Astudillo, 26, of Venezuela, was sentenced to serve ten months in prison on June 5, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Alvarado Alvarez, Gil Sanchez, Suarez-Godoy, Suarez-Sanchez and Valera-Astudillo are subject to immediate deportation byImmigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after serving their prison sentences. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner is presiding over the case. There is no parole in the federal system. “Law enforcement agencies nationwide are increasingly encountering jackpotting schemes that have ties to major criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We appreciate the strong collaboration between numerous police departments and the FBI, whose efforts led to the apprehension of this group. These individuals now face ICE detainers for immediate deportation.” “This group exploited sophisticated malware and traveled across state lines to target financial institutions, demonstrating the evolving and organized nature of modern ATM jackpotting schemes,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI will continue working with our law enforcement partners nationwide to identify, disrupt and dismantle criminal networks that threaten the security of our banking system and our communities.” According to court documents and statements referenced in court, the FBI began investigating ATM “jackpotting” thefts that occurred between Sept. 14 and Sept. 16, 2024, at Peoples South Bank ATMs in Macon, Americus and Albany, Georgia, with failed attempts to steal money from Citizens Community Bank ATMs in Banbridge, Georgia, and Tallahassee, Florida. In all, $24,000 was stolen from Peoples South Bank ATMs. “Jackpotting” exploits ATM vulnerabilities, causing machines to dispense cash. Criminals gather ATM details, then either use malware-infected devices or “supervisor mode” to trigger cash withdrawals. Malware was used in these thefts. Surveillance video from the ATM thefts showed the ringleader, Alvarado Alvarez, along with other co-conspirators, participating in the thefts and attempted thefts. Law enforcement also recovered Alvarado Alvarez’s fingerprints on the ATM machines in Albany and Bainbridge. On Oct. 20, 2024, Alvarado Alvarez, Suarez-Sanchez and Varela-Astudillo accessed or attempted to access the ATM machines belonging to Commercial Banking Co. and Citizens Community Bank in Hahira, Morven, and Valdosta, Georgia. The group took $33,000 from the ATM in Morven and $18,000 from the ATM in Valdosta. They failed to steal money from the Haihara ATM machine. The next day, on Oct. 21, 2024, a Morven Police Department officer conducted a traffic stop of a car driven by Suarez-Sanchez and Varela-Astudillo. The same officer was called to the ATM theft at the Citizens Community Bank on Main Street in Morven. The officer immediately recognized the vehicle in the surveillance footage as the same vehicle he had stopped earlier, being driven by Suarez-Sanchez and Varela-Astudillo. The officer immediately initiated a BOLO (be on the lookout) for the vehicle. The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) stopped the car on Interstate 75 in Tift County, Georgia. Varela-Astudillo and Suarez-Sanchez were placed into custody and taken to Valdosta Police Department. During the arrest, law enforcement discovered stacks of cash inside a black bag located in the passenger seat. Officers also found computer equipment used in the ATM thefts; 40 fingerprints were obtained and matched prints on file for Suarez-Godoy and Alvarado Alverez, along with other co-conspirators. On November 26, 2024, the Hazard Police Department in Kentucky received a burglary alarm at a Peoples Bank ATM. Alvarado Alvarez was recorded on the security camera tampering with the ATM; other banks in Perry County, Kentucky, had reported similar suspicious activities at their ATMs. Officers quickly tracked down the car seen on the security footage. Alvarado Alvarez, who was driving the car, had no proof of identification, and officers saw a large sum of cash in plain sight. Alvarado Alvarez was taken into custody possessing $67,153.00, an ATM key and several electronic devices used in the ATM thefts. A search warrant executed at Alvarado Alvarez’s motel room recovered an additional $65,600. 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 Neighborhoods (PSN). The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Albany, Georgia, Police Department (APD); the Bainbridge, Georgia Police Department (BPD); the Valdosta, Georgia Police Department (VPD); the Hahira, Georgia, Police Department (HPD); the Jasper, Georgia, Police Department; the Morven, Georgia, Police Department (MPD); the Hazard, Kentucky, Police Department (HPD); and the Georgia State Patrol (GSP). Deputy Criminal Chief Veronica Hansis is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Georgia Inmates Found Guilty in Nationwide Jury Duty Call Scheme

component: Criminal Investigative Division (FBI)

