title: Airline Employee Sentenced To More Than 12 Years For Attempted Coercion, Enticement Of A Minor And Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Brian Walker (52, Bradenton) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. Walker pled guilty on March 25, 2025. According to court documents, Walker contacted a 12-year-old female living in his community over a social media application. The FBI took over the minor’s social media account and engaged in chats with Walker in an undercover capacity. Walker engaged in sexual conversations with the undercover agent, whom he believed to be the 12-year-old female, and attempted to coerce and entice her to engage in sexual activity. Within the conversations, Walker shared his attraction to 12-year-old females and expressed his desire to meet in person. On June 24, 2024, Walker travelled to meet the minor in person at the community pool and was arrested at the scene. Law enforcement seized a cell phone from Walker and located hundreds of images and videos of minors, including those under the age of 12 years, engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry. 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.


title: Five MS-13 Gang Members Indicted for a Murder in Kings Park and a Related Murder Conspiracy

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today in Central Islip, an indictment was unsealed in federal court charging five members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the “MS-13,” with multiple racketeering offenses in connection with two murders—the October 28, 2023 murder of Yoneli Ramos-Moreno at the Sunken Meadow Bluff in Kings Park, New York, and the March 3, 2025 murder of Carlos Lopez-Lopez in Blue Point, New York—and with other charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and narcotics trafficking conspiracy (the Indictment). The five defendants are David Orellana-Aleman, also known as “Tenebroso” (Orellana-Aleman), who is a leader in the Hollywood Locos Salvatruchas (Hollywood) subgroup or “clique” of the MS-13; Noel Portillo-Romero, also known as “Discreto” (Portillo-Romero), a member of the Carlington Locos Salvatruchas clique of the MS-13 (Carlington); Cruz Eduardo Sanchez-Gutierrez, also known as “Escriper,” “Poison,” and “Bellaco” (Sanchez-Gutierrez), a member of the Hollywood clique; Ernesto Torres-Hernandez, also known as “Perverso” (Torres-Hernandez), a member of the Carlington clique; and Omar Zavala-Ventura, also known as “Snyder,” “Little Ejecutor,” “Pequeno Ejecutor,” and “Liro” (Zavala-Ventura), a member of the Hollywood clique. Portillo-Romero, Sanchez-Gutierrez and Torres-Hernandez were arrested yesterday, and they are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States District Judge Gary R. Brown. Orellana-Aleman is currently in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), and Zavala-Ventura is currently in federal custody. They will be arraigned at a later date. Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD); Raymond A. Tierney, Suffolk County District Attorney; and Steven G. James, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the arrests and charges. “The legal terms in the Indictment cannot adequately describe the sheer savagery with which the defendants, in service to the MS-13 gang, beat, strangled, and murdered Ramos-Moreno, and plotted to murder Lopez-Lopez,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The charges in the indictment demonstrate my Office and our law enforcement partners’ resolve to hold vicious transnational organized crime groups like MS-13 accountable for their crimes and continue the mission to eradicate them from Long Island.” Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the New York City Police Department, the Glen Cove Police Department, and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations for their valuable assistance and partnership in this case. “These violent gang members, allegedly involved in murder and poisoning our communities through the sale of drugs, pose a serious threat to our communities that we will not tolerate,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Alfonso. “MS-13 gang members committing such vile acts, as outlined in this indictment, represent the 'worst of the worst' among criminal aliens. HSI is dedicated to disrupting and dismantling these foreign terrorist organizations that threaten our communities and national security.” “The indictment of these five individuals connected to the brutal executions of two people—all because they were viewed as disloyal—is a clear demonstration of our commitment to hold these defendants accountable,” stated SCPD Commissioner Catalina. “The violence carried out by MS-13 reaches barbaric proportions and we will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to put an end to this transnational gang’s reign of terror.” “I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNY for their leadership in working together with their local partners to investigate and charge these alleged members of the MS-13 gang. Meaningful collaboration between all levels of law enforcement is always vital to safeguard public safety, but never more so then when you are investigating alleged crimes committed by members and associates of violent transnational gangs such as the MS-13,” stated Suffolk County District Attorney Tierney. “Precise coordination, excellent police work and investigative persistence at all levels was key in bringing these murderers to justice. I commend each agency involved for their tireless efforts and invaluable partnership. The New York State Police remains committed to keeping our communities safe from dangerous criminals and the violence that they perpetuate,” stated NYSP Superintendent James. As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants participated in the murder of Ramos-Moreno, a former associate of the MS-13, who was targeted by the gang because he was suspected of being disloyal, and specifically by associating with the rival Latin Kings. Ramos-Moreno was first lured to a parking lot in Hauppauge and then driven to the Sunken Meadow Bluff where he was strangled with a rope and beaten to death. The gang members dragged his body deeper into the woods and left the area. Later, the defendants burned the rope used to kill Ramos-Moreno and destroyed his cellular phone. Three of the defendants, Portillo-Romero, Torres-Hernandez, and Zavala-Ventura, have also been charged with a conspiracy to murder Carlos Lopez-Lopez, who was stabbed to death and drowned after being attacked on the beach in Blue Point, New York. The victim, a former member of the MS-13 who also participated in the Ramos-Moreno murder, was targeted because the MS-13 members believed that he was cooperating with law enforcement. Finally, the Indictment charges the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana. These charges stem from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations, including purchasing firearms, ammunition, and other weapons, and sending money to MS-13 leadership in the United States and Central America. The Indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization. The MS-13 is comprised primarily of immigrants from Central America, and it has leaders in El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States, with thousands of members all over the world. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010 alone, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 75 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and it has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of extensive collaboration with numerous law enforcement agencies, including HSI, FBI, and our local and state partners. The charges in the Indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, each of the defendants faces up to life in prison, or the possibility of the death penalty. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative aimed at eradicating transnational criminal organizations, combating violent crime, and restoring the rule of law. The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Paul G. Scotti, and Justina L. Geraci are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendants : David Orellana-Aleman (also known as “Tenebroso”) Age: 27 Hyattsville, Maryland Noel Portillo-Romero (also known as “Discreto”) Age: 27 Hempstead, New York and Central Islip, New York Cruz Eduardo Sanchez-Gutierrez (also known as “Escriper,” “Poison,” and “Bellaco”) Age: 29 Glen Cove, New York and Central Islip, New York Ernesto Torres-Hernandez (also known as “Perverso”) Age: 26 Port Jefferson, New York and Central Islip, New York Omar Zavala-Ventura (also known as “Snyder,” “Little Ejecutor,” “Pequeno Ejecutor,” and “Liro”) Age: 27 Glen Cove, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-209 (GRB) 25cr209_orellana_aleman_et_al_indictment.pdf


title: Guatemalan National Previously Deported Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE - A Guatemalan national who reentered the country illegally after having been convicted for drug trafficking in 2014 and subsequently deported was sentenced today on a charge of illegal reentry and will again face deportation, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. According to court records, Pedro Andony Alvarado Aguilar, 46, was convicted in federal court in Connecticut in November 2014 on charges of conspiracy to import 5,000 grams or more of cocaine and conspiracy to import 1,000 grams or more of heroin. He was deported on July 1, 2015. On April 10, 2025, Immigration Officers learned through an automated biometric fingerprint match of fingerprints entered into the National Crime Information Center that Alvarado Aguilar was arrested in Rhode Island for driving on a suspended license and on an obstruction charge. The defendant was charged in U.S. District Court in Providence on May 9, 2025, with illegal reentry; he pleaded guilty on May 29, 2025. At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy sentenced Alvarado Aguilar to time served (detained in federal custody since May 2, 2025). An immigration detainer has been filed in this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Immigration and Custom Enforcement. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Tennessee Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Western Pennsylvania Minor

