title: South Dakota Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schrier has sentenced a South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on February 24, 2025. Sonny Gray Grass, 63, was sentenced to one year and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Gray Grass was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty in December 2024. Gray Grass was previously convicted on September 9, 2013, in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota, of Abusive Sexual Contact, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1153, 2244(a)95) and 2246(3), and was, thereafter, required to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. The conviction stems from Gray Grass failing to register his location while living in Sioux Falls in August 2024. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case. Gray Grass was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain Over $1 Million in COVID-19 Relief and Unemployment Compensation

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On March 6, 2025, Conrad Brandon Bernard, age 24, was sentenced to 50 months federal prison and ordered to pay restitution and forfeit assets in the amount of $1.08 million for committing bank fraud and identify theft during a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $1 million in Covid-19 relief loans and unemployment compensation payments. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program was utilized to provide loan assistance to small businesses and other eligible entities in need. The U.S. Department of Labor's unemployment insurance programs were created to provide unemployment benefits to eligible workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and meet certain other eligibility requirements. Beginning as early as in or around May 2020 and continuing through on or about December 2022, Bernard carried out a scheme to defraud the EIDL and unemployment insurance programs. Bernard fraudulently applied for fourteen EIDLs using the name and personal identifying information (PII) of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. Once the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) approved the fraudulent loan applications, the SBA transferred the EIDL funds to various bank accounts at Bernard’s direction. Bernard opened and operated these accounts with the name and PII of other individuals without those individuals’ knowledge or consent. Bernard then transferred those funds from the bank accounts to other accounts under his control including various accounts he created using the name and PII of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. Bernard also transferred or withdrew fraudulently obtained unemployment benefit funds from bank accounts he opened and operated using the name and PII of other individuals without their knowledge or consent. These unemployment benefits were paid from several states, including West Virginia and Arizona. The unemployment benefit funds were fraudulently obtained because the name and PII of other individuals were used to apply for the unemployment benefits without those individuals’ knowledge or consent. In all, Bernard fraudulently obtained $1,083,340 in EIDL funds and unemployment benefits. During the investigation, law enforcement also discovered that Bernard possessed numerous false identifications including counterfeit passport cards, false Florida driver’s licenses and identification cards, the means to create false identification, and the PII of several thousand individuals including their names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida, Acting U.S. Attorney Sara C. Sweeney for the Middle District of Florida, Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Conklin of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement. The DSS Miami Field Office and BSO investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Deric Zacca from the Southern District of Florida and Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Nebesky from the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman is handling asset forfeiture. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the Southern District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office to head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-60168. ###


title: Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a Felon

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. The sentencing took place on March 3, 2025. Caesar Valle, 22, was sentenced to three years and four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Valle was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. He pleaded guilty in December 2024. In December 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received a tip that Valle was illegally selling firearms. ATF then conducted an undercover operation in which an agent reached out to Valle, posing as a firearms purchaser. Valle eventually met up with the undercover agent and sold a Beretta shotgun to the agent for $650. Valle told the agent the shotgun was stolen, which was confirmed based on a check of the serial number. Valle is prohibited from possessing firearms due to three prior felony convictions, including First Degree Robbery and Possession of a Firearm After Violent Felony Conviction. 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 ATF. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case. Valle was immediately remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Announce Canadian Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Destruction of Energy Facilities in Both North Dakota and South Dakota

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: BISMARCK – District of North Dakota Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl, and District of South Dakota United States Attorney Alison Ramsdell announced that on March 10, 2025, United States District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor sentenced Cameron Monte Smith, age 50, a citizen of Canada, to serve 150 months in federal prison for two counts of destruction of an energy facility, one act in the District of North Dakota and one act in the District of South Dakota, to be served consecutively, totaling 25 years, and to serve three years supervised release. Smith was also ordered to pay $2,124,974.38 in restitution to the victims. On September 11, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to the two offenses where he admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, N.D., in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May of 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July of 2022. Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota. “This sentence serves as a reminder that the Department of Justice will use all its resources to investigate and aggressively prosecute any attack on our critical civilian infrastructures,” said Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl, Acting US Attorney for the District of North Dakota. “Our law enforcement partners and career prosecutors in the Districts of North and South Dakota deserve recognition for working shoulder to shoulder to bring this defendant to justice, thereby protecting our citizens’ access to essential energy services.” "This substantial sentence reflects the commitment of the Department of Justice, the United States Attorney's Offices for North Dakota and South Dakota, and our numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to relentlessly investigate, prosecute, and hold to account persons, wherever they are from , who intentionally seek to disrupt or destroy our nation's critical energy infrastructure,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “This sentence should stand as a stark warning to anyone seeking to interfere with our critical infrastructure—law enforcement will stop at nothing to track you down and bring you to justice." “As a Canadian, Mr. Smith was barred from possessing firearms and ammunition in the United States,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis S. Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “There are, of course, exceptions to the prohibition of non-U.S. citizens possessing firearms for things like hunting or other shooting sports, but Mr. Smith chose to illegally possess a firearm and ammunition to attack U.S. infrastructure, which simply cannot be tolerated. We are satisfied with the sentencing in relation to his guilty plea. And, as always, we are appreciative of our partners and prosecutors who helped to bring this case to a successful conclusion.” “Smith orchestrated and carried out targeted attacks on critical energy infrastructure in North and South Dakota using a high-powered rifle, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage and leaving homes and businesses without power," said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. "Attacks on our critical infrastructure threaten the security and daily lives of all Americans. The FBI remains laser-focused on protecting the essential infrastructure our communities rely on, and will continue to work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence." This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (ND) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (SD) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (SD) Sheriff’s Department, and is being prosecuted by North Dakota Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek, and District of South Dakota Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri, with the assistance of Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. ######


title: Canadian Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Destruction of Energy Facilities in North and South Dakota

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Cameron Monte Smith, 50, a Canadian citizen, was sentenced today to 150 months in prison per count, to be served consecutively, for two counts of destroying an energy facility — one incident in the District of North Dakota and another in the District of South Dakota.Smith was also ordered to pay $2.1 million in restitution. According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, Smith pleaded guilty to the two offenses where he admitted to damaging the Wheelock Substation, located near Ray, North Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative. Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July 2022. Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota. Sue Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Klemetsrud Puhl for the District of North Dakota; U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota; and Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division made the announcement. The FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Williams County (North Dakota) Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Clark County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department, and the Beadle County (South Dakota) Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler and Jonathan J. O’Konek for the District of South Dakota, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri for the District of North Dakota, and Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced To 15 Years In Prison For Ordering, Receiving, And Paying For Child Sexual Abuse Material On Social Media