body_text: ALBANY, Ga. – Two Georgia inmates involved in a nationwide call scheme exhorting unsuspecting citizens to pay off fines to avoid arrest and prosecution were found guilty of their crimes in federal court tonight. Joey Amour Jackson aka “Apes---,” and Lance Riddle aka “C-Port,” both of Calhoun State Prison, were found guilty of all counts charged by indictment: one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on Jan. 9, following a five-day trial that began on Jan. 5, before Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands in Albany. The defendants face a maximum 30 years in prison for wire fraud and a maximum of 20 years in prison for money laundering, to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine per count. A sentencing date will be scheduled by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “Centered out of Calhoun State Prison in Georgia, inmates and co-conspirators outside prison walls participated in a nationwide scheme to extract money from citizens by threatening them with arrest and other penalties for missing jury duty,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This scheme went even further by coercing personal photos from some female victims, resulting in threats of rape and other violence against them by inmates. Law enforcement is dedicated to identifying and apprehending those who exploit the goodwill of our citizens, ensuring they face the maximum consequences permitted by law.” “Not even prison cells prevented these criminals from harming dozens of innocent people. Hopefully, this verdict will bring some level of comfort to the victims and prevent others from falling for similar scams,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners in not only addressing these types of inmate-based crimes but also in preventing inmates access to contraband cell phones that provide the means to do so much harm to the unsuspecting public.” According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, FBI agents in Columbus, Georgia, received information from various law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. regarding reports of wire fraud by Georgia inmates, including from local law enforcement in Colorado, Florida, Virginia, Nevada, California and Ohio. Agents discovered that inmates at Calhoun State Prison, including Jackson and Riddle, were using contraband cellular telephones and advanced electronic techniques such as Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) to contact victims from a number that mirrored the numbers of their local police departments. The victims were told they had one or more warrants for their arrest due to missing jury duty. The defendants, posing as police officers, informed the victims that the warrants would be cleared through payment of a bond over the phone and, if not paid, the victims would immediately be arrested. The victims were also informed they were under a “gag” order and couldn’t speak about their warrants until the bond was paid, or they would be immediately arrested. The victims were almost always instructed to purchase gift cards and read the numbers off the back of the cards to the defendants, although wire transfers were sometimes made. Once the bond was paid, the victims were instructed to drive to their local police department to verify their signature on the bond. Many female victims were told that, because of supposed heightened courthouse security, they needed to go to a local Target store, enter a restroom, undress and record themselves performing a self-conducted cavity search before verifying their signature. Some victims subsequently received lewd and sexually explicit messages, including photos of male genitalia and violent threats. The scheme primarily targeted female professionals with prominent online profiles, though a small number of male victims were also identified. The inmates impersonated both fictitious individuals and real law enforcement officers from the victims’ local jurisdictions. They worked with co-conspirators outside prison who managed the financial accounts for the group. The stolen proceeds were used to pay off personal debts such as house and vehicle loans, as well as to purchase drugs. The scheme resulted in more than $464,920 in documented losses from 119 victims nationwide, though the true number of victims is likely much higher. Many cases go unreported, are not fully investigated or are concealed by victims who are too embarrassed to come forward. The case was investigated by the FBI Atlanta’s Columbus Resident Agency and prosecuted by Criminal Chief Leah McEwen.


title: Lakanwal Newly Indicted in Shooting of Guardsmen Near White House that Killed Sarah Beckstrom

body_text: WASHINGTON – An Indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court charging Rahmanullah Lakanwal, 29, with an array of offenses in the ambush-style shooting near the White House on November 26 that killed National Guardsman Sarah Beckstrom and seriously injured National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. The Indictment adds two new counts of assault with intent to kill for additional victims, R.R. and E.S., two National Guard majors who subdued Lakanwal at the scene. In addition, the Indictment charges Lakanwal with first degree murder while armed (premeditated), assault with intent to kill while armed, transportation of a firearm & ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit a felony; and four counts of possession of a firearm during crime of violence or dangerous offense. “We are vigorously pursuing the prosecution of Lakanwal,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Nothing is off the table, and we will continue to weigh additional charges.” According to court documents, Lakanwal allegedly drove his Toyota Prius from his home in Washington state to the District of Columbia. On the day before Thanksgiving, Wednesday, November 26, at about 2:13 p.m., Lakanwal opened fire without provocation at 17th and I Streets, NW, near the Farragut West Metro Station, shooting Beckstrom and Wolfe in the head. Two nearby majors in the National Guard responded immediately and subdued the suspect. At the scene, investigators recovered a .357 Smith & Wesson revolver that had been reported stolen in Seattle, Washington, in 2023. Ms. Beckstrom, 20, succumbed to her injuries on Thanksgiving, November 27. National Guardsman Andrew Wolfe, 24, was critically injured in the ambush. This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 25mj289


title: Pekin, Illinois Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm

body_text: PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin, Illinois man, Joshua Dunn, 33, formerly of South Second Street, was sentenced on January 6, 2026, to 144 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and 60 months for a felon in possession of a firearm charge. The sentence is to be served concurrently in the Bureau of Prisons. At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jonathan E. Hawley, uncontested evidence established that Dunn, a convicted felon, who was unable to lawfully possess a firearm, possessed methamphetamine, cocaine and multiple firearms at his Pekin residence. The drugs and firearms were seized on January 30, 2025, during the execution of two residential search warrants. Approximately 16 grams of cocaine hydrochloride, multiple baggies containing approximately 170 grams of methamphetamine, scales, packaging material indicative of drug trafficking, and 11 firearms were found in the residence. Dunn, who has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since he was arrested following a federal indictment in February 2025, entered a guilty plea in November 2025. Dunn committed these offenses while on supervised release for a prior conviction of felon in possession of a firearm. Dunn’s supervised release was revoked, and a sentence of 24 months imprisonment was imposed, to be served concurrently with his current prison term. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Springfield Residence Office, Pekin Police Department, Peoria Metropolitan Enforcement Group (P-MEG), and the Illinois State Police investigated the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives (ATF) also participated in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.