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of South Pittsburg, Tennessee, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Terron Slatton, 26, pleaded guilty before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab to count one of the Indictment charging Slatton with coercion and enticement of a minor. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from on or about December 24, 2022, until on or about December 25, 2022, Slatton, using the internet, induced a minor residing in the Western District of Pennsylvania to produce a visual depiction of the minor engaging in sexual activity. The Court was further advised that Slatton discussed meeting the minor to have sex. Judge Schwab scheduled Slatton’s sentencing for November 18, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations–Pittsburgh and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Slatton. 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.justice.gov/psc .


title: Warwick Man Admits to Trafficking Fentanyl-Laced Pills Disguised as Percocet

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: PROVIDENCE –A Warwick man today pleaded guilty in federal court to charges that he trafficked fentanyl-laced pills disguised as Percocet, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Preston Quintanilha, 23, pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and attempt to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. Quintanilha has been detained in federal custody since his arrest on May 28, 2024, on a criminal complaint filed in this matter. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 30, 2025. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. According to court documents, in August 2023, during a joint federal and local law enforcement investigation into the defendant’s drug trafficking activities, the DEA made two controlled purchases of fentanyl-laced pills from Quintanilha. On September 28, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple court-authorized search warrants and seized 999 fentanyl-laced pills (107.5 grams), a bag of suspected crack cocaine, and $5,830 in cash from his residence; 1,003 fentanyl-laced pills (109.9 grams) from a Pawtucket apartment he used to store narcotic drugs; and $4,232 in cash from his person, proceeds Quintanilha admitted were from his drug trafficking activities. Additionally, on April 16, 2024, United States Postal Service employees intercepted a package addressed to Quintanilha to be delivered to a relative’s residence. A certified K-9 dog positively alerted for the presence of a narcotic odor. A court-authorized search of the package revealed 9,998 fentanyl-laced pills (1,085.8 grams). Quintanilha admitted that he had the package shipped to a relative’s house under the guise of it being a gift for his girlfriend. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie White. The matter was investigated by the DEA, Warwick Police Department, Pawtucket Police Department, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. ###


title: Career Offender to Spend 16 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl -Including Batches Laced with Xylazine- While on Probation

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS— Stacy Lamont Griffin, 33, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to 16 years in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to court documents, between September 22, 2023, and April 18, 2024, Griffin sold a total of 298 grams of fentanyl to individuals on at least six different occasions. Specifically of concern, the fentanyl sold on September 22, 2023, contained xylazine. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer that is added to other drugs and reduces heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. It is especially dangerous because its effects are not reversed by overdose reversal medications such as Narcan. Griffin was selling fentanyl while serving a probation and community corrections sentence for a felony domestic battery conviction. Griffin has amassed a lengthy criminal history, with prior convictions for attempted robbery and domestic battery, in which he strangled and punched a pregnant woman. “Griffin’s decision to sell dangerous fentanyl, while serving probation, shows a blatant disregard for both the law and human life,” said John E. Childress, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Fentanyl continues to devastate communities across the Southern District of Indiana, but thanks to the swift action of the DEA and our law enforcement partners, countless lives were saved by getting Griffin off the streets.” The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker. Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case. ###


title: Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Lawrence pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Melvin Villar, 60, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Sept. 16, 2025. Villar was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025 . Villar was arrested by immigration authorities on Feb. 2, 2025, at the Essex County House of Correction in Middleton following his release from state custody on narcotics trafficking charges. In 2004, 2009, 2019 and 2021 , Villar was previously removed following criminal convictions for immigration, drug and firearm offenses – including two prior convictions for unlawful reentry. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Essex County Man Charged in Bank Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County resident was charged for his role in a bank fraud conspiracy, United States Attorney Alina Habba announced. Isiah J. Jordan, 27, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. He made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre and was released on $100,000 bond. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Jordan was part of a multi-person scheme to steal checks from the mail and deposit those checks into bank accounts controlled by his co-conspirators. For example, in June 2023, Company-1 mailed out a business check for over $50,000. That check was stolen and altered by Jordan and his co-conspirators such that the payee information on the original check was changed so that the check could be deposited into an account controlled by the conspirators. Then in July 2023, after the stolen check cleared, Jordan and his co-conspirators withdrew the money from the account and split the proceeds. Jordan and his coconspirators then continued to actively recruit other members to participate in and join the conspiracy. Specifically, they recruited individuals who had long-standing bank accounts to continue the scheme of depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds before the bank or the victims whose checks were stolen were aware of the illegal activity. The bank fraud conspiracy and the bank fraud charges both carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey S. Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division and Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Division in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: John Yauch, New Jersey jordan.complaint.pdf


title: Terra Amarilla Man Faces Federal Charges for Illegal Firearm Possession

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Terra Amarilla man has been federally charged for unlawful possession of a firearm despite prior felony convictions. According to court documents, on May 31, 2025, the Jicarilla Apache Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance involving Ronnie Martinez , 49, at a residence in Dulce, New Mexico. According to the investigation, Martinez became agitated after a dispute with Jane Doe and subsequently sent her threatening messages, including a photograph of a rifle. Officers located Martinez at the residence, where he was found carrying multiple knives. During questioning, Martinez admitted to possessing a rifle, which he claimed belonged to his father. Martinez consented to a search, and officers recovered a rifle from the home. Court records confirm Martinez has prior felony convictions, including first-degree assault with a deadly weapon and second-degree assault, both punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. As a previously convicted felon, Martinez is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Martinez will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Martinez faces up to 15 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal complaint (Martinez).pdf A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Newcomb Man Charged with Assault for Violent Attack