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Waterville, Ohio, resident was sentenced today by United States District Judge Cristina D. Silva to 15 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of children that he met on social media messaging applications and then coerced them to make and send him child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, on September 25, 2023, Todd Maxson, 56, began a conversation with a 14-year-old girl in Nevada via Telegram, an internet-based social media application that allows users to privately message each other. Almost daily between September 25, 2023, and October 19, 2023, Maxson ordered, received, and paid for sexually explicit images and videos of the victim via Cash App. Additionally, Maxson sought out females expressing suicidal or depressive tendencies and encouraged the behavior by requesting sexual content depicting self-harm, cutting, and bleeding. He would send knives to the children to help them make the videos. In October 2024, Maxson pleaded guilty to one count each of sexual exploitation of children, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Maxson must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current. Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Division made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or online at https://report.cybertip.org . ###


title: Homer big game transporter sentenced for transporting unlawfully taken black bears

component: USAO - Alaska

body_text: ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Homer big game transporter was sentenced today to five years’ probation for providing big game transportation services for four illegally taken black bears in the Kenai Peninsula. According to court documents, Travis Larson, 49, has been a licensed big game transporter since 2010, and provides transporter services through his company, Alaska Premier Sportfishing LLC (APS). Larson and APS offered paying clients transportation for multi-day hunting and fishing trips aboard a 65-foot liveaboard vessel, Venturess . He used a smaller motorboat for transporting clients and illegally harvested black bears to and from Venturess to the areas they would hunt. Larson and APS charged $3,500 per hunter to participate in a black bear hunting trip. Court documents explain that in May 2018, through his company APS, Larson transported eight hunters on a black bear hunt in the Nuka Bay area of the Kenai Peninsula. Each hunter paid $3,500 to participate in the hunt. The group included four Norwegian nationals. Larson knew all four people were not residents of the U.S and that they were not accompanied by a licensed hunting guide or assistant guide, which is required under state law. Court documents further explain that on May 9, 2018, one foreign hunter was transported to a beach adjacent to Surprise Bay to hunt a black bear. The hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On May 10, 2018, Larson transported three foreign hunters to a beach adjacent to Beauty Bay to hunt black bears. Two of the hunters each shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the Port Graham Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation, and the other hunter shot and killed a black bear on land belonging to the State of Alaska. On both days, Larson transported the hunters and the illegally harvested black bears back to Venturess via the smaller motorboat. On May 11, 2018, Larson transported the four foreign hunters and the four illegally harvested black bears to Homer, Alaska, where he knew the black bears would be transported in interstate and foreign commerce following the hunt. On Oct. 9, 2024, Larson pleaded guilty to four counts of violating the Lacey Act–unlawful transportation of wildlife. At sentencing, the Court also ordered Larson to pay a $40,000 fine and $2,400 in restitution and ordered him to forfeit $150,000. The Court also imposed special probationary conditions prohibiting Larson from hunting anywhere in the world and providing any big game commercial services throughout his probationary period. “Despite knowing and understanding all relevant regulations governing licensed transporters, Mr. Larson chose to completely disregard the law so he could make a profit,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Due to his conduct in this case, the defendant is now prohibited from operating within the big game transporting industry or hunting anywhere in the world for a significant period and will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties. May this sentence act as a deterrent for others in the industry—we will prosecute you and seek criminal sanctions if you willfully choose to disregard the rules in place that regulate hunting and protect wildlife in Alaska.” “This sentence underscores our unwavering commitment to enforcing wildlife laws and holding accountable those who attempt to circumvent them,” said Doug Ault, Assistant Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement. “The facilitation of poaching and illegal transport of black bears by the defendant, along with his subsequent submission of false reports to conceal these illicit activities, poses a threat to our country's wildlife populations. We will relentlessly pursue those who engage in such activities and remain steadfast in our efforts to prevent the exploitation of America's shared natural resources." The National Park Service, Investigative Services Branch and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey prosecuted the case. ###


title: Rochester man charged with receipt and possession of child pornography

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel P. Walsh, 58, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney, Kyle P. Rossi, who is handling the case, stated that the according to the complaint, in November 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a report from Google that an individual using an account registered in Walsh’s name, from Walsh’s IP address, uploaded multiple images of child pornography to Google’s platforms. Rochester Police and the FBI executed a search warrant at Walsh’s residence, during which they seized multiple computers and other digital devices. A forensic examination of those devices revealed that Walsh had received and possessed hundreds of images of child pornography, to include child pornography depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexual conduct with adults. In many instances, Walsh had superimposed the faces of minors that he knew onto the images. The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark W. Pedersen and was released on conditions. The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Prior felon pleads guilty to new child pornography charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John Douglas Looney, 82, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to transportation of obscene material in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who is handling the case, stated that Looney was previously convicted on a federal charge of possession of child pornography. Between August 2018, and March 2019, Looney used an internet connected device and an interactive computer service to receive and distribute images and videos of child pornography via the internet. The images and videos were obscene and depicted prepubescent children being subjected to sexual abuse. Some of the images depicted the sexual abuse of an infant or toddler. In total, Looney possessed more than 1,000,000 images of child pornography on three computers. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Sentencing is scheduled for July 10, 2025, before Judge Siragusa. # # # #


title: Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Hazeon Kidd, age 24, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Kidd was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police on May 18, 2024. Eventually, a search of the vehicle revealed a loaded firearm in the proximity of where Kidd was seated. It is illegal for Kidd to possess firearms as he has been previously convicted in federal court of firearm and drug trafficking offenses. Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for July 24, 2025 at 10:00 am The law provides for a total sentence of fifteen years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, in conjunctions with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Kidd.


title: McKeesport Resident Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearm

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Richard L. Edwards Jr., 49, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Weigand. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that on August 9, 2024, Westmoreland County Adult Probation conducted a search of Edwards’ residence, after learning that he had made two unauthorized visits to a local firearms store, and located four firearms and numerous rounds of ammunition. One of the firearms was a short-barreled shotgun and two of the firearms were reported stolen. Edwards is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based upon prior convictions for terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another and robbery. Judge Weigand scheduled sentencing for July 8, 2025, at 10:00 AM. The law provides for a total sentence of 15 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court ordered that Edwards would remain in custody. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Westmoreland County Adult Probation, McKeesport Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Edwards.


title: Former postal worker pleads guilty to stealing mail

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Christopher Porter, 37, of Angola, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to theft of mail by an officer or employee, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Andrew J. Henning, who are handling the case, stated that between 2021 and May 2022, Porter was employed by the United States Postal Service (USPS) as a City Carrier, assigned to the West Seneca Post Office. In October 2021, Porter stole an envelope containing a Wegmans gift card and a Target gift card, which he gave to his wife. In addition, on various dates in March 2022, Porter opened envelopes and mail and rifled through the mail items, delaying their delivery. The plea is a result of an investigation by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Modafferi. Sentencing is scheduled for July 18, 2025, before Judge Vilardo. # # # #


title: Guilty Verdict for Man Who Committed March 2020 Homicide in Southeast

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Guy Johnson, 57, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a Superior Court jury of five charges, including second-degree murder while armed, in connection with a March 2020 homicide in Southeast, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Danya A. Dayson presided over the trial where the jury found Johnson guilty of one count each of second-degree murder while armed, assault with the intent to kill while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm, as well as two counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 3:17 a.m., on March 25, 2020, defendant Johnson shot multiple times into a white Kia Forte occupied by 28-year-old Kriston Robinson and the surviving victim. One of the shots struck the decedent in the head killing her nearly instantly. The surviving victim fled from the car and escaped injury. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including former Assistant United States Attorney Gregory Kimak. It was tried and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory Evans and Anthony Cocuzza.


title: Valentine Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine Conspiracy and Gun Charge

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew R. Molsen announced that Venetia A. Torres, age 44, of Valentine, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 7, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for her role in a methamphetamine drug conspiracy. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Torres to 192 months on the drug offense and 180 months for being a felon in possession, to be served concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Torres is released from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On May 9, 2023, U.S. Postal Inspection Service searched a USPS Priority Mail parcel mailed from Beaumont, California, to an address in Broomfield, Colorado. The package contained 1,075 grams gross weight of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. The same sender also sent a USPS Priority Mail parcel to Valentine, Nebraska. The package weighed 2 lbs. 13 oz. with a fictious return address and recipient based on addresses. On June 7, 2023, Venetia Torres approached a postal contractor attempting to retrieve the package. Approximately two weeks prior, Torres attempted to retrieve a package addressed to a particular trailer mailbox even though USPS records showed no one currently assigned this mailbox. On June 8, 2023, USPIS went to the North Platte Processing and Distribution Facility and located the subject parcel that led to Torres’s arrest. The parcel contained suspicious characteristics. A federal search warrant was obtained, and the contents revealed to be approximately 4.5 pounds of methamphetamine. On Friday June 9, 2023, codefendant, Aaron Torres, accompanied by his minor brother, arrived at the post office and asked for and received the package containing methamphetamine. Both were detained and questioned by officers. Defendant Venetia Torres, mother to both Aaron Torres and the minor sibling, arrived at the police department and admitted knowledge of the methamphetamine package and of two previous meth packages on May 22, 2023, and May 3, 2023. In Venetia’s vehicle officers found a Hi-Point .45 caliber handgun, which she admitted knowing was in the vehicle. Venetia Torres is prohibited from possessing firearms due to having prior felony convictions. The narcotics were sent to a forensic laboratory for testing and confirmed as 1,700 grams of methamphetamine with 98% purity. On December 6, 2024, codefendant Aaron Torres pled guilty to drug conspiracy. Sentencing has been set for March 14, 2025. This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service


title: California Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Matthew Molsen announced that Nathan Clair, 44, of Riverside, California, was sentenced on March 7, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for shipping 7 pounds of methamphetamine by U.P.S. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Clair to 151 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. On February 15, 2022, the DEA Criminal Interdiction Unit (CIU) intercepted a package at the U.P.S. store in Omaha. Working with U.P.S. security, it was later determined that the package contained approximately 7 pounds of methamphetamine. Undercover CIU agents took the package to the recipient’s address where Michael Bender arrived to pick up the package. Bender was arrested. Through further investigation it was determined that Clair sent the package from California. Bender was sentenced on March 13, 2023, to a term of imprisonment of 180 months. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: St. Louis County Man Admits Dogfighting Charge

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man pleaded guilty Friday and admitted hosting dogfights in his home and training dogs to fight. Terrell Williams, 52, admitted hosting dog fights in a wooden “box” setup in the basement of his Riverview, Missouri, home on two occasions in July and August of 2021. Williams also admitted breeding and owning multiple bull terriers or terrier mixes between Sept. 5, 2020, and May 1, 2022, that were used for fights. On June 22, 2022, FBI agents conducted a court-approved search of Williams’ home and seized eight bull terrier mixes and three Yorkshire terriers, as well as equipment used to train and condition dogs, including weighted vests, body-enhancing chemicals and a canine treadmill. Multiple dogs appeared to be aggressive towards humans and other dogs, anxious or fearful. Dogs also bore scars consistent with dog bites or dog fighting. Williams pleaded guilty to a dogfighting charge, which is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 6. As part of his plea, Williams agreed to give up the seized dogs and the training equipment. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.


title: Philadelphia Man Convicted at Trial of Committing Three Armed Carjackings in Less Than an Hour