title: Arthur, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who received child pornography was sentenced on January 9, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. Wesley Ham, 32, from Arthur, Iowa, pled guilty on August 20, 2025, to receipt of child pornography. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that between March 2022, and September 2023, Ham received and possessed more than 94 images and 79 videos of child pornography. A forensic review of Ham’s computer and phone showed he possessed 370 images and 99 videos of child pornography, some of which included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. Ham admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography. Ham also admitted to distributing child pornography in a state of Iowa case in 2022. In connection with his 2022 case, Ham admitted to lingering around coffee shops and other public spaces in attempts to generate encounters with minor children and admitted to being on bike trails in residential areas in hopes of finding people in their houses to secretly watch them. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ham was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Ham must also pay $10,500 in restitution to the victims in this case. Ham remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (Cyber Crime Bureau) and the Ida County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 25-3017. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Seminole County Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Duane Stone, age 48, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that on April 2, 2025, Stone assaulted the victim, resulting in serious bodily injury. The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole Lighthorse Police. The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Stone remains on bond with conditions of release pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Violent Home Invasion Robberies Targeting Business Owners and Employees

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Abdullah Hartage, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and $60,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for two violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and employees. Hartage and codefendant Ali Chandler were charged by superseding indictment in October 2022. Both pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of committing or threatening physical violence in furtherance of a plan or purpose to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Chandler is still awaiting sentencing. As detailed in court filings and statements, on November 13, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others met at their intended victims’ area business and waited outside until closing time, when the owners and their adult daughter left. The robbers, who had conducted prior surveillance to determine where the family lived, then drove to the residence, arriving before the victims. When the victims opened their garage and parked inside, the four perpetrators, armed with handguns, stormed in. One of the gunmen struck the 61-year-old male victim several times in the head, causing injuries, and forced him to the ground. Another gunman forced the business owners’ daughter to the ground at gunpoint, and yet another perpetrator forced the 65-year-old female victim from the garage into the home at gunpoint, striking her several times in the head and causing injuries. After the home’s security alarm sounded, the perpetrators fled, taking the daughter’s backpack, which contained her credit/debit cards and ID. In the next robbery, committed on December 4, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others targeted an employee of an area store. They had spent weeks casing the store, following the victim home and identifying her house. On the night of the robbery, the perpetrators again arrived ahead of the victim. Within minutes of the victim arriving home, three armed men broke in, one telling her “I know where you work.” The 68-year-old victim was zip-tied to a chair and pistol whipped in the face, causing head injuries, including a gash requiring stitches and a concussion. The perpetrators made off with a safe containing cash, coins, and jewelry. Hartage had served more than two years in state prison for previous violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and was still on state probation when he planned and committed these 2021 home invasions. This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Montgomery Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.


title: Year in Review: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Cracked Down on Crime While Implementing Significant New Policies and Initiatives in Productive 2025

