title: Syracuse Man Sentenced to Nearly 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Diquan Hall, age 26, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 110 months in federal prison for distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement. As part of his guilty plea, Hall admitted that he repeatedly sold fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Syracuse area in January and February 2024. Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Hall to serve a four-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. This case was investigated by ATF, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Syracuse Police Department Intelligence Division, and the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicolas Commandeur and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick prosecuted the case.


title: Syracuse Man Sentenced To 100 Months For Drug Conspiracy

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Ricardo Lane, age 43, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement. As part of his prior guilty plea, Lane admitted that from April 2021 through July 2022 he conspired with others to distribute cocaine in Onondaga County. Lane had a prior 2007 federal conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Senior United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also ordered Lane to serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. This case was investigated by the DEA, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), HSI, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Syracuse Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey Brown and Michael Gadarian prosecuted the case. This case is also part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Mexican National Indicted For Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Esteban Lopez-Juarez (40, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. If convicted, Lopez-Juarez faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. According to the indictment, on March 16, 2025, Lopez-Juarez was found to be voluntarily in the United States after having previously been removed on five prior occasions. Lopez-Juarez had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. Additionally, Lopez-Juarez was previously convicted of illegal reentry in 2015 and 2016. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: El Paso Man Pleads Guilty to Alien Smuggling and Money Laundering Conspiracies

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man who led a major human smuggling operation has pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiring to transport and harbor illegal aliens and to launder the proceeds of the smuggling scheme. According to court records, between July 7, 2022, and March 21, 2023, Jose Luis Avalos , 42, the leader of the organization and the final defendant to plead in the case, along with co-conspirators and his wife, Kristina Hardin, coordinated the illegal transportation and harboring of unauthorized immigrants throughout New Mexico. In return, Avalos and Hardin received numerous money transfers into their bank accounts as proceeds from the smuggling operation and paid others for expenses related to the conspiracy. In addition, from August 10, 2021, through December 27, 2022, Avalos conspired with Hardin and others to launder the proceeds from the smuggling activities. They deposited illicit funds into multiple bank accounts and used the money for personal and mutual benefit, intentionally concealing the source and nature of these funds to avoid detection. In his plea agreement, Avalos admitted to knowingly participating in the conspiracy and working with others for their shared benefit. Avalos was indicted on May 18, 2023, along with eight co-conspirators, as part of a federal investigation into a large-scale migrant smuggling and money laundering operation. Subsequently, Hardin pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to launder proceeds, while Avalos ’ brother, David Avalos-Solis, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Twin brothers Dario Rey Gamboa and Diego Rean Gamboa, along with Justin Walker, Cindy Escobar, and Adam Guerrero, also pleaded guilty to participating in the conspiracy to transport and harbor illegal aliens. Nancy Orellana-Recinos pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting eluding examination or inspection. Orellana-Recinos was sentenced to time served and was provided a notice to appear for immigration proceedings. Hardin received two years of probation. Walker was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Diego Rean Gamboa, Dario Rey Gamboa, Cindy Escobar, and Adam Guerrero were each sentenced to time served. At sentencing, Avalos faces 20 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Jason T. Stevens, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Paso, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Randy M. Castellano is prosecuting the case as part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 360 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 330 U.S. convictions; more than 275 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.


body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Javier Velasquez-Aguilar (41, Mexico) with illegal reentry by a deported alien. If convicted, Velasquez-Aguilar faces a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison. According to the indictment, on March 24, 2025, Velasquez-Aguilar was found to be in the United States after having previously been removed from on three prior occasions. Velasquez-Aguilar had not received consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Grove Woman Sentenced for Strangling 70-Year-Old Neighbor to Death

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Kellie Lee Crawford, 57, for Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. Judge Frizzell ordered Crawford to 180 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. According to court documents, in September 2021, Crawford was drinking with her 70-year-old neighbor, Richard Strade. Crawford was under the influence of methamphetamine and unreasonably believed that Strade was attempting to assault her sexually. She admitted to repeatedly striking Strade in the head with a cookie jar lid and a plastic hanger before strangling him to death. Crawford is a citizen of the Potawatomi Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.


title: April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments Announced

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2024-B Indictments. The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence. Jose Alvizo-Ramirez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Alvizo-Ramirez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2022. He is further charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from January 6, 2025, to on or about March 26, 2025. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-143 Richard Glenn Bexfield. Drug Conspiracy; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Destruction and Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Bexfield, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from Jan. 2025 through Apr. 2025. He knowingly destroyed and disposed of property in an effort to prevent law enforcement from seizing the property. Further, Bexfield is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-136 Cesar Castorena-Dondiego. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Castorena-Dondiego, 44, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2018. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-145 Clint Allen Hubble. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Hubble, 46, of Afton, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice a minor child to engage in sexually explicit activity. The Homeland Security Investigations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Brandon is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-146 Wilber Martinez-Bonilla. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Martinez-Bonilla, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2014. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-147 Paul Eugene McClain. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. McClain, 56, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of several felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-148 Aaron Wilkie Murphy; Hong Thoa Thi Nguyen; Joshua Clay Murphy; Toymeka Louise Shackleford. Continuing Criminal Enterprise (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 4); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 5 & 6); International Travel to Promote, Manage, Establish, Carry On, and Facilitate Drug Conspiracy (Count 7) (superseding). Aaron Murphy, 51, of Broken Arrow, is charged with organizing, leading, and profiting from the distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. He knowingly conspired with several others to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, while maintaining a residence for the purpose of drug distribution, and traveled to Mexico to manage and further promote his enterprise drug conspiracy. Nguyen, 45, of Tulsa, Joshua Murphy, 47, of Milfay, Shackleford, 49, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mar. 2022 through Feb. 2025. Nguyen is additionally charged with maintaining a residence for the purpose of narcotics distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Tulsa Field Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. The DEA Mexico City Country Office, along with the Hermosillo Mexico Resident Office, the U.S. Marshal Service Mexico City Field Office, Mexican Marines, and the Mexico Federal Police, assisted in the arrest and return of Aaron Murphy and Nguyen. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-199 Roberto Perez-Cruz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Perez-Cruz, 21, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Oct. 2021. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Dallas Field Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-149 Carlos Alberto Vazquez Parra. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Vazquez Parra, 33, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 25-CR-150