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Newcomb man is facing federal charges after a violent altercation left a victim with serious injuries. According to court documents, on June 14, 2025, Vincent Torrez, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, assaulted John Doe at a residence on the Navajo Nation. During the incident, Torrez entered John Doe’s bedroom, repeatedly struck him, slammed him to the floor, and used a ceramic cup as a weapon to inflict a deep laceration to John Doe’s leg. John Doe sustained multiple injuries, including lacerations to the head and leg, abrasions, and an arterial wound, and was transported to Northern Navajo Medical Center for treatment. Torrez is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Torrez faces up to 10 years in prison. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today. The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meg Tomlinson is prosecuting the case. View the Criminal Complaint (Torrez).pdf A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Justice Department Files Suit Against Orange County California Registrar of Voters for Refusing to Provide Non-Citizen Voter Removal Records in Violation of Federal Elections Laws

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit against Robert Page, the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Orange County, California for refusing to provide the Justice Department with records pertaining to the removal of non-citizens from its voter registration list and for failing to maintain an accurate voter list in violation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). “Voting by non-citizens is a federal crime, and states and counties that refuse to disclose all requested voter information are in violation of well-established federal elections laws” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Removal of non-citizens from the state’s voter rolls is critical to ensuring that the State’s voter rolls are accurate and that elections in California are conducted without fraudulent voting. The Department of Justice will hold jurisdictions that refuse to comply with federal voting laws accountable.” The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the integrity of the vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting . Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.


title: Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of Minor

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty to the federal charge of sexual abuse of a minor. According to court records, on February 15, 2025, John Albert Carrillo, Jr. , 36, a member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, used force to commit a sexual act with a minor victim. Carrillo pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor and faces up to 15 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Carrillo will be required to register as a sex offender and must serve a term of supervised release not less than five years and up to life. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson K. Dering V is prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement (Carrillo).pdf


title: Repeat illegal alien sentenced for human smuggling after high-speed chase, crash

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: LAREDO, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Laredo has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country and human smuggling, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Jesus Hernandez-Herrera pleaded guilty March 27. U.S. District Judge John Kazen has now ordered Hernandez-Herrera to serve 66 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described Hernandez-Herrera’s criminal history, including an evading arrest incident in which he drove his car towards a federal agent, almost collided with a pedestrian and engaged in a dangerous vehicle pursuit. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Hernandez-Herrera did not seem remorseful for what he did. Hernandez-Herrera also has five prior removals from the United States. On Dec. 10, 2024, a Ford Expedition and Cadillac were driving in tandem and stopped at an intersection, where three suspected illegal aliens approached the two vehicles. Hernandez-Herrera had been driving the Expedition. Authorities followed him to a residence on Green Street where they observed suspected illegal aliens leave the house and enter the vehicle. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Hernandez-Herrera fled and lead them on a high-speed pursuit, weaving in and out of heavy traffic and speeds reaching 95 miles per hour. The pursuit ended when Hernandez-Herrera crashed into two vehicles on Santa Maria Avenue. He and four illegal aliens fled on foot. Hernandez-Herrera ran into oncoming traffic, but law enforcement apprehended him before he could cross onto the southbound lanes of IH-35. Hernandez-Herrera ultimately confessed, admitting there were additional aliens at the Green Street residence. Authorities discovered an additional four people illegally in the United States and approximately 50.8 kilograms of marijuana at the location. “The human smuggling trade endangers our community in many ways, not the least of which is high-speed vehicular flights like the one in this case,” said Ganjei. “This defendant, with his five prior removals, should have never been in this country, but now he’ll have the opportunity to stay in federal custody for several more years before being removed for one last time.” Hernandez-Herrera will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Texas Department of Public Safety and Border Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: International marine company agrees to pay over $3 million to settle False Claims Act allegations

body_text: HOUSTON – Viking Life-Saving Equipment (America) Inc. has agreed to pay $3.86 million to resolve allegations it fraudulently obtained paycheck protection program (PPP) loans, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Viking is a marine equipment company headquartered in Miami, Florida, with operations in Pasadena. It is a subsidiary of Denmark-based Viking Life Savings Equipment A/S. The company provides maritime and offshore safety equipment and services, including lifeboats, life rafts, personal protective gear and safety training programs. From April 24, 2020, to Nov. 11, 2021, Viking applied for two PPP loans and requested forgiveness for both. The PPP, created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, offered forgivable loans to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic for employee payroll and certain other expenses. Eligible companies were required to have fewer than 500 employees or meet industry-specific size limits. Under the Small Business Administration (SBA) affiliation rules, businesses with shared ownership or control had to include all affiliated employees when calculating eligibility. The settlement resolves allegations that Viking obtained two PPP loans by misrepresenting the total number of its own employees and those of its affiliates. Viking allegedly falsely certified eligibility on the dates of the relevant loan application materials to receive PPP funding and loan forgiveness. Viking fully responded to requests for information in this investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul B. Moore handled the matter in coordination with Attorney Amber Perez, SBA - Office of General Counsel. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.


title: Contractor to Pay $1 Million to Settle Allegations of Overcharging U.S. Air Force at Cannon Air Force Base

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced today that it has reached a $1 million settlement with Noble Supply & Logistics, LLC to resolve civil claims related to Noble’s operations under a contract supporting the Contractor Operated Civil Engineer Supply Store at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico. The contract, issued by the Department of the Air Force through the 27th Special Operations Contracting Squadron at Cannon Air Force Base (CAFB), required Noble to provide supplies and materials for upkeep of the base’s infrastructure and civil engineering needs. Under the terms of the agreement, Noble will pay the United States $1,034,495.99, including $250,497.94 in restitution, with interest, in semi-annual installments through January 2028. The settlement resolves allegations that Noble did violate Air Force contract requirements for pricing and competitive quotes, which resulted in overpayments for certain transactions and violations of the False Claims Act. For items that could be bought from local vendors and suppliers, Noble allegedly gave the Air Force inflated prices and improperly withheld actual local supplier pricing to which CAFB was entitled. For higher priced items that required competitive quotes, Noble is accused of providing fake, fabricated, or altered vendor quotes and withholding the lowest vendor bids, causing further overpayments. On some occasions, after government contracting officials flagged vendor quotes submitted by Noble as fake or altered, Noble submitted a second round of fake quotes to the government for the same transaction. The government also alleges Noble charged the Air Force extra for shipping when it was already included in the price quoted by the supplying vendor. The United States alleges that Noble’s corporate leadership had knowledge related to these issues but failed to act; despite multiple discoveries by CAFB contracting officials of apparent misconduct. Noble denies all allegations, and the settlement is not an admission of liability. “We expect every contractor doing business with the United States to uphold the highest standards of honesty and transparency,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “When those standards are compromised, we will act decisively to safeguard public funds and maintain trust in government operations.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service will tirelessly pursue those who allow greed to compromise the integrity of the DoD contracting process,” said Chad Gosch, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, DCIS Southwest Field Office. “This settlement reflects DCIS’s ongoing commitment – alongside our prosecutorial partners – to hold contractors accountable and protect the interests of the American taxpayer.” U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today. Agents from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) supported the Government’s investigation. The government’s investigations were led by Assistant United States Attorney Sean M. Cunniff and Auditor Phillip Stella and criminal investigators from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and DCIS.