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

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – Acting United States Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr., announced that Symair Carson-Williams, aka “Lil Meer,” 19, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was convicted on Thursday at trial of conspiracy to commit carjacking, three counts of carjacking, and three counts of using a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, for his role in a carjacking spree in the city in early 2024. Carson-Williams was charged by indictment with those offenses in May of last year. As proven at trial, the defendant was part of a group that conspired to commit three armed carjackings in Philadelphia in less than one hour. Video surveillance footage, cell phone data, forensic evidence, items recovered from one of the stolen vehicles, and victim testimony linked Carson-Williams to the carjackings. Carson-Williams and his three co-conspirators first stole a blue 2019 Honda CR-V from the 1800 block of Lansing Street in Philadelphia during the overnight hours of January 27, 2024. Approximately 90 minutes later, just before 5 a.m., they drove the stolen CR-V to the Sunoco gas station located on the 5300 block of North 5th Street and pulled up next to a 67-year-old man putting air in his car’s tires. Two of the offenders jumped out of the CR-V, both armed with handguns, wearing black clothing and black balaclava masks, and demanded that the victim give up the keys to his 2011 BMW 328i. One of the offenders put a gun to the back of the man’s head and forced him to the ground. When the victim told the males that the key was in the car, one of the carjackers entered the BMW and the other male returned to the Honda CR-V. Both vehicles fled the scene. At approximately 5:15 a.m., a 34-year-old man parked his gray 2013 Chevrolet Equinox on the 3300 block of Shelmire Avenue. Two of the carjackers suddenly ran up to the driver’s side of his car and pointed guns at him. As they held the victim at gunpoint, the stolen Honda CR-V drove up. The gunmen ordered the victim to lay on the ground with his face down, and threatened to shoot him if he got up. The offenders then stole the victim’s vehicle and personal possessions, including his wallet, money, watch, and power tools. Finally, at approximately 5:45 a.m., the stolen blue CR-V pulled up next to a 54-year-old man pumping gas at the Conoco station on the 5700 block of Rising Sun Avenue. Two of the offenders, both armed with handguns, approached the victim and pointed the guns at his face. After forcing the victim to the ground at gunpoint, one of the carjackers got behind the wheel of the victim’s Honda Accord, and the other male reentered the CR-V. Both vehicles fled in the same direction. The defendant will be sentenced on a date to be determined and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 21 years in prison. “Symair Carson-Williams and his co-conspirators thought nothing of terrorizing three innocent victims who’d just been going about their morning,” said Acting United States Attorney Thayer. “People in this city shouldn’t have to live in fear every time they get behind the wheel. That’s why this office and our partners on the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force are using every tool we have to prosecute the criminals responsible, get them off the street, and make the community safer.” “Carson-Williams and his criminal associates terrorized innocent Philadelphians with this triple-carjacking spree using a stolen car, threatening their victims’ lives with guns to their heads – this young man now faces a mandatory minimum 21 years in federal prison,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “Using ATF’s unique forensic and investigative tools with our Carjacking Task Force partners we are bringing criminals like this to justice and making Philadelphia’s streets safer.” This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Branwen McNabb O’Donnell and Brian Doherty.


title: Foreign National Extradited From Spain To Face Charges For Alleged International “Tech Support Fraud Scheme"

component: USAO - North Carolina, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Acting U.S. Attorney Lawrence J. Cameron announced today that Bikramjit Ahluwalia, 39, a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates living in Dubai, was extradited from Spain and will appear in federal court in Charlotte later today. Ahluwalia, also known as “Biku,” “Internetteam5000,” “Don Bonsa,” and “Bobby,” is charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to damage a protected computer, and wire fraud for his alleged role in an extensive “tech support fraud scheme.” Generally, a tech support fraud scheme causes malicious pop-ups to appear on unsuspecting users’ computers, warning their devices have been infiltrated by a virus or another serious computer issue, convincing users to purchase unnecessary repair services or technical support using a telephone number or a link on the victims’ computer screens. According to allegations in the indictment, Ahluwalia and his co-defendant, Andrew Brolese, owned Digital Marketing Support Services (DMSS), a Seychelles-based company that published and sold malicious pop-ups as a means of generating customer traffic for overseas call centers from victims of their tech support scheme. From April 2016 to March 2021, Ahluwalia and Brolese and their conspirators targeted victims throughout the United States, some of whom were 55 and older. It is alleged that the victims targeted in the scheme experienced computer pop-ups that mimicked fatal system-error screens, also known as “blue screens of death,” malicious pop-ups suggesting malware had been installed on their computers, or urgent warnings for technical issues related to the victims’ services, software, or devices. The indictment alleges that victims targeted by the malicious pop-ups were then instructed to call a number to receive technical services to help resolve their issues. As alleged in the indictment, the various overseas call centers, upon receipt of the victim call traffic, would use the misrepresentations in the pop-ups, false diagnoses of computer issues, and other deceptive sales techniques to trick the victims into paying hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to the call centers to receive unnecessary technical support for the non-existent computer issues. The indictment alleges that Ahluwalia and Brolese conspired with others to sell incoming calls from targeted victims seeking purported tech support to companies around the world, including to an individual who owned companies in the Western District of North Carolina. It is further alleged that Ahluwalia and Brolese received over $31.2 million in illicit payments from the tech support scheme, through wire transfers made to DMSS’s bank accounts located overseas. Ahluwalia is expected to appear for his initial hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler in Charlotte at 10:15 a.m. Ahluwalia’s charges for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. The maximum sentence for money laundering is 20 years in prison, and for the charge of conspiracy to damage a protected computer is five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The investigation was led by the Nashville Cyber Task Force which comprises the Knoxville Office of the FBI and the Knoxville Police Department. We thank the government of Spain for their substantial assistance arresting and extraditing Ahluwalia. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the extradition of Ahluwalia from Spain. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.


title: Eastern NC Man Sentenced to Over Four Years for Role in  $1 Million Covid Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – A Snow Hill man was sentenced to 50 months in prison for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud related to Covid-19 loans. In March of 2024, TYREEK RASHEED EXUM, 26, was charged in a multi-count indictment alleging various offenses related to a Covid fraud scheme. On September 24, 2024, Exum pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Co-defendant Anthony Wandland, Jr., of Chicago, Illinois, pled guilty to the same charge on November 13, 2024. Exum and Wandland conspired to use over 20 stolen identities and the identities of co-conspirators to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits. The indictment charged that Wandland provided Exum with the stolen identities, and, in exchange, Exum gave Wandland a percentage of the proceeds. Each loan application submitted by Exum contained false statements, misrepresentations, and omissions related to income, employment, and claimed business entities. Exum signed various financial documents, including loan and security agreements, in the names of those stolen identities and then had the loan proceeds deposited into his personal bank account, nominee bank accounts, bank accounts of family and friends, and into accounts in the names of stolen identities. Exum exercised control over these accounts by obtaining bank debit cards and by causing nominees to transfer the fraud proceeds to other accounts controlled by him via various digital mediums such as PayPal and CashApp. Exum also withdrew the cash at multiple ATMs. In total, the indictment alleged Exum received nearly $1 million in fraudulent loan proceeds. The Court ordered Exuma to pay more than $620,000 in restitution. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Labresh prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 5:21CR178-M and 5:23CR388-M. ###


title: Lancaster County Man and Long-Distance Trucking Company Sentenced for  Violations of Clean Air Act