title: Dominican National Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national residing in Lawrence, Mass. has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Santo Beato Aybar-Aybar was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Aybar-Aybar was arrested on March 23, 2025 and is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement Custody. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, Aybar-Aybar was previously deported from the United States on or about Sept. 21, 2021. It is alleged that sometime after his September 2021 removal, Aybar-Aybar illegally reentered the United States without permission. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crime Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Indictment Charges Maryland Man with Illegal Possession of a Firearm

body_text: WASHINGTON – Damarqus Moore, 33, of Suitland, Maryland, has been indicted on a federal firearms charge as part of the "Make D.C. Safe Again" initiative. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Make D.C. Safe Again is a public safety initiative led by U.S. Attorney Martin that is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators. Moore is charged in an indictment in federal court with possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. According to court documents, on January 13, 2025, MPD officers observed an automobile with illegal window tint and no front license plate idling in the area of 5826 Dix Street NE, Washington, D.C. Officers soon realized that the license plate affixed to the rear of the automobile was registered to a separate automobile. Moore was placed under arrest and officers recovered MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy) tablets on Moore’s person. As officers searched the automobile for additional controlled substances, they quickly observed a firearm lodged in the steering column of the automobile. The recovered firearm was a .40 caliber firearm, loaded, with an obliterated serial number. The defendant has been convicted of multiple felony offenses in the State of Maryland, including first degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. This case is being investigated by the ATF Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Remaining Two Defendants in Moorhead Methamphetamine Trafficking Case

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: FERGUS FALLS, Minn. – Two individuals from Moorhead, Minnesota, were convicted by a federal jury for conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to evidence presented at trial, on February 22, 2024, acting on a canine alert, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant on a suspicious package that had been intercepted in North Dakota. Inside the package, law enforcement found over nine pounds of methamphetamine. Agents removed a majority of the methamphetamine, added a tracking device to the package, and returned it to the intended delivery address, a rental unit in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Once delivered, law enforcement observed Alberto St. Martin Lopez, Jr., 58, retrieve the package and take it to his residence nearby. There, Lopez met with two of his other co-conspirators. At trial, evidence demonstrated that the trio recorded opening the suspect parcel. They departed quickly afterwards, each with different parts of the parcel evidence. One co-conspirator left in possession of the remaining methamphetamine and quickly met up with a fourth co-conspirator. A second co-conspirator left Lopez’s residence, recovered three additional pounds of methamphetamine separately stored on Lopez’s property, and left. Lopez left his residence with the GPS tracker. All were quickly apprehended and found in possession of the tracking device, the additional three pounds of methamphetamine, digital scales and other miscellaneous drug distribution materials. As proven at trial, Terri Lee Weideman, 46, worked at a Fargo property management company and since at least April 2023 had been providing the conspiracy with the addresses of rental units she knew to be vacant, thereby facilitating the shipments of methamphetamine from California. “Transnational criminal organizations continue to pour methamphetamine into Minnesota by various means, including by mail,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “As this case demonstrates, this office, working hand in glove with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to dedicate resources to stop the flow of methamphetamine into our state.” In total, once all search warrants had been executed, 12 pounds of methamphetamine was seized on February 23, 2023, at the time comprising the largest combined seizure of methamphetamine in Clay County, Minnesota. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Moorhead Police Department, and other supporting agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren O. Roso and Allen A. Slaughter Jr. tried the case.


title: Former U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst Sentenced for Selling Sensitive Military Information to Individual Tied to Chinese Government

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government. Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information. “This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.” “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.” “Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.” “Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.” According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including: His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations; Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense; Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems; Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force; Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines; Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations. Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.” Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money. The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents. The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.” The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.


title: Convicted Sex Offender Indicted for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Nicholas Lugo of Chaska, Minnesota, has been charged with distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Nicholas Richard Lugo, 25, distributed multiple CSAM videos over the internet. Lugo has a 2021 conviction in Hennepin County for first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor. “Lugo is a child predator. He was convicted of sexually abusing a child. And then—like so many sexual predators—went on to offend again,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “Minnesotans should have no tolerance for serial child sex offenders in our midst. The U.S. Attorney’s Office certainly doesn’t. Defendants like Lugo who repeatedly prey on children should expect to see federal charges and do federal prison time.” Lugo is charged with one count of distribution child pornography. At his arraignment hearing, Magistrate Judge Dulce J. Foster ordered that he remain in custody pending further court proceedings. This case is the result of an investigation by the Chaska Police Department, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the FBI. It 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. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead 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: Charleston Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drugs and Ammunition