component: USAO - Illinois, Northern

body_text: CHICAGO — The United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago increased its caseload to crack down on crime in 2025 while implementing significant new policies and initiatives that have strengthened the Office for continued success now and in the future, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today. Federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 were up 34% (429 versus 320) compared to last year. The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 was up 38% (571 versus 414) compared to last year. The increase was particularly notable in federal firearm indictments brought under ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, with those indictments up 122% (51 versus 23) compared to last year. Child exploitation indictments were also up 45% (29 versus 20) compared to last year. “I am proud to report that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois had a productive and robust year in 2025,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who began serving as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025. “I walked in and found an Office that was facing hard times, as had widely been reported. I knew that thoughtful and meaningful changes would be needed to move the direction of the Office,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued. “As such, from my first days in the Office, I made it a top priority to sit down for candid, one-on-one discussions with every single Assistant U.S. Attorney to ask for their perspective on what was working, what wasn’t working, where change was needed, and how I could best support each of them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I also met with all staff in the Office and further sat down with nearly every federal agency enforcement head in Chicagoland, as well as many state and local partners to ask the same types of questions. In addition, I conducted an objective, thorough, top-down review of nearly all our policies, procedures, and practices. What I learned from this massive undertaking was both eye opening and deeply informative—especially as an alum who served almost eight years in the Office.” Against this backdrop, throughout the year, U.S. Attorney Boutros implemented numerous policy, procedural, and structural changes aimed at aligning resources with need, deploying resources for maximum effectiveness, forging deep partnerships with law enforcement stakeholders, and empowering prosecutors to bring many more impactful indictments in critical program areas. From an external perspective, among the policy changes he implemented, U.S. Attorney Boutros in June expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation. In August, U.S. Attorney Boutros created a Healthcare Fraud Section within the Office’s Criminal Division dedicated to the prosecution of healthcare fraud, which is among the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities and the first time the Office has had such a Section. Since U.S. Attorney Boutros began serving in his position, the Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the district and transnationally. “There is no shortage of serious federal crimes in Chicago, whether in the areas of violence, fraud, drug or firearm trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, corruption, corporate crime, or any of the other myriad federal crimes that are committed in our District daily. As United States Attorney, I have been—and will remain—sharply focused on working closely with our various law enforcement partners to accept more and more of their cases for federal criminal prosecution, and once cases come through our doors, making sure our prosecutors have what they need to see worthy cases through charges and case disposition. The people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve our tireless and unflinching efforts to hold accountable those who break the law. As we embark on 2026, we will continue to work hard to investigate and prosecute an increasing number of significant cases that make a real difference in the lives of our citizens.” The increased caseload and significant changes occurred during a year that saw the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and the simultaneous largest-ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched in September by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal law enforcement agencies dedicated a substantial amount of resources in support of the surge, which lasted for months and required substantial preparation in advance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and much of the federal government also was subject to a hiring freeze in 2025. “The stepped-up results we have been able to achieve came during a busy and historic year in our District, and at a time when our Office was down some 50 prosecutors, many of whom left the government in early 2025 after accepting a government-wide offer of early retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Looking ahead, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions. Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including substantial federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and will be able to hit the ground running. In addition to the hiring surge we are experiencing, I intend to implement numerous other changes in 2026 to build on the significant success we have already achieved in 2025, and to further increase efficiency, productivity, performance, and impact while ensuring fairness and integrity in all our matters and practices.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), to investigate and prosecute federal crimes. State and local partners in this effort include the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, and many other police departments and prosecutors’ offices throughout northern Illinois. Examples of the many significant cases prosecuted in 2025 are featured below: National Security / Terrorism Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man on Terrorism and Arson Charges for Lighting Train Passenger on Fire and Setting Chicago City Hall Ablaze Days Earlier Lawrence Reed was indicted on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier. It is the first time in our District’s history that a terrorism charge has been filed in connection with a crime on a Chicago mass transit system. Man Charged with Making a Threat to Kill President Trump Trent Schneider allegedly posted a video of himself stating that he would kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States. Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS Ashraf Al Safoo was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media. Drug Trafficking / Cartels / Transnational Criminal Organizations Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Sons of “El Chapo” and Heads of Sinaloa Cartel—Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago The two brothers, who along with two other brothers are collectively known as “the Chapitos,” admitted that they assumed their father’s leadership role atop the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Joaquin and Ovidio Guzman Lopez admitted in plea agreements that they conspired to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals into the United States from Mexico. Joaquin Guzman Lopez also admitted to arranging and participating in violence and corruption to carry out the enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities. Alleged Boss of Violent Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Narcoterrorism, Drug, and Firearm Charges Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” allegedly oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. Six Defendants Indicted in Federal Drug Trafficking Investigation Involving Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Sales in Chicago A superseding indictment accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Chicago. Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns. Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and 25 Firearms from Suburban Chicago Residences and Storage Unit; Two Individuals Arrested Federal law enforcement arrested two individuals after seizing multiple kilograms of fentanyl and 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit. Five Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl Sales in Chicago The indictment accuses four of the defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, meth, and heroin. Three defendants are charged with illegally possessing firearms, including handguns equipped with a “switch” device, making them capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization David Berger received more than $300,000 in cash from the cartel for arranging private jet travel for drug traffickers to transport illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico. Violent Crime / Gangs / Firearms Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings Three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang were charged with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs. Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in Chicago The defendants allegedly conspired to deal firearms without a license. The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado). Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced to Life Term for Murdering Fellow Inmate Due to His Religious Faith Brandon Simonson beat another inmate because he was Jewish. Simonson wanted to gain recognition and membership in a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads. Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 Murders The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago. Chicago Street Gang Member Sentenced to 34 Years for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness Diontae Harper committed murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang on the South Side of Chicago. Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Machine Gun in Chicago Park The Glock handgun allegedly possessed by Eddie Arguelles was equipped with a conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” allowing the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Street Gang Leader of Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders Labar Spann was a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, which terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, and drug dealing. Federal Judge Sentences Man to More than Seven Years for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Carrier Richard Thompson displayed a handgun and took the carrier’s USPS-issued Arrow Key. At the time of the robbery, Thompson was on pre-trial release for an unrelated criminal charge in state court. Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Firearm Offenses Kiar Evans fired shots through a window of a vehicle while attempting to get inside. He later carjacked another vehicle after pointing a gun at the driver. Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang was charged with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.” U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago The alleged assault occurred on a weekday afternoon as the victim, who is employed by the federal judiciary, was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building. Joshua Rowell approached the victim from behind and allegedly punched her on the side of her face, sending her stumbling into the street. U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Felony Possession of a Dangerous Weapon During Standoff in Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago Mario Santoyo allegedly put a knife to his throat and threatened to hurt himself in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building, causing a nine-and-a-half-hour standoff. Federal law enforcement used non-lethal force to take Santoyo into custody. Child Exploitation / Human Trafficking Chicago Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children Armando Torres used social media to contact and persuade young girls, most of whom were younger than ten years old, to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves. Rockford Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges Alex Ledoux allegedly possessed images of child pornography on an electronic device. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years. Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Multiple Children Richard Barnett falsely claimed to be 12 or 13 years old when he contacted young girls online and requested—and sometimes demanded—that they send him sexually explicit images of themselves. Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Child He Met Online Andrew Boltz enticed a Chicago-area girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself. Boltz instructed the girl on what type of explicit conduct should be portrayed in the images. Public Corruption Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison After Corruption Conviction Michael J. Madigan used his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after a nearly 11-week trial resulting in his conviction. Consultant Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Falsify Records and Evade Internal Controls at Commonwealth Edison as Part of Scheme to Bribe Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan Michael McClain and three others were convicted of conspiracy and other charges related to a bribery scheme. The other defendants included former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who was sentenced to two years; former ComEd Vice President John Hooker, who was sentenced to 18 months, and ComEd’s former outside lobbyist Jay Doherty, who was sentenced to a year. Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of Justice John Kosmowski, formerly the Chief of Police in Summit, Ill., accepted a bribe from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license. City of Chicago Employee Indicted on Federal Tax Fraud Charges Eric Sanders, a City of Chicago Department of Aviation employee who oversaw snow-removal operations at O’Hare International Airport, was indicted for allegedly accepting payments from a snow removal company and directing the money to nominees to conceal the payments and avoid paying taxes. Former Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Three Others Indicted in Alleged Kickback Scheme Devon Horton allegedly steered school district contracts to companies created by three friends and then received kickbacks from the contracts. Horton also allegedly engaged in an embezzlement scheme by improperly using a school district credit card. Immigration Undocumented Immigrant Charged with Illegally Re-Entering United States After Multiple Deportations Salvador Guerrero-Lopez was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2004, 2011, and 2021 after criminal convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in California and narcotics distribution in Arkansas. Guerrero-Lopez was found to be in the U.S. in 2025. Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation Santos Vasquez-Ortiz, who was deported from the United States in 2008, was allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S. when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court. Undocumented Immigrant Sentenced to More than a Year in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation Luis Chavez was deported from the United States to his native Mexico in 2015 after being convicted of firearm and attempted burglary offenses in Kankakee County, Ill. He was later found to be present in Kankakee County and was taken into federal custody. Healthcare Fraud National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 324 Individuals, Including 13 in Northern District of Illinois The 13 defendants charged in the Northern District of Illinois allegedly participated in fraud schemes involving more than $1.83 billion billed to government programs and private health insurers. The schemes caused the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare, and other insurers to pay more than $865 million in fraudulent reimbursements. Suburban Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Healthcare Fraud Charges Shawn Bashir allegedly created fictitious therapy companies and then used them to submit more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer. Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare Fraud Clarence W. Brown III allegedly billed a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services. Brown allegedly used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s. Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims The civil settlement resolved allegations that Walgreens illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and then sought payment for many of those prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act. Financial Fraud U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Obtains Forfeiture of $214 Million in Proceeds from Alleged “Pump and Dump” Investment Fraud Scheme The fraud scheme allegedly involved individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and falsely promising significant returns from investments in a certain company. The misleading promotion and subsequent coordinated trading by the defendants caused the stock price to artificially rise, at which point the defendants allegedly sold thousands of shares and made millions of dollars in profits. Federal law enforcement seized approximately $214 million in alleged fraud proceeds, allowing the government to return money to victim investors. Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud Robert Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that his purported digital asset, known as Meta-1 Coin, was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold. Founder of Chicago Cryptocurrency Company Indicted in Alleged $10 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy Firas Isa allegedly knowingly allowed criminals to use his cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business to launder at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses. U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Compensation Fraud Graciela Venegas allegedly pocketed $51,776 in augmented work comp benefits to which she was not entitled.


title: Tribal Police Officer Charged with Sexually Abusing Three Victims While on Duty: FBI Seeks Additional Victims

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – A White Mountain Apache Tribal Police officer was arrested Wednesday in Canyon Day on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, after being charged in a federal indictment with sexual abuse and kidnapping. Karl Eugene Leslie, 42, of Whiteriver, Arizona, is charged in a 15-count indictment, returned Dec. 23, 2025, with Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping (including one count of Kidnapping-Victim Under 18), Sexual Abuse through Fear, Sexual Abuse through Coercion, and Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law. Leslie was an active law enforcement officer with the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation from April 2007 through June 2024. The indictment alleges that while working as an on-duty law enforcement officer, Leslie sexually abused three victims on dates ranging from Dec. 1, 2020, through Sept. 25, 2023. The indictment alleges that Leslie forcibly raped and kidnapped two of the three victims, one of whom was a minor, and that Leslie twice engaged in sexual acts with a third victim by threatening her and placing her in fear. Each victim is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office believes there could be additional victims and is asking anyone with information and/or any potential victims to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit the information via this seeking victim page: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victim-information-in-karl-leslie-investigation . A conviction for Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse through Fear, Sexual Abuse through Coercion, and Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law all carry a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Kidnapping-Victim Under 18 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years. The FBI Phoenix Pinetop-Lakeside office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dimitra H. Sampson (Flagstaff) and Lindsay L. Short (Phoenix), District of Arizona, are handling the prosecution. An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. CASE NUMBER: CR-2025-08232-PCT-DGC RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-003_Leslie 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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Former IRS Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Preparing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – A former IRS employee was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 24 months in prison and a $150,000 fine for preparing false tax returns. According to court documents, Hector Cavazos, 63, of San Antonio, owned and operated a tax return preparation business, where he aided and assisted in the preparation of 61 false tax returns on behalf of 13 taxpayer-clients and one undercover agent for tax years 2016 through 2021. Defying IRS regulations, Cavazos did not sign any of the returns as a paid preparer. Additionally, the 61 tax returns prepared by Cavazos contained false Schedule C losses, unbeknownst to the 13 taxpayer-clients. The 61 violations amounted to a tax loss of $579,682. Cavazos had been employed by the IRS until 1996, when he was arrested and charged with fraud in the Eastern District of California. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy and collusion with another person to defraud the United States and was sentenced on Nov. 6, 2000, to two months in prison. On Sept. 4, 2024, Cavazos was indicted on 27 counts of preparing false tax returns. He pleaded guilty to one count on July 1, 2025. In addition to ordering the prison sentence and fine, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery barred Cavazos from preparing, aiding and assisting in the preparation of tax returns. “Unscrupulous tax return preparers such as Hector Cavazos cause incalculable harm not only to the U.S. Treasury and all U.S. taxpayers, but also their own clients who face the possibility of additional taxes plus interest and penalties,” said U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas. “The multi-year prison sentence and fine imposed in this case reflects the seriousness of this offense, and my office will continue to prosecute individuals who violate federal tax laws.” “Cavazos never signed his name or provided an IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number. He was a ghost preparer. He made his fraud look like his clients prepared the returns,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Troy Caldron of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office, which includes San Antonio. “Not only did he betray his clients, Cavazos also betrayed the trust that tax payers have in the profession of tax preparers. Tax season is approaching, and everyone needs to be diligent in selecting who prepares their taxes.” IRS-CI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Harris prosecuted the case. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Over $10 Million in Fiscal Year 2025

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: Charlottesville, Va. – Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci announced today that the Western District of Virginia collected $10,621,656.97 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $9,151,869.51 was collected in criminal actions and $1,469,787.46 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the Western District of Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $60,245,937.67 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $10,076.28 was collected in criminal actions and $60,235,861.39 was collected in civil actions. “The men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia work tirelessly to ensure taxpayer dollars are used properly and that the American people are protected from fraud and abuse,” Acting United States Attorney Tracci said today. “Today’s announcement is a testament to the work of those involvement in the collection of criminal and civil penalties as well as the forfeiture of property obtained through criminal activity. The people of the Western District of Virginia should be proud of the work these civil servants perform on their behalf each and every day.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. Additionally, the Western District of Virginia utilized a Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act writ to seize over $1.1 million from a criminal defendant to pay criminal restitution. These collection numbers demonstrate the district’s strategic use of all debt collection tools available under the law to ensure that criminal defendants are held responsible for repaying the victims of their crime and that civil debtors are held accountable for their debts to the government. These collection amounts include $5 million in criminal fines from the prosecution of Envigo RMS, LLC and Envigo Global Services, Inc., a dog breeding facility that conspired to violate the Animal Welfare Act and Clean Water Act . Separately, the Western District of Virginia forfeited $72.2 million to the United States related to its criminal and civil prosecutions. This amount includes $24,878,594.89 from Indivior, and $46,773,249.50 from McKinsey & Co . Additionally, $200,000 was collected from the conviction of Duane Dixon , a former doctor, who concealed health care fraud and prescribed highly addictive opioid painkillers to at-risk patients at pain clinics in Central and Southwest Virginia. Forfeited funds also include tens of thousands of dollars seized from individuals who acted as money mules for foreign criminals employing various fraud schemes against victims in the United States. The Western District of Virginia strategically used both civil and criminal judicial forfeiture to help victims and hold criminals accountable. As a result, significant portions of the funds forfeited to the United States in FY25 were returned to victims of crime.