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Leon Martin, age 42, of Lititz, PA, and Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. (Frock Brothers), of New Oxford, PA, were sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for conspiracy and violations of the Clean Air Act. Martin was sentenced to a two-year term of probation, with three months of a home curfew, and a $500,000 fine. Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc. was sentenced to a two-year term of probation and an $80,000 fine. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Martin was a mechanic who worked at a diesel repair shop, in Ephrata, PA. Between 2018 through October 2023, Martin provided “tuning” or “reprogramming” services in which he tuned the engine control modules (ECMs) on diesel trucks. The ECM is a computerized system that manages and controls the engine’s performance. During that time, Martin began tampering with the emissions diagnostic systems on the vehicles of many companies to prevent the diagnostic system software from monitoring the emission control system hardware, thereby defeating the systems’ ability to reduce pollutant gases and particulate matter being emitted to the atmosphere by the trucks. In November and December 2018, Martin did work for Frock Brothers Trucking, Inc., a long-distance trucking company that delivers general freight and other products. At that time, Martin, Frock Brothers, and others, conspired to tamper with the emission control hardware on approximately eight diesel vehicles of Frock Brothers, in violation of the Clean Air Act. The illegal actions were for the purpose of obtaining economic benefits, including, among other things, reduced or avoidance of repair costs, fuel savings from improved fuel economy on modified vehicles, and reduced expenditures on diesel exhaust fluids required to operate emissions systems components. As part of the scheme, Frock Brothers removed the vehicles’ ECMs from their engines and shipped them to Leon Martin for reprogramming. Once the devices were “tuned,” Martin shipped them back to Frock Brothers, where they were reinstalled on the trucks. As a result of the emissions systems tampering, Frock Brothers vehicles emitted excess emissions, including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, into the atmosphere. “Tampering with required emissions monitoring devices in heavy duty vehicles results in a significant increase in air pollution,” said Allison Landsman, EPA-CID Special Agent in Charge. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates that we will hold violators accountable for breaking our environmental laws.” The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Behe prosecuted the case. # # #


title: United States Attorney’s Office Charges 46 Illegal Aliens with Various Offenses including Immigration Crimes, Drug Trafficking, Weapons Offenses, and Child Pornography

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – Since January of this year, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has charged 46 aliens who were unlawfully present in the United States with offenses including illegal reentry into the United States, drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, and child pornography offenses. These aliens’ home countries include Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Venezuela. Several had prior convictions for human smuggling, drug trafficking, drunk driving, assault, and theft. In many cases, the aliens had been returned to their home country numerous times but have continued to violate immigration laws by re-entering the United States. Recent cases include: Hector Bejerano-Bejerano , a native of Mexico, was located at a gas station in Novi, Michigan, when he was creating a nuisance to customers. He was arrested and identified by United States Border Patrol and found to have two prior federal immigration convictions, including one in which Bejerano-Bejerano was caught smuggling three other illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico. During this encounter, Bejerano-Bejerano fled from a Border Patrol Agent and assaulted him. According to court filings in that case, Bejerano-Bejerano was encountered by Border Patrol 18 times during 2021 alone. Dulce Rubio-Rivera , a native of Mexico, was found in Detroit, Michigan, when agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement executed a federal search warrant at a house. Inside the house was Rubio-Rivera, along with drugs, a scale, ammunition and an AK-47 rifle. Rubio-Rivera pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 6.25 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. Luis Fernando Santillan-Valderrabano , a native of Mexico, was located in the passenger seat of a vehicle in Detroit. Santillan-Valderrabano was originally admitted into the United States on a special visa that permitted him to stay in the United States for only 72 hours and within 25 miles of the United States-Mexico border. However, five months later Santillan-Valderrabano was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft charges in Georgia. A year after that, he was again arrested and convicted in Nebraska for resisting arrest and felony theft. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed back to Mexico in 2009, but illegally returned and was arrested in 2010 in Ithaca, Michigan, for a driving offense. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed again but tried to sneak back into the United States in 2011, was caught, and federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal entry. Santillan-Valderrabano was removed a third time in 2011, but again tried to illegally enter the United States, was caught, federally prosecuted in Texas for illegal reentry, and removed in 2012. In 2021, he was arrested in Wixom, Michigan, for driving 86 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. During this encounter with police, he used a fake name and date of birth and failed to appear for his court hearing after being charged with reckless driving, providing false identification, and not having a vehicle operation license. Gustavo Placencia-Rosales, a native of Mexico who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense. The complaint alleges that agents with the DEA have been investigating Placencia-Rosales for involvement in drug trafficking actitivies. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by Placenia-Rosales, with three others, and recovered four brick-shaped packages that field tested positive as cocaine along with two firearms. Luis Gerardo Rodriguez-Rey, a native of Columbia who was unlawfully present in the United States, was arrested and charged in a criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to the complaint, officers with the River Rouge Police Department were on routine patrol when they encountered Rodriguez-Rey traveling at a high rate of speed in a vehicle which did not have any exterior lights illuminated. A traffic stop was conducted and upon a search of his person and vehicle, officers recovered a Smith & Wesson pistol along with ammunition. Luis Angel Alvarez-Alvarez , a native of Venuzuela, was arrested by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Border Patrol after agents stopped a vehicle that Alvarez-Alvarez was operating without a license plate. Alvarez-Alvarez had a prior final order of removal at the time of the arrest. During a search of his cellular device, officers discovered alleged child sexually abusive material. Alvarez was charged with production and possession of child pornography and remains in custody pending the disposition of his charges. “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has a long-standing commitment to enforcing the immigrations laws of the United States, and that commitment is unwavering,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Julie Beck. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those individuals who are in our district unlawfully.” “These cases represent a fraction of the criminal aliens we and our federal partners arrest every day across the Detroit Sector that’s making this country safer than it was just a few short months ago,” said Detroit Sector Chief Patrol Agent John R. Morris. “I could not be more proud of our agents for their enforcement efforts as well as their ability to form strong bonds with our local, state and federal partnerships such as we see exemplified here with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.” “Keeping dangerous people and illicit drugs and weapons from infecting our communities is at the core of our comprehensive border security mandate,” said Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon. “The CBP Office of Field Operations is as committed as ever in protecting our homeland alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.” “Our ICE Detroit officers will continue to secure our communities through the apprehension and arrest of criminal aliens and immigration violators,” said ICE ERO Detroit Field Office Director Robert Lynch. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we have been able to apprehend serious public safety threats from foreign sex offenders to drug traffickers and aliens in possession of illegal firearms.” “As the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, our agents are prioritizing investigations into bad actors who exploit our immigration system,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “From illegal aliens in possession of child sexually abusive material to dismantling human smuggling or trafficking rings, our ICE HSI team stands ready to safeguard the homeland alongside our partners.” “The men and women of DEA work hard - day in and day out - to protect families from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking in our communities,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Lawton. “In that vein, we have prioritized our drug investigations on those involving violent, illegal criminals responsible for flooding our neighborhoods with deadly and dangerous drugs. We will continue to work with the Department of Homeland Security and our federal partners with immigration enforcement efforts.” “ATF, along with our Department of Justice partners, stand side by side with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal law enforcement partners in their efforts to enforce immigration laws and protect public safety,” said ATF Detroit Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “We remain committed to supporting coordinated enforcement actions to uphold the rule of the law and ensure the security of our communities.” “Members of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, in collaboration with federal law enforcement partners—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Border Patrol (CBP), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), are actively investigating and apprehending individuals wanted for federal violations and those unlawfully present in the United States,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Michigan Division. “The FBI in Michigan remains steadfast in its mission to uphold the Constitution and ensure the safety and security of the American people.” A complaint/indictment is merely a formal charge and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is the burden of the government to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. These cases were investigated by agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the National Security Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.