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: CHARLESTON, S.C. — Omar D. Milligan, 47, of Charleston, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiring and possessing with intent to distribute 5 kilograms of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. Evidence presented to the Court established that Milligan played a key role in a drug trafficking organization operating in Charleston, with national and international ties. On March 25, 2022, Milligan received approximately 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl, which he intended to deliver to another member of the organization for further distribution into the community. He had also arranged to obtain an additional 2.5 kilograms of fentanyl once the first shipment was delivered. As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement discovered that Milligan was using a local apartment as a base of operations for his drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, he was observed selling both fentanyl and cocaine directly to others. On Aug. 23, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at the apartment and recovered a kilogram of marijuana, 6 grams of cocaine, and ammunition. Milligan previously served time in federal prison for drug and firearm related felony offenses. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Milligan to 10 years in prison, to be followed by a 10-year term of court ordered supervision. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charleston Police Department, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Jury convicts illegal alien for unlawfully being in United States

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A Guatemalan national has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Leonardo Fernando Batz guilty as charged following a three-day trial. On Nov. 23, 2023, authorities found Batz in Harris County. At that time, the investigation revealed he was not a citizen of the United States and had a previous removal order from an immigration judge. Testimony revealed Batz had been previously removed in 2007 and in 2020. The jury heard from a Border Patrol agent who described his encounter with Batz in the Rio Grande Valley in September 2019. Batz had illegally entered the United States by raft on the Rio Grande River and subsequently pleaded guilty. A deportation officer also described how he rode with Batz when he was removed via plane from the United States to Guatemala in 2020. The jury saw evidence including Batz’s Guatemalan passport, a travel pass the Guatemalan consulate had issued and various other documents from Batz’s alien file. A fingerprint expert also identified Batz as the same person documented in various deportation materials. The defense attempted to question the trustworthiness of the government’s evidence. The jury did not believe those claims and found Batz guilty as charged. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Hoyt presided over trial and set sentencing for May 1, 2025. At that time, Batz faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He will remain in custody pending that hearing. Immigration Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Carrie Law prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood .


title: New York Attorney and Administrative Officer Pleads Guilty to Attempted Smuggling of Firearms, Ammunition to Haiti

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – On April 18, 2025, Marcel Pierre Denis, 58, pled guilty to a two-count information charging him with April 2022 and October 2022 attempts to smuggle firearms from Miami to Haiti. In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that, in April 2022, law enforcement conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County and discovered an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, a rifle magazine, and rifle ammunition in a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti. Denis was listed as the shipper on a shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier otherwise identified and recognized Denis as a frequent customer who had previously submitted cargo for shipment to Haiti. In a May 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged that he had attempted to ship the firearm and ammunition for Haiti and that he had not obtained any export permit or license for the shipment. In October 2022, law enforcement again conducted an inspection of outbound cargo at a shipping warehouse in Miami-Dade County. During this inspection, law enforcement encountered a cargo box manifested for shipment to Haiti that contained, among other items, a semiautomatic pistol that had been wrapped in duct tape and then concealed inside of a coffee container. Denis was again listed as the shipper on the shipping invoice for the box. Employees of the shipping carrier again identified Denis as the individual who had dropped off the cargo for shipment and filled out the shipping forms. Law enforcement conducted a trace and obtained purchase records for the pistol, which reflected that Denis had purchased the pistol from a retailer in the Southern District of Florida. In a November 2022 interview, Denis acknowledged his interactions with law enforcement after the April 2022 shipment, acknowledged his purchase of the pistol concealed among the October 2022 shipment, and stated that he intended to ship the firearms to an associate in Haiti for protection of a retail business. In connection with the plea, Denis admitted that he was aware of his need for an export license or permit to ship firearms or ammunition to Haiti, and that he was otherwise licensed to practice law and serving as an administrative hearing officer in the State of New York at the time of each shipment. U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez is presiding over the case. Denis faces a maximum term of ten years’ imprisonment as to each count. The sentencing hearing has been set for July 7, 2025. Judge Martinez will sentence Denis after a review of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami Field Division, announced the guilty plea. HSI investigated the case. Customs and Border Protection provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sterling M. Paulson is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN . 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 25-cr- 20139. ###


title: Raytown Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Machine Guns

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man plead guilty in federal court today for possessing and transferring two machine gun conversion devices. Darius R. Harris, also known as “D” and “D2,” 22, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts, to two counts of illegally possessing machine guns. On October 30, 2023, Harris sold a silver, Glock-type switch to an undercover agent for $350. On November 9, 2023, Harris sold a Glock 9mm handgun, Glock-type switch, extended magazine and twenty-three rounds of ammunition to an undercover agent for $960. On April 1, 2025, Harris’ brother, Demetrius Harris, also known as “Meech,” 24, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill A. Morris, to one count of illegally possessing machine guns. On Jan. 24, 2024, Demetrius Harris sold an AR-style firearm containing an auto sear, two additional auto sears, and ammunition to an undercover agent for $1,060. Demetrius Harris is awaiting sentencing. Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices. Under federal statutes, Harris is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Randolph County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – William Durnal, 60, of Elkins, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for methamphetamine possession and distribution. According to court documents and statements made in court, Durnal was part of a drug trafficking organization that was distributing large amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in Morgantown, West Virginia. A search of his home recovered hundreds of grams of methamphetamine. Durnal has a criminal history that includes theft, forgery, burglary, battery, and passing counterfeit money. Durnal will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley and Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Investigative agencies include the Mon Metro Drug Task Force and the Mountain Region Task Force, both HIDTA-funded initiatives. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: D.C. Man Admits to 2023 Killing at Navy Yard Metro Station