title: Reinbeck Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Second Time

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Reinbeck man who obtained a significant quantity of methamphetamine from a source of supply that he had met in federal prison was sentenced June 23, 2025, to 20 years in federal prison. Austin David Hansen, age 39, from Reinbeck, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 23, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after having previously been convicted of a serious drug felony. Information disclosed at Hansen’s sentencing hearing and other hearings related to this case showed that, beginning in December 2023, and continuing to May 22, 2024, Hansen worked with a California source of supply that Hansen had met in federal prison to ship methamphetamine and marijuana packages in the mail to post office boxes in Reinbeck, Dike, and Waterloo, Iowa. After the methamphetamine and marijuana packages arrived at the Iowa post office boxes, Hansen worked with others to distribute the methamphetamine and marijuana to individuals in the Northern District of Iowa. Hansen then sent packages containing thousands of dollars of drug proceeds to the source of supply in California. In total, the California source of supply sent at least 37 packages to the Northern District of Iowa, and Hansen sent the source of supply over $260,000 of drug proceeds. During the investigation, law enforcement seized a package from California and intended for one of the post office boxes, and it contained over 5,000 grams of methamphetamine. On May 22, 2024, officers executed several search warrants in this case, including at Hansen’s residence. At Hansen’s residence, officers seized over 600 grams of methamphetamine, a firearm, over $12,000 in United States currency, and receipts of all the money packages Hansen sent to the source of supply in California. Hansen had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking crime and sentenced to federal prison in November 2011. Hansen was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hansen was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a ten‑year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hansen is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and investigated by the United States Postal Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri‑County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Mid‑Iowa Drug Task Force; the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office; the Iowa State Patrol; and the Santa Ana, California Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24‑CR‑00044‑CJW. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: The Justice Department Files Complaint Against the District Court of Maryland for Ordering Automatic Injunctions on Federal Immigration Enforcement Actions

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Today, the Department of Justice announced the filing of a complaint against the U.S. District Court of Maryland for implementing a “Standing Order” that automatic injunctions be issued for federal immigration enforcement actions. This order requires the court clerk to automatically enter an injunction against removing or challenging the legal status of any alien detained in Maryland who files a habeas petition. In doing so, the District Court defies procedural and substantive requirements for issuing preliminary injunctions, flouts congressional intent, and violates Supreme Court precedent. “President Trump’s executive authority has been undermined since the first hours of his presidency by an endless barrage of injunctions designed to halt his agenda,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The American people elected President Trump to carry out his policy agenda: this pattern of judicial overreach undermines the democratic process and cannot be allowed to stand.” Since the beginning of the new administration, district courts have abused their Article III powers by interfering with Executive Branch prerogatives. To date, district courts have entered more nationwide injunctions in the first 100 days of the administration than in the 100 years from 1900 to 2000. The District Court of Maryland’s automatic injunctions order is yet another egregious example of unlawful judicial overreach into the Executive Branch’s ability to enforce and administer federal law. This is the latest action taken by the Department of Justice to reign in unlawful judicial overreach. Read the full Complaint HERE .


title: Brazilian National Pleads Guilty to Multi-State Conspiracy to Obtain Driver’s Licenses for Ineligible Applicants

body_text: BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully residing in Danbury, Conn. pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to obtain driver’s licenses for ineligible applicants, principally illegal aliens. Helbert Costa Generoso, 41, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents, and one count of furnishing a false passport to another for use. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Oct. 2, 2025. In December 2024 , Costa Generoso was charged along with four co-conspirators. From in or about November 2020 through in or about September 2024, Costa Generoso and his alleged co-conspirators fraudulently procured driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who resided in states that prohibited illegal aliens from obtaining driver’s licenses. Prior to July 2023, illegal aliens residing in Massachusetts were not permitted to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses. Beginning in 2019, illegal aliens residing in New York became eligible to obtain New York driver’s licenses. Costa Generoso and his alleged co-conspirators conspired to fraudulently obtain New York driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in New York, including Massachusetts residents, and after July 2023 to fraudulently obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for illegal alien customers who did not reside in Massachusetts. In exchange for fraudulently obtaining the driver’s licenses, the co-conspirators allegedly typically charged approximately $1,400 per customer. Costa Generoso also charged $1,400 to obtain fraudulent foreign passports in the customers’ names, to be used as identification in the driver’s license applications. In New York, before obtaining a driver’s license, applicants were required to pass a written permit test and complete driver’s education coursework from a New York driving school. Online permit test-takers were required by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (NY DMV) to take a picture of themselves with a web camera during the test. This was to ensure that the test-taker was indeed the applicant and that there was not a person sitting with and helping the applicant with the test. To avoid the customers having to take the permit tests, the co-conspirators allegedly conspired to obtain several pictures of the customers sitting down, making it look as if the customers were taking the tests. They also allegedly conspired to complete the permit tests for the customers online and, when prompted by the NY DMV to take pictures during the tests, they uploaded the pictures that the customers previously provided – purporting to show that it was the customers who were taking the tests, not the defendants. Costa Generoso and his alleged co-defendants also conspired to create fraudulent driver’s education certificates of completion, purportedly from New York driving schools, and conspired to forge the signatures of driving school staff on the fake certificates. The NY DMV also required that applicants appear at a NY DMV location and provide documents to prove their identity and residence in New York. The co-conspirators allegedly conspired to meet Massachusetts-based customers at locations in Massachusetts – typically several customers at a time – and drive them to NY DMV branch locations. When they arrived at the NY DMV locations, the defendants allegedly gave the customers fraudulent documents falsely purporting to demonstrate that the customers resided in New York. The customers provided these fake records to the NY DMV staff, and the NY DMV relied on the misrepresentations to issue New York driving permits to the customers. The co-conspirators allegedly conspired to arrange for the NY DMV to mail the permits to locations in New York that were controlled by the defendants and provided the permits to the customers in-person. The defendants then allegedly conspired to schedule road driving license tests for the customers with the NY DMV and, again, drive the customers to New York for them to take the road tests. If the customers passed the tests, the NY DMV sent the driver’s licenses to mailing addresses in New York that the defendants allegedly controlled, and the defendants then provided the licenses to the customers. The defendants allegedly conspired to obtain Massachusetts driver’s licenses for out-of-state residents, in generally the same manner as they allegedly obtained the New York licenses for Massachusetts residents. Collectively, the co-conspirators allegedly fraudulently applied for licenses for more than 1,000 customers, obtained licenses for more than 600 of the customers and collected at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. Costa Generoso is the second defendant to plead guilty in the case. The three remaining alleged co-conspirators have pleaded not guilty and are pending trial. The charge of conspiracy to unlawfully produce and possess with intent to transfer identification documents provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of furnishing a false passport to another for use provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Kelly Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the NY DMV Division of Field Investigation; the Boston, Danbury (Conn.) and Waterbury (Conn.) Police Departments; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut; and the New York State Inspector General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Court Appoints Hayes U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Kelly O. Hayes has taken the oath of office — administered by Chief Judge George L. Russell III — to remain as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the District of Maryland. Ms. Hayes was previously appointed U.S. Attorney by the United States Attorney General in February 2025, after serving as Chief of the Office’s Southern Division since 2021. Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, 28 U.S.C. § 546, the Attorney General has the authority to name a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After that time, if a successor isn’t nominated and confirmed, it falls to the district court to appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve until the confirmation of his or her successor. The District of Maryland judges recently voted to re-appoint Ms. Hayes as U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland. Chief Judge Russell swore Ms. Hayes in as U.S. Attorney in front of her family, U.S. Attorney’s Office staff, the Federal Public Defender for the District of Maryland, and court personnel. “I am honored by the confidence the district judges have placed in me to continue serving as United States Attorney in Maryland,” Hayes said. “It is a privilege to lead this great office and to work alongside such dedicated public servants committed to upholding the rule of law and seeking justice on behalf of our communities. I look forward to continuing to zealously combat criminal activity to ensure public safety and to steadfastly represent the interests of the United States.” Ms. Hayes joined the District of Maryland in 2013 as an Assistant United States Attorney. She has also served as Principal Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, Deputy Chief for the Southern Division, and Deputy Appellate Chief for the District. As Chief of the Southern Division, Ms. Hayes oversaw all criminal investigations and prosecutions in the Southern Division, including prosecutions related to MS-13, violent crime and illegal firearm possession and trafficking offenses, human trafficking, child exploitation, fraud, and illegal immigration offenses. Raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Ms. Hayes completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland at College Park. She then earned her law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law. Following law school, Ms. Hayes clerked for the Honorable Janis L. Sammartino in the Southern District of California. As U.S. Attorney, Ms. Hayes has been and will continue to serve as the chief law enforcement officer for the District of Maryland. Under Ms. Hayes’s leadership, public safety, national security, and the protection of children are top priorities for the District. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s successes under Ms. Hayes’s leadership include securing guilty pleas from a defendant who attempted to murder a witness connected to a federal investigation ; a USAID employee, three executives, and two companies involved in a bribery scheme involving $550 million in government contracts ; and an individual engaged in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material . Additionally, since Ms. Hayes became U.S. Attorney, a defendant was sentenced to more than 22 years for the kidnapping and using a firearm resulting in death during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and four individuals were indicted for visa and marriage fraud for facilitating sham marriages . Assistant U.S. Attorneys will continue to work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders of these and other federal crimes. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Mexican citizen sentenced for illegal reentry