title: California Lawyer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Matthew C. Browndorf, 54, of Irvine, California, to more than five years in federal prison for money laundering and wire fraud. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Field Office and Special Agent in Charge Edwin Bonano, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office Inspector General (FHFA-OIG). According to the guilty plea, the defendant served as an attorney licensed to practice law in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and was a named partner at a law firm. Browndorf was also majority owner and CEO of Plutos Sama, LLC, which operated as a holding company for his various business endeavors. Plutos Sama, with Browndorf signing the purchase agreement as a managing member, procured the Fisher Law Group. After Plutos Sama acquired the Fisher Law Group, it changed the name to BP Fisher which served as an organization that represented lending and loan servicing clients in foreclosure proceedings. The newly acquired company had agreements with its clients to facilitate the foreclosure of a property, take out its expenses, and then return the remaining money. BP Fisher also maintained an Interest on Lawyer’s Trust Account (IOLTA) and operating account, which the defendant oversaw. An IOLTA is maintained in a financial institution for the deposit of funds received or held by an attorney or law firm on behalf of a client or third person. All funds received into an IOLTA account must be delivered in whole or in part to a client, unless received as payment for fees owed to the lawyer by the client or in reimbursement for expenses that the lawyer properly advanced on behalf of the client. Over several years, the defendant led clients to believe that they had immediate access to the money in the two BP Fisher IOLTA accounts. But Browndorf was directing employees to transfer the clients’ money into Plutos Sama accounts and other accounts that he controlled. The scheme caused more than $2.4 million in losses to BP Fisher’s clients. Browndorf used the stolen funds to pay for expenses such as his American Express credit card bill, car-lease payment to Ferrari and Maserati of Newport Beach, and mortgage. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and FHFA-OIG for their work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Sarma, Joshua Rosenthal, and Matthew Phelps, who prosecuted the federal case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse Materials*

body_text: ANDERSON, S.C. — Tyler Michael Berlick, 36, of Muskego, Wisconsin, has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sexual abuse materials. Evidence presented to the court showed that Berlick met a girl he believed to be 13 years old located in Greenville, South Carolina in an online game. He sent the child sexually explicit messages and produced sexual abuse materials of the child over the internet. Berlick also traveled from Wisconsin to South Carolina and engaged in sexual activity with the child and then traveled with the minor to Florida and further engaged in sexual activity with the child. “This defendant targeted and exploited someone he knew was a child, and this sentence reflects magnitude of such an offense,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Brook B. Andrews for the District of South Carolina. “This child was brought home safely due to law enforcement coordination across multiple states. Our office will continue to bring every resource we have to bear in the fight to keep our child safe from predators like this.” "The FBI is steadfast in its commitment to combating violent crime, especially cases involving the exploitation of children," said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. "This defendant, preyed on a child, and he is now facing justice. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will always prioritize safeguarding children and pursuing those who pose a threat to their safety." United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain sentenced Berlick to 360 months imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc . This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia field office, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI Miami Field Office, the Latana Police Department (Florida), the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (Florida) and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department (Wisconsin). Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Marosek is prosecuting the case. ### * The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child. The Associated Press Stylebook also discourages use of the phrase “child pornography.”