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tyriq Williams, 31, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder for the 2023 shooting murder of Terry Clark, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Superior Court Judge Todd E. Edelman accepted the factual basis for the plea and scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2025. The guilty plea, which is contingent upon the Court’s approval at sentencing, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of between 14 and 18 years, followed by a period of supervised release. On January 7, 2023, the defendant and his girlfriend encountered Mr. Clark on an escalator leaving the Navy Yard Metro Station. The defendant and Mr. Clark did not know each other. After both men left the station, Williams turned around and shot Mr. Clark one time, causing his death. The defendant then went back into the station and took the train to Congress Heights Metro Station, where he took a bus to his place of employment. Williams told a friend that he needed a ride, and his friend picked the defendant up and drove him to the bus stop, where Williams got back on the same bus that he previously rode. The shooting was not captured on video, but law enforcement located the defendant on other video surveillance, including Washington Metro Area Transit Authority surveillance around the metro station and on the bus. After an investigation, Williams was apprehended, and detectives found, pursuant to a search warrant of the defendant’s home, distinctive clothing that he wore on the night of the shooting. Williams has been in custody since his arrest on January 20, 2023. This case is being investigated by detectives and other personnel of the Metropolitan Police Department and Metro Transit Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Smith and Jamie Carter. This case was investigated by former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Interrante.


title: Putnam County Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining Unemployment and COVID-19 Benefits

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Lomax, 33, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty today to theft of public money, property or records. Lomax admitted that he fraudulently obtained $13,312 in unemployment benefits, including COVID-19 supplementary funds. According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about March 24, 2020, Lomax applied for unemployment compensation after he was laid off as a sales manager at a St. Albans auto dealership when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Lomax legitimately received unemployment benefits until the week ending April 25, 2020, when he returned to work. Lomax admitted that from at least April 25, 2020 through at least July 18, 2020, he continued to apply for unemployment benefits that he knew he was not entitled to because he had returned to work. Lomax fraudulently obtained approximately $13,312 in unemployment benefits, including supplementary funds provided by the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation Program (FPUC) of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). WorkForce West Virginia administers the unemployment compensation program for the State of West Virginia. Lomax admitted that as part of his scheme, he falsely certified on the WorkForce West Virginia website for 13 consecutive weeks that he was entitled to unemployment benefits. Lomax submitted the false certification answers while using his personal electronic device in St. Albans. Lomax admitted that he used the fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits to make purchases and pay his bills. Lomax is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Lomax also owes $13,312 in restitution. Two of Lomax’s co-workers – his father Gary Lomax, 63, of Hurricane, and Christopher Grant, 41, of Buckhannon – previously pleaded guilty to similar pandemic-related unemployment compensation fraud schemes. Gary Lomax was sentenced on November 19, 2024, to five years of federal probation, including four months on home detention, and ordered to pay $29,592 in restitution for theft of public money, property or records. Grant was sentenced on November 25, 2024, to five years of federal probation, including four months on home detention, and ordered to pay $35,168 in restitution for conspiracy to steal public money, property or records. Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the WorkForce West Virginia Integrity Section, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Inspector General (NASA OIG), the Litigation Financial Analyst with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). NASA OIG is an active member of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. 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, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations. United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys J. Parker Bazzle II and Andrew J. Tessman are prosecuting the case. Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721, or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-57. ###


title: Lee’s Summit Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man plead guilty in federal court today for illegally possessing three shotguns. Jacob A. Stockbridge, 31, plead guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lajuana M. Counts, to one count of being a felon in possession of firearms. On November 20, 2022, Stockbridge was driving a Ford F150 truck when he struck another motorist at the intersection of W. 23 rd Street and S. Crysler Avenue, Independence, Missouri. Stockbridge, as seen by witnesses and surveillance video, fled the wrecked F150 truck before emergency personnel arrived. Stockbridge left behind his wallet, containing his Missouri driver’s license, and his cell phone in the F150. Police investigating the crash found in the F150’s backseat three shotguns: two Winchester Model 97, 12-gauge shotguns and a Beretta A391 Extrema 2, 12-gauge shotgun. All three shotguns were stolen. Prior to November 20th, Stockbridge had been found guilty of 10 felony offenses in the State of Missouri. Under federal statutes, Stockbridge is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Independence, Missouri Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Darknet Drug Trafficker from Pennsylvania Sentenced in D.C. for Selling Mass Quantities of Fentanyl Online

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jacob Blair, 27, of Aliquippa, Pa., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 180 months in federal prison for his role in a drug conspiracy that distributed a wide variety of narcotics, including large amounts of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine. Blair sold and distributed the narcotics on the darknet marketplace Tor2Door and other darknet markets. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr.; Acting U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti of the Western District of Pennsylvania; Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Kevin P. Rojek of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division; Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the US Postal Inspection Service Pittsburgh Division for; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. Blair pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024, before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, to a charge of conspiracy to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine, and to a charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. Blair also pleaded guilty in the District of Columbia to a charge, originally filed in the Western District of Pennsylvania, of distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. In addition to the 180-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Blair to serve five years of supervised release. According to court documents, Blair was responsible for distributing more than 1.2 kilograms but less than 4 kilograms of fentanyl, and at least 50 grams but less than 200 grams of methamphetamine. He also admitted to mass-marketing the narcotics by means of an interactive computer service. Blair’s co-defendant Dyani Pezzelle pleaded guilty March 5, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl and 50 grams of methamphetamine. Pezzelle is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 18, 2025. Between August 1, 2022, and Feb. 24, 2023, Blair and Pezzelle operated vendor accounts on various darknet marketplaces. On the marketplace Tor2Door, Blair and Pezzelle advertised their controlled substances using the monikers “YVS” and “YVendor Supplier” which they touted as “a syndicate of professionals that specialize in making the best products the markets have to offer. We focus on quality, consistency, stealth, and speed.” The conspiracy completed at least 459 sales of illegal narcotics. Blair manufactured and obtained counterfeit Oxycodone, Adderall, and Xanax pills for sale. Blair posted advertisements for the controlled substances on Tor2Door and four other marketplaces and accepted payment in cyrptocurrency. During the conspiracy, Blair shipped counterfeit oxycodone pills to the District of Columbia at least six times. These pills contained fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and metonitazene, a Schedule I controlled substance. In addition, they also shipped counterfeit Xanax and Adderall pills to the District multiple times. On February 22, 2023, law enforcement executed search warrants at Blair’s residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and other locations. During the searches, law enforcement recovered 10 firearms, over 20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained fentanyl, an industrial pill press, and other manufacturing and distribution supplies. This case was investigated by the FBI’s Field Offices in Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, the DEA, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations. Valuable assistance was provided by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Moon Township Police Department. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Strong and Peter Roman of the District of Columbia’s Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) section and Assistant U.S. Attorney DeMarr Moulton of the Western District of Pennsylvania. The case was initially investigated and indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg. 24cr560


body_text: WASHINGTON – A former U.S. Army intelligence analyst was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, including sensitive, non-public U.S. military information, to an individual he believed was affiliated with the Chinese government. Korbein Schultz, 25, of Wills Point, Texas, pleaded guilty in August 2024 to conspiring to collect and transmit national defense information, unlawfully exporting controlled information to China, and accepting bribes in exchange of sensitive, non-public U.S. government information. “This defendant swore an oath to defend the United States — instead, he betrayed it for a payout and put America’s military and service members at risk,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Justice Department remains vigilant against China’s efforts to target our military and will ensure that those who leak military secrets spend years behind bars.” “This sentencing is a stark warning to those who betray our country: you will pay a steep price for it,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The People’s Republic of China is relentless in its efforts to steal our national defense information, and service members are a prime target. The FBI and our partners will continue to root out espionage and hold those accountable who abandon their obligation to safeguard defense information from hostile foreign governments.” “Those who collaborate with America’s foreign adversaries put our country, and those who defend it, at grave risk and we will do whatever it takes to hold them accountable for their crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee. “We will proudly stand in support of our men and women in uniform and work diligently to protect them from people like the defendant who would sell them out for a few bucks.” “Protecting classified information is paramount to our national security, and this sentencing reflects the ramifications when there is a breach of that trust,” said Brigadier General Rhett R. Cox, Commanding General of the Army Counterintelligence Command. “This Soldier’s actions put Army personnel at risk placing individual gain above personal honor. Army Counterintelligence Command, in close collaboration with the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Intelligence Community, remains steadfast in our commitment to safeguarding our nation’s secrets and urges all current and former Army personnel to report any suspicious contact immediately.” According to court documents, between May 2022 until his arrest in March 2024, Schultz engaged in an ongoing conspiracy to provide dozens of sensitive U.S. military documents — many containing export-controlled tactical and technical information — directly to a foreign national residing in the People’s Republic of China. Despite clear indications that this individual, who is referenced in the Indictment as Conspirator A, was likely connected to the Chinese government, the defendant continued the relationship in exchange for financial compensation. In exchange for approximately $42,000, Schultz provided documents and data related to U.S. military capabilities, including: His Army unit’s operational order before it was deployed to Eastern Europe in support of NATO operations; Lessons learned by the U.S. Army from the Ukraine/Russia conflict applicable to Taiwan’s defense; Technical manuals for the HH-60 helicopter, F-22A fighter aircraft, and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems; Information on Chinese military tactics and the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force; Details on U.S. military exercises in the Republic of Korea and the Philippines; Documents concerning U.S. military satellites and missile defense systems like the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). Tactics for countering unmanned aerial systems in large-scale combat operations. Conspirator A first contacted the defendant through a freelance web-based work platform shortly after the defendant received his Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance. Masquerading as a client from a geopolitical consulting firm, Conspirator A solicited the defendant to produce detailed analyses on U.S. military capabilities and planning, particularly in relation to Taiwan and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. As the relationship progressed, Conspirator A’s demands grew increasingly specific and sensitive — requesting technical manuals, operational procedures, and intelligence assessments. Conspirator A made explicit his interest in materials that were not publicly available and encouraged the defendant to seek out higher levels of classification, emphasizing “exclusiveness” and “CUI and better.” Schultz agreed to obtain higher levels of classified information for Conspirator A in exchange for money. The defendant, fully aware of the grave national security implications, used his position and access to restricted databases — including closed U.S. government computer networks — to download and transmit at least 92 sensitive U.S. military documents. The case also revealed attempts by the defendant to recruit his friend and fellow Army intelligence analyst into the conspiracy. At the time, Schultz’s friend was assigned to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), which is the combatant command that covers China and its regional areas of influence. Schultz and Conspirator A discussed the need to recruit another person into their scheme who had better access to classified material. They agreed that such recruitment needed to be done in a “nice and slow fashion.” The FBI’s Nashville Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command and the Department of Defense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Kurtzman for the Middle District of Tennessee and Trial Attorneys Adam Barry and Christopher Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.