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: MISSOULA – A Mexican man who entered the United States illegally was sentenced today to 6 months in prison to be followed by removal from the United States, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Miguel Angel Lozada-Dominguez, 36, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of illegal reentry. U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The government alleged in court documents that on April 7, 2025, law enforcement had contact with the defendant in St. Regis. Lozada-Dominguez seemed to be soliciting money by approaching bystanders while holding a notebook with handwritten English phrases. Lozada-Dominguez told officers that he was a citizen of Mexico, he did not possess valid immigration documents and had no legal authorization to enter the United States. He did not claim any United States citizenship or lawful status. He was arrested and transported to a local jail for reinstatement of a prior order of removal. In an interview, the defendant stated he entered the United States by crossing the border undetected through Del Rio, Texas. Lozada-Dominguez’s records showed he was convicted for illegal entry and ordered removed from the United States on January 24, 2019. Further review of records showed that he did not seek or receive authorization from the Attorney General to reenter the United States. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). XXX


title: Convicted Felon From Hyannis Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Unlawfully Possessing Firearms

body_text: BOSTON – A Hyannis man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Donnell Pina, 52, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In March 2025 , Pina pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In November 2022 , Pina, along with co-defendant Ryan Diefenbach, was indicted by a federal grand jury. In September 2021, Pina and Diefenbach possessed a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle. In September 2021, Pina sold two firearms – the Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle and a Walther Colt M4 Carbine .22LR caliber semi-automatic rifle – to a confidential informant working with federal law enforcement in two separate transactions on Cape Cod. Due to prior felony convictions, both Pina and Diefenbach are prohibited from possessing firearms. In October 2024 , Diefenbach was sentenced to six years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Scott Riordan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Alleged Perpetrator of Terror Attack in Colorado Charged with Hate Crimes

body_text: An indictment was unsealed today in Denver charging Mohamed Sabry Soliman with 12 hate crime counts, including nine counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 249 and three counts of violating 18 U.S.C. § 844(h), for using Molotov cocktails to attack members of the group “Run for Their Lives” and others who had gathered in the park in front of the Boulder County Courthouse on June 1. Soliman had previously been charged by complaint with a federal hate crime offense on June 2. According to the indictment, on June 1, Soliman entered the park carrying both a backpack weed sprayer that contained a flammable liquid and a black plastic container that held at least 18 glass bottles and jars, all of which contained a flammable liquid and several of which had red rags stuffed through the top to act as wicks (commonly referred to as Molotov cocktails). At approximately 1:30 p.m., Soliman approached the Run for Their Lives group and threw two Molotov cocktails that he had ignited. When throwing one of the Molotov cocktails, he shouted, “Free Palestine!” A handwritten document was later recovered from the vehicle driven by Soliman. The document included the following statements: “Zionism is our enemies untill [sic] Jerusalem is liberated and they are expelled from our land,” and further described Israel as a “cancer entity.” The indictment further alleges that during an interview with law enforcement, Soliman stated, among other things, that he viewed “anyone supporting the exist [sic] of Israel on our land” to be “Zionist.” The defendant stated that he “decide[d] to take [his] revenge from these people” and “search[ed] the internet looking for any Zionist event.” Soliman stated that he learned of the Run for Their Lives group through internet searches for “Zionist” events and that he identified the “Zionist” group when he saw the flags and signs they carried at the courthouse. The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Boulder Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.


component: USAO - Colorado


title: Dominican National Sentenced to 18 Months for Illegally Entering the Country After a Prior Removal