title: Harlan County Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: LONDON, Ky. – A Harlan, Ky., man, Brandon Farley, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 60 years in prison, following his previous conviction of two counts of production of child pornography. According to testimony at trial, Farley sexually abused a minor that was in his care and took photos of that abuse. Under federal law, Farley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life. Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police jointly announced the conviction. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. – END –


title: MEXICAN MAN SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR IMMIGRATION-RELATED FRAUD

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Eduardo Saavedra Melayes, 45, a Mexican national, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for aggravated identify theft, falsely representing U.S. citizenship, and false statement in application for passport. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This illegal alien chose to try to lie, cheat, and steal his way into this country, but thanks to the vigilance and excellent investigation of our federal partners he will now find himself in federal prison before being swiftly deported thereafter. My office has zero-tolerance for violations of our nation’s laws, and we will aggressively prosecute these crimes to the fullest extent.” Court documents reflect that in December of 2023, the defendant submitted a passport application in-person at a Panama City post office. Upon processing, the application was denied due to indicators of fraud. An investigation uncovered that the defendant submitted the passport application using someone else’s identity. The documents submitted during the application process were possessed unlawfully. Additionally, a previous false passport was used in 2008, 2009, 2024, and 2025 to travel between the United States and Mexico. The defendant was at all times unlawfully present in the United States. “We are a key partner in the United States’ work to reduce illegal immigration and root out those who endeavor to exploit the U.S. travel system,” said Ryan McSeveney, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office. “DSS proudly coordinates with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our U.S. and international law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of crime related to passport and visa fraud — and to bring those who commit these crimes to justice.” The sentence was the result of an investigation by the Diplomatic Security Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: FEDERAL FELON PLEADS GUILTY TO FIREARM OFFENSE

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ernest Lee Thomas II, 35, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The outstanding work by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, in close collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, led to this successful prosecution, which will ensure this dangerous offender is kept off our streets. The safety of our communities is non-negotiable, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute all violations of federal law to incapacitate criminal offenders who threaten our peace.” Court documents reflect that on May 31, 2025, deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by the defendant. During the traffic stop, a search of the vehicle uncovered a loaded black .45-caliber Taurus handgun with a round in the chamber and five rounds in the magazine. While speaking with law enforcement, the defendant made statements indicating the firearm belonged to him. The defendant had previously been convicted in the Northern District of Florida of Distribution of Cocaine and Possession of Stolen Firearms. The defendant faces up to fifteen years’ imprisonment followed by a term of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson. Sentencing is scheduled for March 24, 2026, at 9:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Baltimore Man Sentenced for Obtaining and Using Vulnerable Victims’ Personal Information in Unemployment Insurance Claims Fraud Scheme

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin sentenced Duane Watts, 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, to 54 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence is in connection with Watts’ participation in an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme involving the use of the personal identifying information of multiple victims, including vulnerable victims, to cause financial losses of more than $167,000. The victims were vulnerable because of their mental status or cognitive impairment. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office. According to the defendant’s guilty plea, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Watts engaged in a conspiracy to defraud and obtain money through materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises in connection with the UI scheme. Watts also engaged in aggravated identity theft, obtaining the personal identifiable information of real persons and using the information to cause the submission of false and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL). Watts and his co-conspirators used UI benefits, which were designated to assist unemployed or underemployed people due to the COVID-19 national emergency, for their personal use. Watts engaged in multiple ATM transactions, using debit cards loaded with UI funds intended for others, including the vulnerable victims. One of the vulnerable victims whose identity was used subsequently lost her employment and was unable to obtain needed MD-DOL UI benefits due to the fraud conspiracy. Judge Rubin previously sentenced co-defendants Tiia Woods and Devante Smith to 74 and 57 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the conspiracy. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It authorized increased unemployment insurance UI benefits which have historically been a state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible workers. The CARES Act expanded states’ ability to provide UI benefits for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including self-employed workers or independent contractors, who would not normally be eligible for UI benefits. The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and FBI for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. D’Amico and Harry M. Gruber who prosecuted the federal 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/community-outreach . # # #


title: Aliens Charged with Illegally Voting in a Federal Election and Making False Statements While Applying for U.S. Citizenship

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury returned separate Indictments charging two Bergen County men with illegally voting in a federal election and making false statements while applying for United States citizenship, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. According to the Indictments, which were returned on December 22, 2025, both Muhammad Muzammal, 37, and Muhammad Shakeel, 62, were non-citizens at the time they registered to vote in New Jersey. However, on their registration forms, both men falsely certified and attested that they were United States citizens. After their applications to register were approved, each of the men, still without United States citizenship, cast ballots in the in the November 2020 general election, which included the election for the offices of President and Vice President of the United States. In order to register to vote and vote in federal elections, a person must be a United States citizen. The Indictments also allege that after they illegally voted in a federal election, Muhammad Muzammal and Muhammad Shakeel each applied to become United States citizens by submitting applications for naturalization (an “N-400”). An N-400 requires the applicant to swear under penalty of perjury that the information they provide in their application is complete, true, and correct. In their respective N-400s, both men falsely claimed that they had never registered to vote or voted in any Federal, state, or local elections. After they submitted their N-400s, both men were interviewed by an Immigration Services Officer who placed them under oath and questioned them about the answers that the men provided in their respective N-400s. During those interviews, both Muhammad Muzammal and Muhammad Shakeel again falsely asserted that they had never voted in any Federal, state, or local elections. Muhammad Shakeel, will make his initial appearance before a Magistrate in federal District Court in Trenton on January 21, 2026, and his case has been assigned to District Judge Georgette Castner. Muhammad Muzammal, whose case has been assigned to District Judge Karen M. Williams, will make his initial appearance in federal District Court in Camden on a date to be determined. If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum sentences: Count Offense Maximum Penalties 1 Voting by an Alien in a Federal Election 1 year’s imprisonment 2 False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1015(a) 5 years’ imprisonment 3 False Statements in Relation to Naturalization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1425(a) 10 years’ imprisonment Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, under the direction of District Director John Thompson, with the investigations. This case was brought under the United States Attorney’s Office’s Election Integrity Task Force, a coalition of federal law enforcement partners focused on preserving and protecting the integrity of elections conducted in the District of New Jersey. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. McCarren of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division. The charges and allegations contained in the Indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Rizwan M. Khalid, Esq., (for Muhammad Muzammal and Muhammad Shakeel) shakeel.indictment.pdf muzammal.indictment.pdf


title: Elkhart Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Prison

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Steven Lerma, III, 25 years old, of Elkhart, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Lerma was sentenced to 60 months in prison followed by 18 months of supervised release. According to documents in the case, police found Lerma in possession of a handgun with an extended magazine that held 32 rounds of ammunition. Lerma had previously been convicted of felony theft of a firearm and felony domestic battery resulting in moderate bodily injury and was thus prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Elkhart Police Department and the Goshen Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle. 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: Former St. Augustine Eighth Grade Teacher Sentenced To 15 Years In Federal Prison For Attempting To Entice And Use A 14-Year-Old Child To Produce A Sexual Abuse Video

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Senior United States District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Matthew Christopher Yates (31, Hastings) to 15 years in federal prison for attempting to entice and use a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a video of her own sexual abuse. Yates was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Yates pleaded guilty on August 27, 2025. At the time of his arrest on March 11, 2022, Yates was employed as an eighth-grade teacher at a school in St. Augustine. According to court documents, on February 11, 2022, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville, who was posing online as a 14-year-old child, responded to an online notice on a social media application posted by the user “English teacher,” who was subsequently identified as Yates. The notice read, “Any women want to be rated by a teacher?” During this online text conversation, the “child” advised that “she” was 14 years old and in eighth grade, and Yates stated that he was a teacher, asking the “child,” “[e]ver fantasize about a teacher?” Yates and the “child” exchanged photos, and Yates stated, “I bet you look hot in a bikini.” Between February 22 and March 11, 2022, Yates and the “child” exchanged more text messages, and Yates sent the “child” several photos, including some that were sexually explicit. On March 8, 2022, Yates asked the “child” to meet in person, and he detailed the specific sexual acts that he intended to perform on the “child” when they met. Two days later, Yates and the “child” confirmed plans to meet, and Yates asked the “child” if “she” wanted to video-record their planned sexual activity so that the “child” “could remember it even better.” Yates told the “child” that he could use his cellphone to record their sexual activity and that he would later delete the video so that no one would see it. On March 11, 2022, Yates drove to a prearranged location in Jacksonville to meet the “child” for sex and was arrested by FBI agents. A search revealed that Yates had brought several condoms and a cellphone with him. During an interview, Yates admitted that he was going to meet a 14-year-old girl that he had met online and that he intended to have sex with “her.” When asked if he going to have sex with the 14-year-old girl and record it on video, Yates stated, “I said if that’s what she wanted, that we could,” and “I did just want to leave it up to her.” He admitted that it was his idea to make a video of his sexual encounter with the “child.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Jacksonville. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.