title: Franklin County Woman Accused of Disability Fraud

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A woman from Franklin County, Missouri has been indicted and accused of committing $174,000 in disability fraud over more than 14 years. Starr Lumos, also known as Starr Rodrigue, 54, was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on April 16 with one count of theft of government money and one count of concealing information from the Social Security Administration, namely her right to a benefit payment. She turned herself in Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. The indictment says that from Oct. 1, 2009, to March 1, 2024, Lumos concealed and failed to disclose her full physical abilities and ownership, work and income at multiple businesses, reaping $174,391 in disability payments. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely an accusation and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The theft of government money charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and the concealment charge is punishable by up to five years in prison. Both also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000. The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, Cooperative Disability Investigations Unit investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke is prosecuting the case.


title: Former Florida Highway Patrol Trooper And DEA Task Force Officer Sentenced To Nine Years In Federal Prison For Distributing Drugs, Defrauding The United States, And Illegal Firearm Possession

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Joshua Grady Earrey (46, Jacksonville) to nine years in federal prison for multiple federal offenses including one count of conspiring to distribute narcotics, one count of conspiring to defraud the United States, and one count of possessing firearms and ammunition while addicted to illegal narcotics. As part of the sentence, Earrey also agreed to forfeit or abandon the money, firearms, and ammunition involved in these offenses. He entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2024. According to court documents, while employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper and designated Task Force Officer with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Earrey and a co-conspirator engaged in extensive corrupt activity from 2021-2023. These acts included the theft of money and illegal drugs that were seized as evidence during criminal investigations; providing illegal drugs (including fentanyl and cocaine) to others to distribute on their behalf; and providing ammunition to an individual that Earrey knew to be a convicted murderer in exchange for opiates. Earrey and his co-conspirator stole more than 1,000 pounds of marijuana from evidence and provided the drugs to others to sell on their behalf. They covered up the theft by submitting falsified paperwork showing that the marijuana had been destroyed. Similarly, they stole a kilogram of cocaine from evidence and then gave it to a drug dealer to sell for them. “Law enforcement officers who operate as though they are above the law betray the badge and the citizens they swore to protect," said FBI Jacksonville Acting Special Agent in Charge Hubert Reynolds. “This case exemplifies the FBI's commitment to holding public servants accountable if they violate the very laws they promised to uphold.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service -- Criminal Investigation, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William S. Hamilton. The United States Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection wish to thank the Florida Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their cooperation during this investigation.


title: High-ranking Tren de Aragua member in custody on terrorism and international drug distribution charges

body_text: HOUSTON - A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed charging a Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA). Jose Enrique Martinez Flores aka “Chuqui,” 24, is charged in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. “TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.” “For the past few years, foreign gangs like TdA have more or less been able to enter our country with impunity, coming here to distribute deadly drugs and terrorize American citizens. That ends now. This Department of Justice is committed to uprooting this terrorist gang, dismantling its criminal operations, and either imprisoning its members or removing them from the country. SDTX is proud to lead this fight,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.” “TdA is a direct threat to our national security, to our communities, and to Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues in our pursuit to eliminate this violent terrorist organization from our streets, and today's announcement makes it clear that these criminals, especially the leaders of these cartels, have no place in our country.” “This joint Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - FBI operation - alongside partners in the U.S. and Colombia - is further evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts on members of TdA who continue to pump poison into our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “This is another example of DEA’s tenacity to hunt these networks down, wherever they operate, and crush their evil grip on American lives.” Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia March 31 pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings. A federal grand jury in Houston returned the superseding indictment April 8. According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more and two substantive counts of international drug distribution. The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20. According to information presented to the court, Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership. Flores also allegedly caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million fine. The FBI and DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. This case is also a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Massachusetts Woman Agrees to Plead Guilty to $19 Million Bank Fraud Conspiracy

body_text: BOSTON – A Feeding Hills, Mass. woman has agreed to plead guilty in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud commercial lenders by providing false and fraudulent rent rolls and forged lease agreements for properties located in Springfield, Mass.; East Longmeadow, Mass.; and Enfield, Conn. Christine Gendron, 61, has agreed to plead guilty to an Information charging her with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. In a related case, on April 22, 2025 , Louis R. Masaschi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. United States Judge Mark G. Mastroianni scheduled Masaschi’s sentencing for July 23, 2025. According to court filings, Gendron was a certified public accountant who worked as the Financial Manager for JLL Realty Developers, LLC (JLLRD), a limited liability company for which her sister, Jeannette Norman, and brother-in-law, Masaschi, served as partners. Masaschi and, allegedly Norman, were partners in dozens of limited liability companies, including JLLRD, through which they owned primarily commercial and some residential property in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut and elsewhere. It is alleged that Gendron conspired with Masaschi and Norman to defraud various financial institutions and a commercial lender. Specifically, Masaschi and, allegedly, Gendron and Norman provided materially false, fictitious and fraudulent financial information – including false rent rolls and forged lease agreements – to obtain loans for their companies. After receiving the loans, Masaschi, Norman and their companies allegedly made some or no payments and ultimately defaulted on the loans, causing substantial losses to the financial institutions and commercial lenders. According to Gendron’s plea agreement, between May 2016 and November 2018, Masaschi, and allegedly Norman, fraudulently obtained or sought to obtain approximately $60,123,000 in loans and caused a total loss of $19,305,473. The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Employee Admits Smuggling Drugs into Missouri Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former employee of a Missouri state prison on Wednesday admitted smuggling drugs and knives into prison. Steven M. Reminger, 53, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of attempting to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Reminger was an electronics technician at the Eastern Reception Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre, Missouri at the time of his crimes. After a number of inmate drug overdoses, inmates told officials that Reminger was smuggling drugs into the prison. One told a Missouri Department of Corrections investigator that Reminger had drugs mailed to a Post Office box in Farmington, Missouri under a fake name. A U.S. Postal Inspection Service inspector learned that Reminger had obtained the Post Office box on Nov. 8, 2021, and received about 12 packages between Nov. 13, 2021, and May 24, 2022. After Reminger picked up the final parcel on May 25, 2022, Postal Inspectors took him to a police station and interviewed him. They also opened the package, discovering $4,000 in cash as well as fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, K2, THC edibles, marijuana, knives and cell phones that were contained in four vacuum-sealed packages. Reminger said the $4,000 was his pay for bringing the packages into the prison. He acknowledged that it was “possible” the packages he brought in contained something that contributed to the inmate overdoses, but said “ignorance is bliss” and added that he never opened the packages within the parcels or asked what was inside of them. Reminger admitted being “deliberately ignorant” to the contents of the packages. Reminger said he made no more than $50,000 from the smuggling scheme. He turned over $15,000 in cash that he had at home to investigators. He used some of the rest of the money to buy a dune buggy and two trailers. Reminger is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24. Each charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. The Missouri Department of Corrections Office of Professional Standards, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Rebar is prosecuting the case.


title: Three Prison Guards Plead Guilty to Violation of Rights Under Color of Law

body_text: SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Brandon Montanari, age 34, Rohail Kahn, age 28, and Michael Williams, age 38, have each pled guilty to depriving an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility of his rights under color of law. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement. In pleading guilty, Montanari, Kahn, and Williams admitted to assaulting an inmate at Mid-State Correctional Facility in April 2023, including punching and kicking him without cause, causing bodily injury. Each defendant admitted further that he agreed with the others to lie about the assault during an internal investigation. At the sentencings scheduled for late July and August, each defendant faces a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years, and a maximum fine of $250,000. FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Michael D. Gadarian are prosecuting the case.


title: Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to $10 Million Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Nigerian man has pleaded guilty in connection with a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain at least $10 million in COVID-19 unemployment benefits. Yomi Jones Olayeye, a/k/a “Sabbie,” 40, of Lagos, Nigeria, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy and one count of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. Senior United States District Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for Aug. 13, 2025. Olayeye was arrested in August 2024 upon arriving at John F. Kennedy International Airport and remains in federal custody. Between March and July 2020, Olayeye and, allegedly others, defrauded three pandemic assistance programs administrated by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance and other states’ unemployment insurance agencies: traditional unemployment insurance (UI), Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, used personally identifiable information (PII) they purchased over criminal internet forums to apply for UI, PUA and FPUC – falsely representing themselves to be eligible state residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly used the same fraudulently obtained PII to open U.S. bank accounts and prepaid debit card accounts to receive the assistance payments. Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, recruited U.S.-based account holders to receive and transfer the fraud proceeds via cash transfer applications. Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, then used the fraudulent proceeds to purchase Bitcoin via online marketplaces. Olayeye, and allegedly his co-conspirators, concealed the conspiracy’s connection to Nigeria by leasing Internet Protocol addresses assigned to computers located in the United States for use in the fraudulent transactions. In total, Olayeye and his co-conspirators allegedly applied for at least $10 million in fraudulent UI, PUA and FPUC from Massachusetts, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Montana, Maine, Ohio and Washington and received more than $1.5 million in assistance to which they were not entitled. The charges of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of aggravated identity theft calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any sentence imposed on the wire fraud charge. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Special Agent in Charge Randy Maloney of the U.S. Secret Service Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; and James Crowley, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth B. Kosto and Meghan C. Cleary of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case. 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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Army Soldier Sentenced to More Than 24 Years  for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A former Army soldier was sentenced today to more than 24 years (292 months) in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release for the production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Jason Charles Manuelito, 27, pled guilty to the offense on June 11, 2024. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Manuelito was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID) after CID received multiple cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone using an IP address on the military base was uploading child pornography, otherwise known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The individual uploaded illegal images and videos to Kik social media application, Google, and Dropbox. Investigators determined that the IP address belonged to Manuelito. A military search and seizure authorization was executed for Manuelito’s person and his barracks. Digital devices were seized and analyzed, and investigators found numerous conversations between Mauelito and children where he would encourage the child to send specific images of their genitals and engaging in sexual acts. Manuelito would, often times, send explicit images of his genitals to the children. There were approximately nine victims identified and interviewed and many others unidentified. Some of the victims were as young as 11 years old when Manuelito was enticing them to self-produce child sexual abuse material and share it with him. In a recorded interview with law enforcement, Manuelito admitted he had been involved in online relationships with minors. During the course of those online relationships both he and the victim would engage in sexualized conversations and then exchange illicit images. Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Army Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00200. ###


title: Dominican National Indicted for Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Dominican national has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. Carlos Yuniol Pimentel-Ortiz, 38, was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He will appear in federal court on a later date. According to the indictment, Pimentel-Ortiz was deported from the United States on or about Nov. 7, 2023. It is alleged that sometime after his removal, Pimentel-Ortiz illegally reentered the United States without permission. He was found in the United States on March 21, 2025. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in criminal cases. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Armed Drug Dealer Receives 10 Years in Federal Prison

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Eric Harris, 38, of Wilmington, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Harris pled guilty to the charges on January 16, 2025. According to court documents and other information presented in court, law enforcement received information that Harris had traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina to purchase methamphetamine that he planned to sell in Wilmington. Between August 20 and September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office made controlled purchases from Harris of more than 3 ounces of methamphetamine and 10 grams of fentanyl at the Campus Edge Apartments in Wilmington. On September 9, 2024, the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office arrested Harris following the last controlled purchase and then searched Harris’ Campus Edge apartment. Law enforcement found an additional two ounces of methamphetamine, nineteen grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm in the apartment. This is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. 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. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Severo prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:24-cr-00092. ###


title: High-Ranking Tren de Aragua Member in Custody on Terrorism and International Drug Distribution Charges

body_text: A five-count superseding indictment has been unsealed today charging a Venezuelan national and alleged high-ranking member of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TdA). Jose Enrique Martinez Flores also known as “Chuqui,” 24, is charged in the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) with conspiring to provide and providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization as well as conspiracy and distribution of cocaine in Colombia intended for distribution in the United States. “TdA is not a street gang – it is a highly structured terrorist organization that put down roots in our country during the prior administration,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s charges represent an inflection point in how this Department of Justice will prosecute and ultimately dismantle this evil organization, which has destroyed American families and poisoned our communities.” “For the past few years, foreign gangs like TdA have more or less been able to enter our country with impunity, coming here to distribute deadly drugs and terrorize American citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei for the SDTX. “That ends now. This Department of Justice is committed to uprooting this terrorist gang, dismantling its criminal operations, and either imprisoning its members or removing them from the country. SDTX is proud to lead this fight.” “TdA is a direct threat to our national security, to our communities, and to Americans,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI continues in our pursuit to eliminate this violent terrorist organization from our streets, and today's announcement makes it clear that these criminals, especially the leaders of these cartels, have no place in our country.” “This joint Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-FBI operation — alongside partners in the United States and Colombia — is further evidence that we must continue to focus our efforts on members of TdA who continue to pump poison into our communities,” said DEA Acting Administrator Derek Maltz. “This is another example of DEA’s tenacity to hunt these networks down, wherever they operate, and crush their evil grip on American lives.” Colombian authorities arrested Flores in Colombia March 31 pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant the United States had requested. He remains in custody in Colombia pending further proceedings. A federal grand jury in Houston returned the superseding indictment April 8. According to the allegations, Flores is charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to TdA in the form of personnel (including himself) and services and one count of providing material support to TdA. The indictment also alleges one count of international drug distribution conspiracy based on his involvement in the distribution of five kilograms of cocaine or more, and two substantive counts of international drug distribution. The Department of State designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and Specially Designated Global Terrorist Feb. 20. According to information presented to the court, Flores is a high-ranking TdA leader in Bogota, Colombia, and is part of the inner circle of senior TdA leadership. Flores also allegedly caused the delivery of approximately five kilograms or more of cocaine for international distribution, proceeds that were used to further TdA’s criminal goals. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The FBI Houston Field Office and DEA conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, Colombian National Police and the Colombian Attorney General’s Office (Fiscalía General de la Nación). The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz of the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Deputy Director David C. Smith from the Department of Justice’s Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). JTFV was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and now expanded to target TdA and is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. Those include SDTX; Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Northern District of Ohio; Districts of New Jersey, Utah, Massachusetts, Nevada and Alaska; Eastern District of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Virginia; Southern District of California; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; DEA; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Forearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Federal Bureau of Prisons have been essential law enforcement partners with JTFV. This case is also a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.