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A Dominican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for the felony offense of re-entering the United States after a prior removal. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Odanis Manuel Brea Mejia , 54, to 18 months in prison. He pleaded guilty on March 20, 2025. According to court records, in January 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency (MDEA) with a search warrant in Lewiston. During the warrant’s execution, investigators arrested Brea Mejia for drug trafficking. Brea Mejia, a Dominican national with an extensive criminal history, had been previously removed from the country in October 2021 following a Massachusetts conviction for distributing heroin. Since Brea Mejia’s prior removal, he had not obtained consent to re-enter the U.S. HSI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case with assistance from the MDEA. Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). ###


title: Repeat Felony Offender Convicted at Trial for Gun Possession

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

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal jury in Columbia has convicted Yashawnus Leekean Patterson, 44, of Columbia, of being a felon in possession of a firearm after a two-day trial. Evidence presented at trial included testimony and body worn camera footage showing two Columbia Police Department officers responding to a hotel in downtown Columbia to assist in removing Patterson, who was no longer staying at that hotel. After being asked to place Patterson on trespass notice, officers learned he was wanted on a bench warrant from the Cayce Police Department, and he was arrested. During a search of his person, officers located a loaded 9mm pistol in the front of his waistband, a 30-round extended magazine in his backpack, and a total of 74 rounds of 9mm ammunition among his person and his other belongings. Patterson acknowledged to officers that he knew he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm. Patterson has an extensive record of felony convictions dating back to 1998, including convictions for criminal sexual conduct with a minor, strong-arm robbery, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis presided over the trial and will sentence Patterson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. Patterson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. 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. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Sanford and Elizabeth Major are prosecuting the case. ###


title: The Justice Department Files Complaint Challenging Minnesota Laws Providing In-State Tuition Benefits for Illegal Aliens

body_text: Today the United States is challenging laws in Minnesota that provide reduced in-state tuition — and in some cases, free tuition — for illegal aliens. These laws unconstitutionally discriminate against U.S. citizens, who are not afforded the same privileges, in direct conflict with federal law. The Department of Justice has filed the complaint in the District of Minnesota. This challenge builds upon a recently successful lawsuit against the state of Texas on a similar law. “No state can be allowed to treat Americans like second-class citizens in their own country by offering financial benefits to illegal aliens,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice just won on this exact issue in Texas, and we look forward to taking this fight to Minnesota in order to protect the rights of American citizens first.” In the complaint, the United States seeks to enjoin enforcement of Minnesota laws that require public colleges and universities to provide in-state tuition rates (and free tuition under certain circumstances, including if they meet a certain income threshold) for illegal aliens who maintain state residency, regardless of whether those aliens are lawfully present in the United States. Federal law prohibits institutions of higher education from providing postsecondary education benefits to aliens that are not offered to U.S. citizens. These laws blatantly conflict with federal law and thus are unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. This lawsuit follows two executive orders recently signed by President Trump that seek to ensure illegal aliens are not obtaining taxpayer benefits or preferential treatment. Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders Protecting American Communities From Criminal Aliens Read the complaint here .


title: Venezuelan National Residing Unlawfully in the U.S. Indicted on Federal Charges

body_text: TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury has returned a four-count indictment charging Anthony Emmanuel Labrador-Sierra, 24, a Venezuelan national residing in Perrysburg, Ohio, with possession of a firearm by an alien unlawfully in the United States, making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and making or using false writings or documents. According to the indictment, the defendant is accused of submitting a false date of birth to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on federal applications for Temporary Protective Status and Employment Authorization Documents in 2024 and 2025. In the original criminal complaint and underlying affidavit filed May 22, 2025, investigators learned that Perrysburg Schools reported to the Perrysburg Police Department that they received information that Labrador-Sierra, a student attending Perrysburg High School, was actually a 24-year-old man who enrolled under false pretenses. The grand jury further charges that Labrador-Sierra was in possession of a Taurus G3C 9mm, semiautomatic pistol, which he did not have lawful status to purchase or own in the United States, and that he submitted false information on the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Form 4473 to purchase the firearm. Among the alleged false statements the defendant submitted that were intended and likely to deceive the licensed firearms dealer at the point of sale, were that: He was a United States citizen or national. He was not illegally or unlawfully in the United States. He was not an alien who had entered the United States under a nonimmigrant visa. If convicted, Labrador-Sierra faces up to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm by an alien; 10 years in prison for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm; and up to five years in prison for making or using false writings or documents. This case is being investigated by the City of Perrysburg Police Department, United States Border Patrol−Sandusky Bay Station, the FBI Toledo Field Office, and the ATF, with assistance from the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert N. Melching and Tracey Tangeman for the Northern District of Ohio, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Dobson. This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with knowledge and information about this matter, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visit fbi.gov/tips . An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Bookkeeper Charged with Stealing from her Employer

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney, Michael M. Simpson, announced that BELINDA MARTIN , age 50, of New Orleans, was charged in a bill of information on June 23, 2025, for access device fraud. According to court documents, between 2014 and 2023, BELINDA MARTIN , allegedly embezzled money and things of value in excess of $1,000 from her employer through the fraudulent use of her company’s access device accounts. The maximum penalty for the offense is ten years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000, followed by up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson reiterated that the bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Companies Pay $13 Million to Resolve False Claims Act Liability for Allegedly Receiving Improper Paycheck Protection Program Loans

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – Two Pennsylvania companies and one South Carolina company entered into a settlement agreement with the United States resolving allegations that the companies violated the False Claims Act by taking a total of five Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to which the companies were not entitled, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced. Congress created the PPP in March 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the PPP, eligible businesses could receive forgivable loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Regulations provide various eligibility requirements for the PPP, including limitations on the number of employees and revenue size limits. In their loan applications, borrowers were required to certify that they were eligible for the PPP and that the information they provided was accurate. According to the contentions of the United States in the settlement agreement: Rema Tip Top of America, Inc. (“Rema”) is a holding company incorporated in Delaware with number of direct and indirect subsidiaries, including a wholly owned subsidiary based in New Jersey that specializes in automotive and industrial products (Rema Tip Top/North America “RNA”). From April 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021, C&J Welding & Construction (“C&J Welding”), a maintenance and construction company based in Pennsylvania, and an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Rema, applied for one PPP loan and received $341,848.78 in loan forgiveness and interest. The United States paid an associated lender processing fee of $11,652.00. Industrial Services Group, Inc. (“ISG”) d/b/a/ Universal Blastco, an industrial corrosion control company based in South Carolina, and an indirect subsidiary of Rema, applied for two PPP loans and received $4,824,288.99 in loan forgiveness and interest. The United States paid associated lender processing fees of $87,828.50. NexGen Industrial Services, Inc. (“NexGen”), an oil, gas, mining, and pipeline construction services company based in Pennsylvania, and an indirect subsidiary of Rema, applied for two PPP loans and received $3,688,618.89 in loan forgiveness and interest. The United States paid associated lender processing fees of $109,529.40. C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen were ineligible to receive these PPP loans and loan forgiveness and knowingly failed to fully disclose their affiliates, including Rema, on their PPP loan applications. C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen falsely certified eligibility for the PPP loans and loan forgiveness they received. Because of their affiliation with each other and with other entities, C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen exceeded the employee or revenue-based eligibility limits for PPP loans and loan forgiveness and were therefore too large to qualify for the payouts they received. In accordance with the terms of the settlement agreement, C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen paid a total of $13 million plus interest. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties, called relators, to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. In this matter, the relator is receiving $2.34 million as the share. U.S. Attorney Habba credited the SBA’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance in this matter. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan J. Pappy of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark, with assistance from Christopher J. McClintock of the SBA. 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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Scissors LLC v. Rema Tip Top of America, Inc., et al, Civil Action No. 23-20790. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. ### Counsel for C&J Welding, ISG, and NexGen: Eric W. Sitarchuk, Steven Strauss, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP Counsel for Scissors LLC: Eric Jaso, Spiro Harrison & Nelson rema.agreement.pdf


title: Connecticut Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Drug and Firearms Case

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 23, 2025, Brendan Salmon, 36, of Hartford, Connecticut, was sentenced by United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford to a term of 132 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 5-year term of supervised release. Salmon previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and cocaine between mid-2022 and November 2023, and causing a straw purchase of a firearm in September 2022. According to court records, Salmon, who used the street name “Nice,” began distributing fentanyl, crack, and powder cocaine in the Stowe, Vermont area in the spring of 2022. His operation, which included several associates, expanded to Morristown, Vermont and Hardwick, Vermont as his trafficking continued into 2023. Two of his Connecticut couriers were stopped along Interstate 89 in separate 2023 law enforcement operations. In each stop, law enforcement seized over 2,700 bags of fentanyl and over half a kilogram of crack and powder cocaine. The two couriers were also convicted in connection with those seizures. Salmon was also actively involved in acquiring firearms, principally handguns, in Vermont from drug customers, some of whom purchased guns for him at Vermont firearms dealers. Salmon was arrested during a search warrant on a residence in Hardwick in November 2023. He has been detained since that time. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Vermont State Police, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, the Morristown Police Department, and the Stowe Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Van de Graaf and Jason Turner. Salmon was represented by Mark Kaplan, Esq.


title: Serial Bank Robber Arrested for Allegedly Robbing Weymouth Bank at Gunpoint

body_text: BOSTON – A Quincy man has been arrested and charged in connection with the December 2024 armed robbery of a Santander Bank in Weymouth. Glenn Legere, 46, of Quincy, was charged with one count of armed bank robbery. The defendant was arrested this morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston today, was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for July 8, 2025. According to the charging document, at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2024, local law enforcement was dispatched to a Santander bank branch in Weymouth for a reported bank robbery. There, it is alleged that a bank teller told law enforcement that as employees were preparing to close the bank, a man wearing a sweatshirt, baseball hat, face covering and gloves entered the bank through the main entrance. It is alleged that the suspect approached the victim teller’s window, removed a black firearm from the front pocket of his sweatshirt, opened a black cloth bag and demanded all the money. As the bank teller handed the suspect money from the cash box, the suspect allegedly yelled words to the effect of “I need money,” “I want the money” and “I don’t play.” At various times, the suspect allegedly pointed the firearm directly at the victim teller. It is further alleged that the suspect ran towards other teller windows, gesturing d towards the cash box areas and demanding more money, but the victim teller explained that there was no more money and displayed an empty cash drawer. The suspect allegedly then left the bank with approximately $947 in stolen cash. According to court documents, a subsequent review of surveillance video footage from nearby locations determined that the suspect drove to and from the robbery location in a silver or grey Jeep Grand Cherokee. A vehicle matching the description was captured on cameras in Quincy immediately before and after the robbery. It is alleged that the vehicle was registered to Legere. Legere has multiple prior convictions for committing armed and unarmed robberies, including a 2011 conviction of armed robbery in Norfolk Superior Court for which he was sentenced to three to five years in state prison, as well as a 2010 conviction for armed and unarmed robbery of banks in Braintree, Hanover, Duxbury and Plymouth for which he was sentenced to three years in state prison. As stated in open court at the defendant’s initial appearance today, when Legere was arrested, a firearm and some of the clothing believed to be used by Legere during the robbery were recovered. The charge of armed bank robbery provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Weymouth Police Chief Richard M. Fuller made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the National Insurance Crime Bureau and the Wellesley Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.


title: Mannford Man Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – A Mannford man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. U.S. District Judge Eric F. Melgren sentenced Gary Syd Goldberg, 77, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon release, Goldberg will also be required to register as a sex offender. In October 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a cybertip concerning an image being uploaded to an artificial intelligence (AI) image generator platform. Law enforcement discovered that Goldberg was the user who uploaded the image of a child being sexually abused. Investigators served a search warrant on Goldberg’s home, seizing several electronic devices. When law enforcement spoke with Goldberg, he admitted to having hundreds of images of child pornography. Further, Goldberg admitted to viewing images and videos of children being sexually abused, daily for the past 24 years. Federal court records show that Goldberg pled guilty in 2001 to Receipt of Child Pornography through the Mail. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Goldberg will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Mannford Police Department and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Ashley Robert prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Leader of PPP Fraud Scheme Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her leadership role in two cases that resulted in more than $900,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Renetta Golden-Larimore, 56, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 51 months imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, contained in two separate federal indictments. The CARES Act established several new temporary programs and provided for the expansion of others to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) authorized forgivable loans to small businesses to retain workers and maintain payroll, make mortgage interest payments, lease payments, and utility payments. Golden-Larimore admitted that from February 2021 to May 2022 she conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications for PPP loans. The scheme caused over $900,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to ineligible borrowers, some of which were forgiven even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP. Golden-Larimore admitted she prepared and filed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of other persons. Generally, she charged fees between $2,000 and $7,000 for her assistance in filing false and fraudulent PPP loans, earning a total of at least $75,833 from the scheme. Golden-Larimore created counterfeit IRS forms for nonexistent businesses and with inflated income for existing businesses in order to qualify the borrower for a PPP loan. Golden-Larimore prepared approximately 43 false PPP loan applications that were funded and numerous other false applications that were rejected. The total loss to the Small Business Administration was $908,278. Twenty-one other persons have been charged and convicted in the Golden-Larimore fraud scheme in these two cases and five additional cases. Golden-Larimore was ordered to forfeit to the government at least $75,833, which represents the proceeds she personally obtained from the scheme and pay $908,278 in restitution to the Small Business Administration, representing the total fraud loss associated with the wire fraud scheme. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.


title: Former New York City Corrections Officer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Celeste Ramirez, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment, 10 years of supervised release, and $38,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl for distribution of child pornography. Ramirez was charged with that offense by indictment in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in March of this year. She will have to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), as required by federal and state law. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in February 2022, Ramirez, then a corrections officer employed by the New York Department of Corrections, distributed six videos depicting child pornography via Telegram, an online messaging application, to Person 1, while Person 1 was located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The defendant’s conduct came to light during an investigation into child exploitation crimes committed by Person 1. In 2022, Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) had received a Cybertip indicating that Person 1, of Easton, Pa., had used their Snapchat account to distribute child pornography. Person 1 confessed to receiving child pornography over the internet, and specifically from a corrections officer in New York City known as “CeCe,” identified through investigation as the defendant Celeste Ramirez. In November 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at Ramirez’s residence and found hundreds of videos of child pornography on her phone. Along with Person 1, Ramirez had communicated with numerous others online for the purpose of distributing and receiving child pornography. One of those users, Cleveland Dewayne Chambers , charged elsewhere, told Ramirez that another woman he was chatting with online had offered to produce sexually explicit images of an infant. That woman was later identified by police as Raven Pointer , also charged elsewhere. Chambers shared images that he had received from Pointer with the defendant. Ramirez and Chambers discussed how the child should be sexually abused and reflected on the images produced. Ramirez then repeatedly directed Cleveland to have Pointer film herself engaged in specific sex acts with the infant. Chambers responded by sharing additional sexually explicit images and videos produced by Pointer with defendant Ramirez. 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 United States 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 projectsafechildhood.gov . The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.


title: Minnesota sex offender sentenced to over a year in prison for failing to register

body_text: BILLINGS – A Minnesota man who failed to register as a sex offender was sentenced today to 16 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Jeremiah Robert Wiberg, 42, pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of failure to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that Jeremiah Wiberg is required to register as a sexual offender under SORNA following a 2007 federal conviction for receipt of child pornography. Wiberg has been on federal supervised release for the past eight years and has been revoked off supervised release multiple times. Following his sentence of incarceration after being revoked from supervision, Wiberg was released from the BOP in Louisiana on November 8, 2023. Per his travel itinerary with BOP he traveled to Billings, Montana the same day. Wiberg arrived in Billings that day, but he did not check in with United States Probation on that day, nor did he register under SORNA upon his arrival in Billings. His whereabouts were unknown. It was determined through records and witness statements that Wiberg was in Montana for a period of a few weeks after he arrived in Billings. Wiberg traveled to Roundup and then left the state. He never registered in Montana. On December 27, 2023, law enforcement received information that the Wiberg was staying in Minnesota. Wiberg was subsequently located at a VFW in Forrest Lake, Minnesota. He was arrested on a federal warrant for violating his supervised release. Wiberg had not registered in Minnesota. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Probation Office, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Division of Criminal Investigation. XXX


title: McKeesport Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of Ammunition Collected from Scene of Fatal Apartment Complex Shooting

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 33 months of imprisonment on his conviction of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Desmond Dontae Lee, 47. According to information presented to the Court, on March 1, 2023, Lee and his son were both part of a group of individuals congregating outside of an apartment in a McKeesport apartment complex. When the resident of the apartment confronted the group and asked them to leave, one of the group members approached the resident and struck him with a closed fist, which led to the resident shooting and killing his attacker. Lee entered and proceeded through the apartment next to the resident’s, exiting that apartment from the rear, and then approached the rear of the resident’s apartment, firing five rounds from a 9mm semi-automatic pistol into the apartment before fleeing the scene. At that time, Lee’s son shot back at and killed the resident at the front of the apartment. The firearm used by Lee was never recovered, but investigators with the Allegheny County Police Department Homicide Unit collected the shell casings fired from Lee’s gun. Lee was previously convicted on state drug trafficking and firearms offenses. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lee.


title: FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE  COMMISSION PLEADS GUILTY TO WIRE FRAUD

component: USAO - Louisiana, Middle

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Ellison C. Travis announced that Paris Lashay Haynes, age 28, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles to wire fraud. According to admissions made as part of her guilty plea, from approximately April 2020 to March 2021, Haynes was employed with the Louisiana Workforce Commission (“LWC”) as a customer service representative. In this position, she was responsible for assisting individuals with their unemployment insurance claims. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was a federal law enacted in March of 2020 to provide emergency financial assistance to individuals suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among other provisions, the CARES Act expanded unemployment insurance eligibility and benefits for workers who lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic (“Pandemic Unemployment Assistance” or “PUA”). The LWC located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, administered the PUA program for the State of Louisiana. The LWC maintained a self-service system for PUA applications, identified as “HiRE.” For claims filed or accessed via the internet, the LWC’s website captured certain data surrounding the interaction between the individual and the HiRE system. This information tied to the user-entered information for the claim, such as name, address, or bank account information. As an employee of the LWC, Haynes was assigned credentials that allowed her to access LWC’s HiRE system, including individual claimant accounts. Beginning on or about April 2020, and continuing through at least March 2021, she devised a scheme to defraud by entering false and fraudulent information in the HiRE system, via interstate wires, in order to obtain PUA benefits to which she was not entitled. Haynes used her credentials to access the HiRE system from her residence in Texas and elsewhere. Thereafter, she made changes, without lawful authority, to the accounts of inactive PUA claimants. Specifically, Haynes changed usernames, passwords, and email addresses associated with the accounts. She then logged into claimant accounts and changed the claimants’ preferred method of payment, including their bank routing information, in order to re-direct PUA benefits to her own bank accounts or to accounts under her control. After changing their bank information, Haynes filed false and fraudulent weekly certifications in the names of UI claimants, causing LWC to transmit UI funds in the names of other individuals to her. Beginning in or around March 2021, and continuing through at least June 2022, Haynes also electronically submitted PUA applications to the LWC in her own name in which she falsely certified that she was unemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic when, as she well knew, her prior employment had been terminated due to her own misconduct. During the course of the scheme, Haynes accessed and made changes to approximately forty (40) claimant accounts in order to redirect PUA program benefits to her own bank accounts or to accounts under her control. In total, Haynes obtained at least $200,000 in PUA benefits to which she was not entitled. This matter is being investigated by the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.


title: Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Lawrence, Mass., was indicted on June 11, 2025 by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Marcos Riquiac-Ordonez, 41, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Riquiac-Ordonez was arrested by immigration authorities on May 12, 2025. According to the indictment, Riquiac-Ordonez was deported from the United States on April 26, 2016. It is alleged that sometime after his April 2016 removal, Riquiac-Ordonez illegally reentered the United States without permission. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Florida Man and New York Man Sentenced for Aiding and Abetting an Attempt to Bring Aliens to the United States

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Joel Gil-Garcia, 23, currently residing in Orlando, Florida, and Maykel Reyes-Castillo, 22, currently residing in Yonkers, New York, have both been sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a time-served term of imprisonment to be followed by a 1-year term of supervised release. Both men pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting an attempt to bring aliens to the United States. Reyes-Castillo, who was also ordered to pay a $500 fine, was sentenced on June 24, 2025. Gil-Garcia, who was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, was sentenced on May 22, 2025. According to court records, in March 2024, Gil-Garcia made arrangements with an individual to pick up four foreign nationals crossing into Vermont from Canada illegally. Gil-Garcia asked Reyes-Castillo to drive with him to Vermont. In exchange for his promise to pick up the foreign nationals illegally entering the United States, Gil-Garcia received $1,800 and Reyes-Castillo received $500. Prior to this event, neither Gil-Garcia nor Reyes-Castillo had any criminal history. Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the United States Border Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra. Gil-Garcia was represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq., and Reyes-Castillo was represented by Stephanie Greenlees, Esq. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).