title: Garantex Cryptocurrency Exchange Disrupted in International Operation

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Note : View the indictment here . The Justice Department announced today a coordinated action with Germany and Finland to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure used to operate Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations — including terrorist organizations — and sanctions violations. Since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions. Garantex Splash Page In conjunction with the operation targeting Garantex, the Department also announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda (previously Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), 40, a Russian national and United Arab Emirates resident. Mira Serda and Besciokov are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to court documents, between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex. Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Mira Serda was Garantex’s co-founder and chief commercial officer. Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to U.S. victims. According to the indictment, Besciokov and Mira Serda knew that criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and took steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities on its platform. For example, when Russian law enforcement sought records relating to an account registered to Mira Serda, Garantex provided incomplete information in response and falsely claimed the account was not verified. In reality, Garantex had associated the account with Mira Serda’s personal identifying documents, even while disclosing identifying information related to other accounts requested by Russian law enforcement. On April 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Garantex for its role in facilitating money laundering of funds from ransomware actors and darknet markets. According to court documents, despite the widespread publicity of the sanctions and Garantex administrator’s personal knowledge of them, Besciokov and his co-conspirators violated those sanctions by continuing to transact with U.S.-based entities. Further, Besciokov and his co-conspirators redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions. For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts. Despite doing substantial business in the United States and operating as a money transmitting business, Garantex failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required. On March 6, U.S. law enforcement, led by the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), executed a seizure order authorized by a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia against three website domain names used to support Garantex’s operations. According to court records unsealed today, Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy were associated with the administration and operation of Garantex. The seizure of these domains will prevent these sites from being used for money laundering and additional crimes. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by law enforcement. As part of the coordinated actions, German and Finnish law enforcement seized servers hosting Garantex’s operations. U.S. law authorities have separately obtained earlier copies of Garantex’s servers, including customer and accounting databases. In addition, U.S. law enforcement has also frozen over $26 million in funds used to facilitate Garantex’s money laundering activities. Besciokov and Mira Serda are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Besciokov is also charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director Michael Centrella of the USSS’ Office of Field Operations, and Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran of the FBI’s Cyber Division made the announcement. USSS and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office, the Dutch National Police, Europol, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and the Estonian National Criminal Police. Finally, the Department thanks Tether and blockchain analytics firm Elliptic for their proactive assistance in this investigation. Any individual who believes he/she is a victim whose funds were laundered through Garantex or who may otherwise have a claim to restrained funds should reach out to law enforcement via email address GarantexClaimants@secretservice.gov . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Ambridge Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Bradley J. Schrott, 42, pleaded guilty to one count before Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer on March 6, 2025. In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on February 17, 2023, Schrott possessed a video depicting the sexual exploitation of a prepubescent minor. At the time of the offense, Schrott was serving a term of supervised release imposed for an earlier federal conviction for the same offense, for which he had been sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment. Judge Fischer scheduled sentencing for June 3, 2025. The law provides for a total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the Court ordered Schrott to remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals. Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Schrott. 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: Garantex cryptocurrency exchange disrupted in international operation

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Justice Department announced today a coordinated action with Germany and Finland to disrupt and take down the online infrastructure used to operate Garantex, a cryptocurrency exchange that allegedly facilitated money laundering by transnational criminal organizations - including terrorist organizations - and sanctions violations. Since April 2019, Garantex has processed at least $96 billion in cryptocurrency transactions. In conjunction with the operation targeting Garantex, the Department also announced the unsealing of an indictment in the Eastern District of Virginia against Aleksej Besciokov, 46, a Lithuanian national and Russian resident, and Aleksandr Mira Serda (previously Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), 40, a Russian national and United Arab Emirates resident. Mira Serda and Besciokov are charged with money laundering conspiracy, and Besciokov is charged with conspiracy to violate sanctions and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to court documents, between 2019 and 2025, Besciokov and Mira Serda controlled and operated Garantex. Besciokov was Garantex’s primary technical administrator and responsible for obtaining and maintaining critical Garantex infrastructure, as well as reviewing and approving transactions. Mira Serda was Garantex’s co-founder and chief commercial officer. Garantex received hundreds of millions in criminal proceeds and was used to facilitate various crimes, including hacking, ransomware, terrorism, and drug trafficking, often with substantial impact to U.S. victims. According to the indictment, Besciokov and Mira Serda knew that criminal proceeds were being laundered through Garantex and took steps to conceal the facilitation of illegal activities on its platform. For example, when Russian law enforcement sought records relating to an account registered to Mira Serda, Garantex provided incomplete information in response and falsely claimed the account was not verified. In reality, Garantex had associated the account with Mira Serda’s personal identifying documents, even while disclosing identifying information related to other accounts requested by Russian law enforcement. On April 5, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Garantex for its role in facilitating money laundering of funds from ransomware actors and darknet markets. According to court documents, despite the widespread publicity of the sanctions and Garantex administrator’s personal knowledge of them, Besciokov and his co-conspirators violated those sanctions by continuing to transact with U.S.-based entities. Further, Besciokov and his co-conspirators redesigned Garantex’s operations to evade and violate U.S. sanctions and induce U.S. businesses to unwittingly transact with Garantex in violation of the sanctions. For example, Garantex moved its operational cryptocurrency wallets to different virtual currency addresses on a daily basis in order to make it difficult for U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchanges to identify and block transactions with Garantex accounts. Despite doing substantial business in the United States and operating as a money transmitting business, Garantex failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) as required. On March 6, U.S. law enforcement executed a seizure order authorized by a judge in the Eastern District of Virginia against three website domain names used to support Garantex’s operations. According to court records unsealed today, Garantex.org, Garantex.io, and Garantex.academy were associated with the administration and operation of Garantex. The seizure of these domains will prevent these sites from being used for money laundering and additional crimes. Individuals visiting those sites now will see a message indicating that the site has been seized by law enforcement. As part of the coordinated actions, German and Finnish law enforcement seized servers hosting Garantex’s operations. U.S. law authorities have separately obtained earlier copies of Garantex’s servers, including customer and accounting databases. In addition, U.S. law enforcement has also frozen over $26 million in funds used to facilitate Garantex’s money laundering activities. Besciokov and Mira Serda are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Besciokov is also charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and with conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Matthew R. Galeotti, Supervisory Official of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael Centrella, Assistant Directorof the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Office of Field Operations; and Bryan Vorndran, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, made the announcement. USSS and the FBI are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoe Bedell for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Tamara Livshiz of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s National Security Division and Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department also recognizes the critical cooperation of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, the Frankfurt General Prosecutor’s Office, the Dutch National Police, Europol, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation, and the Estonian National Criminal Police. Finally, the Department thanks Tether and blockchain analytics firm Elliptic for their proactive assistance in this investigation. Any individual who believes he/she is a victim whose funds were laundered through Garantex or who may otherwise have a claim to restrained funds should contact law enforcement at GarantexClaimants@secretservice.gov . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Five More Sentenced in Federal Pandemic Fraud  Unemployment Benefit Scheme

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – An additional five of the 17 defendants charged with conspiring to defraud the United States, commit program fraud, and commit mail fraud in connection to a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits, were sentenced this week in U.S. District Court in Abingdon. On Thursday, Christopher Kirk Webb, 40, of Raven, Virginia was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison. Russell Eric Stiltner, 42, of Abingdon, Virginia, was sentenced to 24 months. Jessica Dawn Lester, 35, of North Tazewell, Virginia, and Cara Camille Bailey, 38, of Davenport, Virginia, were both sentenced to 19 months, and Justin Warren Meadows, 39, of Oakland, Virginia, was sentenced to 18 months. All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the amount of their individual fraudulent claims. Six Defendants were previously sentenced for their roles in the scheme. Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with ‘recruiting’ others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution. Terrence Brooks Vilacha was sentenced to 18 months in prison and was ordered to pay $14,894 in restitution. Joseph Hass was sentenced to 27 months’ incarceration and was ordered to pay $19,316 in restitution. Brian Addair was sentenced to 24 months in prison and was ordered to pay $22,284. Stephanie Amber Barton and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day. According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits. In all, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief to which they were not entitled. As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. Acting United States Attorney Zachary T. Lee, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences. Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, and the Virginia Employment Commission. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.


title: Edgewood Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - Kentucky, Eastern

body_text: COVINGTON, Ky. – An Edgewood, Ky. man, Eric Fultz, 52, was sentenced on Friday to 262 months in prison, by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning, for possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 29, 2024, law enforcement stopped Fultz’s vehicle travelling on Interstate 75 in Erlanger. Shortly thereafter, a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found 55.5 grams of actual methamphetamine. Fultz admitted in his plea agreement that he possessed the methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. Under federal law, Fultz must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years. Paul C. McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force jointly announced the sentence. The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Winslow prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. — END —


title: New Mexico Man Sentenced to More than 27 Years in Prison for  Advertising and Selling Child Pornography Online

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A New Mexico man was sentenced yesterday on two felony charges related to his online child sexual exploitation activities, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Wesley Alan Crownover, II, 37, to 330 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. In August 2023, Crownover pleaded guilty to one count of advertising child pornography and one count of sale of child pornography. These convictions will require Crownover to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). According to the plea agreement, Crownover was a member of 10 separate online groups dedicated to users who have a sexual interest in children. Within some of these groups, Crownover marketed his child pornography collection comprising of thousands of images and videos for sale. When contacted by an FBI undercover agent in one of the online groups, Crownover sold 30 videos containing child sexual abuse material for $25. A federal complaint and arrest warrant were obtained in the Northern District of Alabama, and a search warrant for Crownover’s residence was obtained from the District of New Mexico. When the warrants were executed, Crownover was not on the premises. Nonetheless, he saw law enforcement at his residence and fled the state. Crownover was a fugitive from justice for only a few months before he was located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and arrested by the United States Marshals Service. FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the assistance of FBI Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys R. Leann White and Kristen Osborne prosecuted the case. If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Federal Inmate Charged With Possessing Weapons

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jack Carroll, Jr., age 52, a federal inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was charged on March 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband in prison. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about December 11, 2024, while an inmate at FCI Schuylkill, Carroll possessed three inmate manufactured weapons, specifically a five-inch piece of glass sharpened to a point, and two six-inch pieces of plexiglass sharpened to a point, commonly referred to as “shanks.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Federal Inmate Charged With Possession Of A Weapon

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Antoine Tucker, age 22, originally from Washington D.C., was indicted on March 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury on a charge of possession of a weapon by a federal inmate. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on August 17, 2024, Tucker possessed a weapon, an approximate 5-inch piece of plastic sharpened to a point with a cloth handle, commonly known as a “shank” while an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institute at Allenwood, Union County, Pennsylvania. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 5 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Duluth Felon Charged with Possession of Firearm, Fentanyl

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth woman has been indicted on illegal possession of a firearm and drug trafficking charges, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, on December 8, 2023, Khadijah Denise Preston, 30, was found in possession of a Smith & Wesson model M&P Shield M2.0 handgun. On October 9, 2024, Preston possessed fentanyl with the intent to distribute. Because Preston has a prior felony conviction in Hennepin County for second degree assault, she is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time. The indictment charges Preston with one count of illegal possession of a firearm and two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. She made her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Leo I. Brisbois on March 6, 2025. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Duluth Police Department, the Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Department, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole J. Carter is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Inmate Charged With Possessing A Weapon

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tommy Clark, age 22, a federal inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Schuylkill (FCI Schuylkill), in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, was charged on March 4, 2025, by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband in prison. According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the indictment alleges that on or about October 16, 2024, while an inmate at FCI Schuylkill, Clark possessed an inmate manufactured weapon, specifically a six-and-one-half inch piece of metal sharpened to a point with a lanyard, commonly referred to as a “shank.” The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Winslow Man Sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison for Possession of Biological Weapon

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: FAYETTEVILLE – A Winslow, Arkansas man was sentenced yesterday to 96 months in prison without the possibility of parole for Possession of a Biological Agent. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, in January 2024, a concerned citizen made an anonymous tip to the Washington County Sherriff’s office that Jason Kale Clampit , age 44, was manufacturing and may have poisoned one of his family members with ricin. Thereafter, an investigation revealed that Clampit had, in fact, produced ricin at his residence in Winslow, Arkansas, for the stated purpose of setting traps for trespassers. The investigation likewise revealed that during the manufacturing process, Clampit inadvertently exposed himself to ricin, which made him extremely ill. On January 24, 2025, a federal search warrant was executed by both the Bentonville Bomb Squad and an FBI Bioweapon Specialist team, which resulted in the confiscation of several items associated with processing ricin, and suspected ricin byproducts. On that same day, Clampit was taken into custody. While in jail, he made statements on a monitored phone call in which he directed others to dispose of liquid ricin contained in a jar that was secreted in a camper on his property. After listening to the monitored call, FBI agents responded quickly, contacted the individual Clampit directed, and located, in a trash can, a jar containing processed ricin. Clampit was indicted by a Grand Jury in the Western District of Arkansas in March 2024. He entered a plea of guilty in October 2024. U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Bentonville Police Department, and the Arkansas Department of Corrections Division of Community Correction (probation and parole) all investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States. Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov .