title: St. Petersburg Man Sentenced To More Than Four Years In Federal Prison For Committing $1.2 Million Fraud Scheme While In Florida State Prison

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday has sentenced Jared Borgesto Murray (41, St. Petersburg) to four years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. Murray pleaded guilty on March 24, 2025. According to court documents,between January 2019 and September 2020, Murray orchestrated a $1.2 million fraud conspiracy while he was incarcerated in a Florida state prison for a Pinellas County robbery conviction. From the state prison, Murray organized and directed the fraud conspiracy targeting a nationwide merchant. Murray used dozens of customers’ store accounts at the merchant to fraudulently purchase products. Murray and his conspirators sold the products online and retained the fraud proceeds, causing the merchant to lose $1,260,495.89. Murray conducted the conspiracy using multiple contraband phones he had smuggled into the prison. Murray identified customers with merchant accounts and then called the merchant locations impersonating the customers to place orders for products using the customers’ open lines of credit. Murray and his co-conspirators then advertised the products for sale online at a substantial discount. Murray communicated with potential buyers and sold the products from state prison via phone and email. Murray and the conspirators arranged delivery of the fraudulently purchased products to the purchasers who paid Murray and the conspirators via wire transfers and mailed checks. Murray directed several individuals to pick up fraud proceeds or fraudulently obtained products. Murray used some of the fraud proceeds and fraudulently purchased products to build a house in Lake Placid, Florida. The house was forfeited by law enforcement along with $43,550 in fraud proceeds seized from two of Murray’s bank accounts. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jennifer L. Peresie and Suzanne Nebesky.


title: Maryland Man Indicted on Robbery and Murder Charges for  April 2024 Slaying Inside Victim’s Apartment

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Tommy Whack, 35, of Maryland, was indicted last week on robbery and murder charges stemming from the April 1, 2024 slaying of 53-year-old Fasil Teklemariam. Whack was indicted by a grand jury in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on charges of robbery and first-degree murder while armed – felony murder. Whack was arraigned on June 27, 2025 before the Honorable Neal Kravitz. According to the government’s evidence, on the evening of April 1, 2024, Fasil Teklemariam was home in his apartment located at 1360 Peabody Street NW. After Whack gained entry into the building and Mr. Teklemariam’s apartment unit, Whack and the co-conspirator bludgeoned the victim to death, smashing glass bottles on his head and stabbing him in multiple places on his body with a knife. Whack and his co-conspirators robbed Mr. Teklemariam of his phone, personal papers, and other belongings inside the apartment. The victim’s body was found four days later by the apartment management staff. Joining the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Puerto Rico Woman Pleads Guilty To Possessing With Intent To Distribute Cocaine

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Natalie De Jesus Garcia (30, Puerto Rico) has pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute over eight kilograms of cocaine. De Jesus Garcia faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 2, 2025. According to court documents, on January 24, 2025, De Jesus Garcia checked a bag onto a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Orlando. The bag contained over eight kilograms of cocaine. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.


title: Federal inmate indicted for assaulting corrections officers

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A federal inmate has been charged with violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Juan Arturo Mendoza, 32, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with assault, resisting or impeding a federal correctional officer. The indictment alleges that on November 13, 2024, Mendoza, a federal inmate housed with the Bureau of Prisons in Beaumont, had a physical altercation with two corrections officers resulting in bodily injuries to the officers. 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). If convicted, Mendoza faces up to 20 years in federal prison. This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell James. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement Reforming Michigan School District’s Seclusion and Restraint Practices

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Today, the Justice Department announced that it reached an agreement with a Michigan school district to address the discriminatory use of seclusion and restraint against students with disabilities, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the settlement agreement, the Montcalm Area Intermediate School District will end the use of seclusion, reform its restraint practices, and improve special education services for students with disabilities. During the period covered by the investigation, with which the school district fully cooperated, students with disabilities were secluded and/or restrained on more than 2,400 occasions. The Department’s investigation also revealed that the district used seclusion and restraint improperly, including using emergency crisis responses as punishment for normal classroom discipline issues. “Students with disabilities should never be discriminated against by experiencing the trauma of seclusion or improper restraint,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Parents have the right to expect that the school systems they entrust with educating their children do not instead punish their children for having a disability.” “This school district serves the most vulnerable Michigan students, young children with disabilities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alexis M. Sanford for the Western District of Michigan. “I commend them for entering into this settlement agreement to provide their students with the care and services they need to get the education they deserve.” Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat disability discrimination including by improper seclusion and restraint is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/ .


title: Federal inmate indicted for threatening Bureau of Prisons Administrator

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – A federal inmate has been charged with violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. John Robert Bond, 55, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with making threats against a federal official. The indictment alleges that on May 25, 2025, Bond, a federal inmate housed with the Bureau of Prisons in Beaumont, threatened to assault and murder the Federal Bureau of Prisons Camp Administrator. 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). If convicted, Bond faces up to 10 years in federal prison. This case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John B. Ross. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Orange County man indicted on federal carjacking, firearms violations

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

body_text: BEAUMONT, Texas – An Orange County, Texas man has been charged with federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Owen Lee Giles, 36, was named in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with carjacking, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. The indictment alleges that on June 20, 2025, Giles, a convicted felon, took another person’s vehicle while threatening serious bodily harm with a firearm. 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). If convicted, Giles faces up to 15 years in federal prison. This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reynaldo P. Morin. A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: FORT WAYNE –Miroslav Cuckovic, 32 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute a controlled Substance, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor. Cuckovic was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to documents in the case, on two occasions in 2023, Cuckovic distributed fentanyl. On October 11, 2023, Cuckovic was arrested by police after throwing 400 grams of fentanyl from a car window. Cuckovic’s criminal history revealed he had prior convictions for robbery and felony battery, and as such, he was determined to be a career offender. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Allen County Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.


title: California Man Charged With Engaging In Illicit Sexual Conduct With A Minor

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marvin Isaac Dagoc, age 27, of Lakeside, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. According to Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus, the indictment alleges that from January to March 2025, Dagoc enticed a minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, traveled to Lycoming County to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor in March of 2025, and produced child pornography on March 17, 2025. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . The maximum penalty under federal law for the offense is up to life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: St. Louis County Man Sentenced to 34 Years for Five Armed Robberies

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah. E. Pitlyk on Thursday sentenced a man who committed five armed robberies in Missouri and Illinois in 2023 to 34 years in prison. Ronald O. Perkins, 30, of Black Jack, Missouri, was armed with a handgun, fired multiple shots during one of the robberies and often banged the gun on the counter while demanding money or pointed it at employees, according to evidence and testimony at Perkins’ trial in April. Perkins first robbed a gas station and convenience store on Riverview Drive in St. Louis on Sept. 8, 2023. He demanded money and then grabbed cash out of the register. He fired several shots when an employee tried to intervene. On Nov. 8, 2023, Perkins robbed a gas station on Clayton Road in Richmond Heights, stealing cash and a pack of cigarettes. Less than two hours later, he robbed a 7-Eleven on Hoffmeister Avenue in St. Louis County, stealing cash. Four days later, he robbed a gas station on Fee Fee Road in St. Louis County. Five days after that, on Nov. 17, 2023, he robbed a liquor store on St. Louis Road in Collinsville, Illinois, again stealing money from the register. At trial, jurors saw physical and electronic evidence and surveillance video that showed Perkins was responsible for all five robberies. Officers also recovered the gun that was a ballistic match to the firearm used in the first robbery from Perkins’ pants. In court Thursday, Judge Pitlyk called the evidence “overwhelming.” “Use of a firearm during a crime of violence can subject you to a sentence of seven years in prison consecutive to any other charge. In Ronald Perkins’ case, that meant he faced at least 31 years in prison,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Drake. “It’s a very old cliché, but violent crime really does not pay. Perkins fired multiple shots during one of the robberies and held employees at gunpoint. He netted a total of $1,650 from five robberies that left nine innocent employees and two customers terrified and mentally scarred. All of that for what works out to be just pennies for each day that he will spend in prison.” Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found Perkins guilty of four counts of robbery, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of transporting a firearm in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony. The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the Collinsville Police Department, the Richmond Heights Police Department, the Columbia (Illinois) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Tiffany Becker prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce 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: Justice Department Files Motion to Prevent Construction Delays for “Alligator Alcatraz” Immigration Detention Center in Florida

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) today filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida to prevent unnecessary construction delays for Florida’s temporary immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades. “The Department of Justice has defended President Trump’s immigration agenda in court since day one and we are proud to protect ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ from baseless, politically motivated legal schemes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Delaying the construction of Florida’s temporary detention center, as plaintiffs request, would imperil critical immigration enforcement efforts and endanger detainees in overcrowded detention facilities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “We are proud to defend against these unfounded claims and to help the administration fulfill its fundamental obligation to prioritize the safety and security of Americans.” On June 27, two political advocacy organizations — Friends of the Everglades Inc. and Center for Biological Diversity — filed a lawsuit to halt the construction and operation of the detention center, alleging failure to analyze the environmental effects of the project as required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The plaintiffs asked for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction. In today’s filing, the Justice Department vigorously opposed the request for emergency and injunctive relief. Among other things, the filing highlights that there is no federal final agency action, that the Administrative Procedure Act does not apply to state agency decisions, that any claims related to potential federal funding are unripe, and that the plaintiffs failed to show irreparable harm. Attorneys in ENRD’s Natural Resources Section are handling the case.


title: Convicted Killer Sentenced to 35 ½ Years for RICO Conspiracy and VICAR Kidnapping

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Christopher Green, 39, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to a total of 35 ½ years in prison for conspiracy in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR) kidnapping, first degree murder while armed (with aggravating circumstances), attempted robbery while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, and firearms offenses, in connection with a series of violent crimes he committed in early 2017. The prosecution had asked the judge to impose a sentence of 60 years. In addition to the 426-month prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Randolph D. Moss ordered that the defendant also serve five years of supervised release. The sentencing today follows a 12-day re-trial, earlier this year, in which a federal jury found Green, aka “Twin,” guilty of RICO conspiracy and VICAR kidnapping. At his initial trial in 2021, Green was found guilty of the murder, assault and attempted robbery offenses. However, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the RICO conspiracy and VICAR charges, which led to the recent trial and convictions. Green was sentenced today with respect to the charges he was convicted of in both trials. According to the government’s evidence, Green was a core member of a criminal organization that operated in the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County, Maryland, and elsewhere, primarily making money through a series of armed robberies. Green’s actions in Southeast Washington, D.C., on April 9, 2017, led to the death of 25-year-old Zaan Scott. Mr. Scott, a swim coach at the Eastern Market pool, was on his way home when Green attempted to rob him at gunpoint. Mr. Scott died on May 17, 2017, of a blood clot that the medical examiner determined was a result of the shooting. Green was also found guilty at the initial trial of firing gunshots at another victim on February 23, 2017. In the recent re-trial, the evidence established that Green and a co-conspirator committed a series of violent acts and were working as an “enterprise” to enrich themselves. The VICAR kidnapping conviction in the re-trial involved an incident on April 8, 2017, in which Green and a co-conspirator confronted a young man at gunpoint as the man was getting out of his car in a convenience store parking lot. Green ordered the victim back into the car and robbed him of his ATM card. He then forced the victim to drive to a nearby apartment complex, where he forced him to take off his clothes, and then robbed him of his sneakers and other belongings. Joining in the announcement were Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the Prince George’s County Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nihar R. Mohanty of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Liebman of the Superior Court Division Homicide Section. 19cr19


title: Fitchburg Man Sentenced to 9 ½ Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Malcolm Whiteside, 30, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon. Whiteside was convicted of this charge on April 15, 2025, following a two-day jury trial. Whiteside was on federal supervised release for a prior felon-in-possession offense at the time of his new criminal conduct in this case. Judge Peterson revoked Whiteside’s supervision and imposed a sentence of 1 ½ years, resulting in a total sentence of 9 ½ years. On August 12, 2024, Whiteside led police on a dangerous high-speed chase on a Madison highway and ultimately crashed the car he was driving into a semi-truck. From there, Whiteside fled on foot to the parking lot of a home improvement store, where a police officer found him hiding in a garden shed. Officers at the crash scene searched the vehicle Whiteside was driving and found a loaded firearm underneath the driver’s floormat. An analyst from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab recovered Whiteside’s DNA on multiple locations of the firearm. Whiteside is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition because of prior felony convictions. The firearm Whiteside possessed was equipped with a Machinegun Conversion Device. About an inch-long, a Machinegun Conversion Device is an illegal after-market device that converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully functioning machinegun. A firearm equipped with a Machinegun Conversion Device is extremely dangerous, even for experienced firearms users, because it is difficult to control and is capable of firing 50 rounds in four seconds with a single pull of the trigger. In addition to finding the machinegun, officers found bags of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl inside the abandoned car. An analyst from the Wisconsin State Crime Lab found Whiteside’s DNA on the plastic bag containing the fentanyl. In sentencing Whiteside, Judge Peterson explained that Whiteside posed a danger to the community when he possessed a loaded machinegun. Judge Peterson also noted that Whiteside’s criminal history, which included prior convictions for firearms offenses, was an aggravating factor. The charge against Whiteside was the result of an investigation conducted by the City of Monona Police Department, Madison Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Acting United States Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma and Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.


title: Honduran Guilty of Illegal Re-Entry of a Removed Alien

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – ActingUnited States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that DERY JONCARLOS ZELAYA-ZELAYA a/k/a “DERY ZELAYA,” (“ZELAYA-ZELAYA”) , age 28, a native of Honduras, pleaded guilty on July 1, 2025 to illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). According to court documents, ZELAYA-ZELAYA was previously removed from the United States on May 13, 2022, and December 4, 2019, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter. United States District Judge Susie Morgan set sentencing for August 26, 2025 at 2 p.m. ZELAYA-ZELAYA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to one year of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement Removal Operations in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution. 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: Former Air Force Member Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Sexual Assault at Air Base in England

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – James Loubeau, a former U.S. Air Force member, was sentenced today to five years in prison to be followed by 20 months of supervised release for sexually assaulting another service member at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, in May 2019. In April 2025, Loubeau, 37, of Miami, pleaded guilty to two counts of abusive sexual contact. As part of his guilty plea, Loubeau admitted that, on May 4, 2019, he sexually assaulted the victim on base at Royal Air Force Mildenhall. Loubeau was later discharged from the Air Force in March 2020. The charges were brought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA), which establishes U.S. jurisdiction over certain offenses committed abroad by, among others, persons who served with the armed forces but who are no longer subject to military prosecution. In May 2019, Loubeau and the victim met at a bar on the Air Force base where the victim consumed several alcoholic beverages. Later, a friend of the victim accompanied the victim back to her on-base housing and helped her get ready for bed. The friend then left and the victim fell asleep alone. Around 2:30 a.m., the victim awoke to find Loubeau on top of her in her bed. The victim almost immediately called two friends to say she had been raped. Surveillance video captured Loubeau after he left the victim’s room to return to his dorm room. A medical examination revealed that the victim had injuries consistent with sexual contact, and DNA testing later linked Loubeau to the sexual assault. U.S. Attorney Hayden P. O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida; Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael Koellner of Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 512; and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office made the announcement. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bertila Fernandez for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 24-cr-20454. ###


title: Former South Texan admits to drug deal involving $2 million in cocaine

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 25-year-old former resident of Donna has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Carlos Chacon admitted he provided narcotics to Mexican citizen Sergio Ivan Beas Rivera in May 2024. Authorities had witnessed the transaction and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Rivera was driving. They discovered 31 cellphone wrapped bundles which weighed approximately 34 kilograms and tested positive for cocaine. The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $2 million. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane will impose sentencing Sept. 16. At that time, Chacon faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine. He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing. Beas Rivera, 42, previously pleaded guilty for his role, admitting he knew he was in possession of the narcotics and intended to distribute them. He is set for sentencing Aug. 13 before U.S. District Judge Drew Tipton. He remains in custody. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hidalgo County Constables Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose A. Garcia is prosecuting the case.


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

component: USAO - Wyoming

body_text: Drug Trafficking Gloria Merina Wass , 64, of Hudson, Wyoming, was sentenced to time served and will be on supervised release for three years for distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, the defendant sold an undercover law enforcement agent methamphetamine and agreed to sell him more in the future. The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Wass was indicted on Jan. 15, 2025, and pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on July 1, 2025, in Casper. Case No. 25-00021. Illegal Reentry Isauro Enriquez-Rios, 39, of Chihuahua, Mexico, was sentenced to time served and will be deported for illegal reentry into the United States. According to court documents, on May 6, 2025, Enriquez-Rios was arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol for a traffic-related offense in Casper. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted, and they determined that Enriquez-Rios had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in January 2011. ICE investigated the crime, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence in Cheyenne on July 2, 2025. Case No. 25-CR-00093 About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Operation Take Back America Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Victim Witness Program The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime


title: Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Child Pornography

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, La. – Acting United States Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook announced that Jon Scot Taylor , 69, of Portland, Oregon, has been sentenced for distribution of child pornography. Taylor was sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell to 180 months (15 years) in prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release following his release from prison. In August of 2023, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) began communicating in an undercover capacity in an online chat forum with a user who was later determined to be Taylor. The agent was posing as a 13-year-old girl. Their conversations moved from the chat forum to text messaging. Throughout their conversations which continued through February 2024, Taylor asked the individual, who he believed was a 13-year-old girl, to send him sexually explicit images of herself. In the course of their communication, Taylor also sent the person he believed was a 13-year-old girl some child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that depicted other 12 or 13-year-old children. At the guilty plea hearing, Taylor admitted to knowingly distributing visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and that these visual depictions were sent from him in the State of Oregon to the Western District of Louisiana using interstate or foreign commerce by means of the computer. Taylor pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography. The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . # # #


title: Rutledge, Tennessee Man Sentenced To Over 24 Years In Prison For Production Of Child Pornography

body_text: GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On July 1, 2025, Patrick E. McAneny Jr, 28, of Rutledge, Tennessee, was sentenced to 292 months imprisonment by the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Upon his release from prison, McAneny will be on supervised release for 20 years. He will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release. As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, McAneny plead guilty to count one of an indictment charging him with use of a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a). According to the written plea agreement filed with the court, McAneny began an online relationship with a 12-year-old girl. On February 4, 2024, McAneny traveled from his home in Grainger County, Tennessee to pick up the minor from her home in Hamblen County, Tennessee. She did not have permission to leave her home. Her family reported her missing the same day. From February 4 to February 6, 2024, while at McAneny’s home he took photos, and video recorded the minor and himself engaged in sexual acts. McAneny sent a video of the minor victim engaged in sexual acts with him to a third party online. The person contacted law enforcement upon receipt of the video. Based on the call law enforcement was able to locate the 12-year-old girl at McAneny’s home. U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Joe Carrico, of the FBI Nashville Field Office, made the announcement. The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Hamblen and Grainger County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan L. Gomez represented the United States at the sentencing. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.” ###


title: Stanislaus County Man Indicted for Attempted Sexual Exploitation of Two Minors

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: On June 26, 2025, Gonzalo Hernandez, 37, of Oakdale, was charged in an indictment with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following Hernandez’s arrest. According to court documents, between Aug. 2, 2021, and Nov. 13, 2023, Hernandez produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In addition, in March 2024, Hernandez persuaded a second minor to produce images of that minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oakdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley D. Weger is prosecuting the case. If convicted, Hernandez faces a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison on each count, and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.


title: Romanian Man Guilty Of Access Device Fraud

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that TAMAS KOLOZSVARI (“KOLOZSVARI”) , age 30, a Romanian national, pled guilty on July 1, 2025 to three counts of access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(4). According to court documents, on November 13, 2024 and November 14, 2024, KOLOZSVARI, and two others, possessed device-making equipment, namely credit/debit card skimmers, at three retail locations in the Eastern District of Louisiana and installed those skimmers on point-of-sale machines. KOLOZSVARI faces up to fifteen years imprisonment, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100, as to each count. Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for October 28, 2025. 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). The case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General; Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; Deputies with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office; and Officers with the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution. * * *


title: El Salvadoran National Charged with Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – An El Salvadoran national has been indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Miguel Angel Ortiz-Rivera, 39, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Ortiz-Rivera was arrested by Immigration authorities on May 24, 2025. According to the indictment, Ortiz-Rivera was most recently deported from the United States to El Salvador on March 11, 2015. It is alleged that sometime after his March 2015 removal, Ortiz-Rivera illegally reentered the United States without permission. Ortiz-Rivera had previously been deported to El Salvador in November 2011 and April 2013. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will also be subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: In just four days, the Southern District of Texas charges nearly 100 individuals in border security and transnational gang-related matters

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 95 cases have been filed from June 27-July 2 on immigration matters and related efforts to secure the southern border in support of Operation Take Back America, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. A total of 62 people are charged with illegally entering the country, while another 26 face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. Other relevant cases charged this week relate to human smuggling and other immigration crimes, drug trafficking and firearms. Among the notable cases are charges against 16 foreign nationals illegally residing in Houston for drug trafficking and weapons allegations following an operation targeting Venezuelan nationals linked to the Anti-Tren criminal organization. Similar to the criminal activities members of Tren de Aragua have committed, Anti-Tren affiliates allegedly engaged in attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. Some members have been charged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and various weapons crimes, with one allegedly being an alien in possession of ammunition. “The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.” New criminal complaints filed this week include the illegal reentry of several Mexican nationals after recent removals, including Cesar Alejandro Tovar-Guillen, a convicted felon for cocaine distribution. He had just been removed in March, but authorities discovered him unlawfully in the United States near Alton, according to the allegations. Charges allege Osvaldo Aguilar-Aguilar and Jose Alejandro Dominguez-Guzman had last been removed in October and November 2024, respectively. They both have previous convictions of illegal reentry and had served time in federal prison, according to their criminal complaints. While Juan Esquivel-Garcia allegedly has a previous conviction for trafficking methamphetamine and was previously sentenced to 75 months before his removal. They all face up to 20 years in federal prison, upon conviction. In McAllen, Margarito Llanes was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for alien smuggling. He led law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit ending when Llanes crashed into a tree seriously injuring all eight passengers. The pursuit lasted 1.5 miles with speeds reaching up to 70 mph. At the hearing, the court heard about his violent criminal conduct, which includes indecency with a child, robbery and alien smuggling. Two Mexican nationals received multi-year sentences for illegally reentering the United States. Luis Ernesto Hernandez-Doria was ordered to serve 51 months, while Jose Angel Lopez-Herrera received a 46-month-term of imprisonment. At the Lopez-Herrera hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding his criminal history, which included not only having reentered the country in 2022 but a human smuggling case in which one had drowned. In handing down Hernandez-Doria’s sentence, the court noted he needed a substantial sentence to deter him from illegally reentering again. He had three prior felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as a felony conviction for taking a weapon from an officer. His most recent removal was in July 2024. These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners. The cases are 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 . Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes. An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.


title: California Businessman Pleads Guilty in Federal Court to Orchestrating $14 Million Covid-Relief Fraud

body_text: CHICAGO — A California businessman has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for fraudulently obtaining more than $14 million in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. DARREN CARLYLE SADLER participated in a scheme to fraudulently apply for loans pursuant to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), which was created by the CARES Act to provide financial relief for small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. A PPP loan allowed for the interest and principal to be forgiven if businesses spent a certain amount of the proceeds on essential expenses, such as payroll. Sadler admitted in a plea agreement that in 2020 he submitted and caused the submission of at least 63 PPP loan applications for himself and his clients. The applications falsely represented the number of employees, if any, and the average monthly payroll of the purported businesses. The false applications resulted in the issuance of more than $14 million in loan funds to Sadler and his clients. Sadler also received more than $1.9 million in fees from clients for fraudulently obtaining the loans on their behalf. Sadler used the fraud proceeds to rent a villa for several months during the pandemic and to travel across the country on private jets to meet clients at bank branches to secure fund transfers. He also purchased luxury vehicles, including a Rolls Royce, multiple Mercedes-Benzes, and a Land Rover, and purchased designer clothing, a luxury watch, and numerous meals at expensive restaurants. Sadler, 38, of Costa Mesa, Calif., pleaded guilty on Monday to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Durkin has not yet set a sentencing date. The guilty plea was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The investigation was worked jointly with the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman. sadler_plea_agreement.pdf


title: U.S. Attorney announces immigration case updates for the Eastern District of Virginia

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, announced today case updates on 11 immigration cases in the district. On Jan. 20 the President signed executive orders addressing the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. Protecting the American People Against Invasion recognized that enforcing our Nation’s immigration laws is critically important to the national security and public safety of the United States, and that it is the policy of the United States to faithfully execute the immigration laws against all inadmissible and removable aliens, particularly those aliens who threaten the safety or security of the American people. The order tasked the Department of Justice with prioritizing the prosecution of criminal offenses related to the unauthorized entry or continued unauthorized presence of aliens in the United States. Securing Our Borders prioritizes the pursuit of criminal charges against illegal aliens who violate immigration laws and against those who facilitate their unlawful presence in the United States. “These defendants are just more examples of individuals who not only illegally entered the United States but committed serious crimes that harmed our citizens and jeopardized public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Siebert. “From drug offenses, to sexual battery, to assault and battery, to child neglect, to drinking and driving, these defendants were all removed previously for crimes they committed after coming to our country, and they each committed yet another serious violation of federal law by illegally returning following removal. Moreover, most of the defendants were found by immigration authorities after being arrested for committing still additional crimes after their unlawful return, to include four who escaped an ICE detention facility. As these cases demonstrate, enforcement of our immigration laws is essential to protecting the American people and we will not waiver in our responsibility to keep the citizens of the Eastern District of Virginia safe.” On March 16, 2017, Guatemalan national Angel Estuardo Marchorro-Giron, 34, was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents learned that Marchorro-Giron had unlawfully reentered the United States and had been detained at the Fairfax County Detention Center on Sept. 25, 2020, following his arrest for driving while intoxicated (DWI). On Oct. 1, 2024, in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Marchorro-Giron was arrested for and later convicted of two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a loaded handgun in a vehicle. On June 24, Marchorro-Giron pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-119 On April 3, 2014, Salvadoran national David Jonathan Rodriguez Zelaya, 36, was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. On Nov. 26, 2024, ICE agents learned that Rodriguez Zelaya had unlawfully reentered the United States after his arrest in Stafford County on charges of sexual battery, taking indecent liberties with a child, and peeping. On March 19, 2025, Rodriguez Zelaya was convicted on the sexual battery and peeping charges. On June 6, Rodriguez Zelaya was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. A federal grand jury indicted Rodriguez Zelaya today. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-MJ-237 On April 17, 2009, Mexican national Alejandro Perez Garfias was apprehended by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents and was granted voluntary return to Mexico. Perez Garfias illegally reentered the United States and on March 28, 2013, was convicted of driving under influence (DUI) in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. On Jan.17, 2014, Perez Garfias was convicted of attempted possession of cocaine. On May 25, 2016, Perez Garfias was convicted of larceny in Lake County, Illinois. On Oct. 10, 2016, Perez Garfias was removed from the United States pursuant to an order of removal. On June 6, 2017, Perez Garfias was encountered by ICE-Fugitive Operations and, on June 16, 2017, was removed again. After illegally reentering the United States again, ICE encountered Perez Garfias following his arrest for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Henrico County. On May 20, Perez Garfias pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. Case No. 3:25-CR-71 On Feb. 5, 2011, Mexican national Abel Cordova-Garrido, 49, was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. On June 17, 2022, Cordova-Garrido was convicted of DUI and felony child neglect in Spotsylvania County, and was again removed from the United States. On April 13, 2025, ICE agents learned that Cordova-Garrido had unlawfully reentered the United States and had been detained by law enforcement at the Rappahannock Regional Detention Center in Stafford. On July 1, Cordova-Garrido pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-cr-166 On Sept. 19, 2012, Mexican national Joaquin Garcia-Munoz, 38, was convicted in Lunenburg of DUI. On Sept. 19, 2013, he was convicted in Nottoway County of assault and battery of a family member and failure to appear. On Jan. 16, 2014, Garcia-Munoz was convicted in Lunenburg County of sexual battery. On April 17, 2014, Garcia-Munoz was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. On April 27, 2014, Garcia-Munoz illegally reentered the United States and was arrested. On April 29, 2014, Garcia-Munoz was convicted in the Southern District of Texas of illegal entry, and on Aug. 26, 2014, was removed from the United States. Garcia-Munoz again unlawfully reentered the United States and was arrested in Virginia on May 15, 2025. On July 1, Garcia-Munoz pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 3:25-cr-80 On Feb. 24, 2020, Salvadoran national Roberto Antonio Flores-Marquez, 41, was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. On Jan. 22, 2024, ICE agents learned that Flores-Marquez had illegally reentered the United States after he had been detained by law enforcement and then fingerprinted at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center. On June 12, Flores-Marquez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-139 On July 3, 2018, Salvadoran national Cesar Marquina-Martinez, 27, was removed from the United States pursuant to a final order of removal. ICE agents learned that Marquina-Martinez had unlawfully reentered the United States after he was detained in Fairfax County on Nov. 25, 2022. On June 18, Marquina-Martinez pled guilty to illegally reentering the United States following a previous removal. He remains subject to the prior order of removal. Case No. 1:25-CR-118 On March 2, Salvadoran national Jose Lovo-Bautista, 27, Honduran national Wilmer Alberto Isaola-Medina, 22, Mexican national Jose Manuel Rodriguez-Rosales, 25, and Salvadoran national Byron Isaac Toledo-Henriquez, 22, escaped from the Farmville Detention Facility by scaling a fence around an outdoor recreation area. Lovo-Bautista was arrested the following day while hiding in the woods in Farmville. Toledo-Henriquez and Isaola-Medina, stole a car and fled to Richmond. Rodriguez-Rosales also fled to Richmond. Dozens of members of law enforcement participated in the fugitive search. Toledo-Henriquez was arrested on March 3 and Rodriguez-Rosales was arrested on March 4. Isaola-Medina remained a fugitive for 15 days. Case No. 3: 25-CR-58 Lovo-Bautista was arrested in Spotsylvania for DUI on Nov. 11, 2019. On Aug. 28, 2020, he was arrested and charged with a second DUI and felony possession of a Schedule I or II drug in Stafford County and was convicted on May 6, 2021. Pursuant to a final order of removal, on June 18, 2021, immigration officials removed Lovo-Bautista from the United States to El Salvador. Lovo-Bautista illegally reentered the United States and on Dec. 19, 2024, was arrested in Stafford County. On Jan. 16, pursuant to the prior removal order, immigration officials directed that Lovo-Bautista be removed from the United States. Following his escape from immigration custody and his subsequent arrest, Lovo-Bautista pled guilty on May 1 to illegal reentry after a felony conviction and failure to comply with a removal order. He remains subject to the removal order. Rodriguez-Rosales illegally entered the United States in 2017 and was quickly returned to Mexico by U.S. immigration authorities. Rodriguez-Rosales illegally reentered the United States less than a month later. On Feb. 5, 2019, an Immigration Judge determined that Rodriguez-Rosales was removable from the United States but allowed him to return to Mexico voluntarily. Rodriguez-Rosales failed to exit the United States and immigration officials were directed to arrest him and effectuate his removal. From 2019 to 2025, Rodriguez-Rosales remained in the United States as a fugitive subject to his order of removal. ICE officials took Rodriguez-Rosales into custody following a traffic stop in Richmond in February 2025 and ICE officials issued a Warrant of Removal/Deportation. On May 22, Rodriguez-Rosales pled guilty to failure to comply with a removal order, and he remains subject to that order. Toledo-Henriquez illegally entered the United States before March 14, 2022, when he was charged with traffic offenses in Richmond and later charged with petit larceny committed on several occasions between August 2024 and September 2024. Toledo-Henriquez entered ICE custody in January 2025, and ICE issued Toledo-Henriquez a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court, which alleged that Toledo-Henriquez was unlawfully present in the United States. Following his March 2 escape and March 3 arrest, Toledo-Henriquez pled guilty on April 23 to escape. After failing to appear in immigration court on July 27, 2023, an Immigration Judge determined that Isaola-Medina was removable from the United States and ordered that he be deported to Honduras. On Feb. 26, 2025, ICE officers placed Isaola-Medina in custody and ICE officials issued a Warrant of Removal/Deportation. On May 7, Isaola-Medina pled guilty to failure to comply with a removal order, and he remains subject to that order. Operation Take Back America is 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. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for the case number provided above.


title: Ecuadorian man pleads guilty, sentenced for illegal re-entry

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today Lorenzo Antonio Loja-Castro, 23, a citizen of Ecuador, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to illegal re-entry. He was then sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the case, stated that Loja-Castro is an alien without any legal status in the United States. On May 7, 2024, he arrested and detained by United States Border Patrol agents near Middleport, NY. On July 2, 2024, Loja-Castro was physically removed from the United States. On March 26, 2025, he was found in Erie County, New York. When approached by Department of Homeland Security Agents and asked about his immigration status, Loja-Castro admitted to being in the United States illegally and did not have any immigration documents allowing him to enter or remain in the United States. 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). The plea and sentencing are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. # # # #


title: New Orleans Man Guilty of Multiple Federal Illegal Drug and Firearms Violations

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RASHAD MONTAGUE (“MONTAGUE”) , age 33, of New Orleans, pled guilty on June 30, 2025 to an eleven (11) count superseding bill of information before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier. The superseding bill of information charged: Count 1 - Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of Fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846; Count 2 – Distribution of a quantity of fentanyl and heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); Counts 3-8 - Distribution of a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); Count 9 – Possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C); Count 10 – Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A); and Count 11 - Maintaining a drug-involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856 and Title 18, United States Code, Section 2. Judge Barbier scheduled sentencing for September 25, 2025. At sentencing, MONTAGUE faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment with a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least three (3) years of supervised release for Counts 1 through 9; up to twenty (20) years imprisonment with a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release for Count 10; and up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, with a fine of up to $500,000, and up to four (4) years of supervised release for Count 11. All eleven counts also carry a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. According to the indictment, MONTAGUE conspired with others to maintain multiple residences on Harmony Street as drug-involved stash houses where fentanyl and heroin were trafficked. MONTAGUE distributed fentanyl and heroin from these residences for a period of at least four months and was arrested by law enforcement as he attempted to flee one of these residences during the execution of a federal search warrant. Firearms and fentanyl were later located in the residence MONTAGUE fled. This case was part of Operation Big Easy. Operation Big Easy was a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network (NIBIN) enforcement initiative of collected firearm casings for the time period of August 1, 2023 to January 31, 2023 that produced data points of high-density shootings and homicides in seven areas of New Orleans related to individuals engaged in criminal activity. Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit. This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballisticinformation-network-nibin. 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: Robbers Sentenced for Kidnapping and Beating a Woman in Her Home

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced that Andrew James, also known as Jeremiah Butts, 32, of Washington, D. C., was sentenced today in Superior Court for a kidnapping he orchestrated in January 2024. On January 16, 2025, a Superior Court jury convicted James and his co-defendant Taurean Hobdy, of kidnapping, first degree burglary, robbery, and felony threats. James was also convicted of offense committed during release, as he was pending charges at the time of the kidnapping. Superior Court Judge Robert Salerno sentenced James to seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hobdy was sentenced on May 30, 2025, to five years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The United States Attorney’s Office requested a thirteen-year prison term for James, which would have been the top of his sentencing guidelines range. The United States Attorney’s Office requested a ten-year prison term for Hobdy, which would have been the top of his sentencing guidelines range. The government’s evidence at trial established that on January 4, 2024, shortly after midnight, the victim arrived home to find James and an unidentified woman waiting for her inside the vestibule of the multi-unit townhome where she resided. James, armed with a handgun, forced the victim into an interior room of her unit and ordered the unidentified female to begin assaulting the victim. For approximately two hours, James held the victim against her will and demanded money she allegedly owed the defendant. In an extremely chilling moment, James ran bathwater while simultaneously threatening to drown the victim if she didn’t give him money. Eventually, the victim relented and gave the defendant the pin to the EBT card she had in her possession. Hobdy, following James’ instructions, then took the victim’s EBT card to a local corner store and made multiple purchases without the victim’s consent. During the assault, the victim was able to send a text message to her mother for police assistance. When police arrived on scene, they found the severely beaten victim in a closet, hidden under a pile of clothes. Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Miller, Katerina Qesari and Mark Levy who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Inglewood Woman Arrested on Federal Indictment Alleging Scheme to Fraudulently Obtain $1.3 Million in COVID-19 Jobless Benefits

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – An Inglewood woman has been arrested on a 14-count federal grand jury indictment alleging she fraudulently obtained more than $1.3 million in COVID-19 pandemic relief funds by submitting more than 100 fraudulent applications for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits using stolen identities, including those of California state prisoners, the Justice Department announced today. Selena Stewart, 45, was arrested and arraigned on Wednesday. At her arraignment, she pleaded not guilty to 10 counts of mail fraud, one count of use of unauthorized access devices, two counts of aggravated identity theft, and one count possession of at least 15 unauthorized access devices. An August 26 trial date is scheduled for this case. A federal magistrate judge ordered Stewart released on $10,000 bond. According to the indictment, from March 2020 to December 2020, Stewart and co-defendants Toby Brazier, 48, of the Westlake area of Los Angeles, and Tony Queen, 67, of Culver City, filed with the California Employment Development Department (EDD) fraudulent applications for UI benefits in the names of other people. EDD administers California’s unemployment benefits program. The applications were filed using the personal identifying information (PII) obtained from individuals whose information was used without their permission, as well as individuals who did not qualify for UI benefits because they were in the custody of California state prisons. The fraudulent applications falsely stated that the purported applicants had been negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered eligibility for UI benefits under federal law. The applications also falsely stated that the named claimants resided and had worked in California. In fact, most identity theft victims in this scheme did not live in California. The applications also provided false mailing addresses, false annual income information, and representations that the named claimants were self-employed individuals who were adversely impacted by COVID-19. As a result of the bogus UI applications that Stewart, Queen, and Brazier filed, EDD authorized Bank of America to issue debit cards in the names of dozens of victims and straw claimants. Once in possession of the debit cards, the defendants withdrew the UI benefits loaded onto the debit cards by making cash withdrawals at ATMs and bank branches and by using the debit cards to buy items sold at businesses. In total, Stewart, Brazier and Queen, caused at least 101 fraudulent applications for UI benefits to be filed, causing losses to EDD and the United States Treasury exceeding $1.3 million. Brazier and Queen are charged with 10 counts of mail fraud. Queen is expected to appear next week in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for his arraignment and initial appearance. Brazier is considered a fugitive. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, Stewart would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each mail fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the unauthorized access device count, a mandatory two-year consecutive prison sentence for each aggravated identity theft count and 10 years in federal prison for the possession of least 15 unauthorized access device count. The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General; and the California Employment Development Department Investigation Division are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford Mpare of the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and Christina Lopez of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Ransomville man going to prison on child pornography charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that John Stuart, 37, of Ransomville, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 36 months in prison and 25 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Stuart must also register as a sex offender. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who handled the case, stated that in August 2019, the FBI received a lead indicating that in May 2019, an online user accessed child sexual abuse and exploitation material via a website on the Tor network. Subsequent investigation traced the IP address to Stuart. In October 2020, a search warrant was executed at Stuart’s residence, during which law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices, including two laptop computers, a cell phone, a hard drive, and a desktop computer tower. A forensic review recovered approximately 8,000 videos and approximately 2,000 images of child pornography on one of the laptops, and approximately 150 images and one video of child pornography on the second laptop. Approximately 90 images and 150 videos of child pornography were recovered from the cell phone and approximately 90 images and two videos on the hard drive. Some of the images included depictions of violence against children. Stuart also admitted that during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered live marijuana plants, more than a pound of dried marijuana ready for consumption, and that he was a chronic user of marijuana. Stuart was also found to be in possession of three firearms. Because he was a user of controlled substances, Stuart was legally prohibited from owning or possessing firearms. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons. # # # #


title: Fairburn Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Prescription Drugs Worth Nearly $400,000 and Possessing a Firearm

body_text: ATLANTA – Malik Kiell Forte, 29, from Fairburn, Georgia has been sentenced for possessing a firearm after numerous felony convictions and stealing prescription drugs by burglarizing a warehouse and breaking into delivery vehicles parked outside of pharmacies around metro Atlanta. “Criminals who steal prescription medications for profit will be identified, apprehended, and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our office remains committed to protecting vulnerable patients and punishing gun-toting thieves.” “Forte’s actions not only harmed the businesses he targeted but impacted the safety and costs for anyone who relies on these medications,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “The FBI will hold anyone accountable who looks to line their own pockets by harming others.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between March 2021 and June 2022, Forte and others stole nine shipments of prescription drugs from delivery vehicles parked in front of various pharmacies. Forte, and a co-conspirator, Jaquay Joseph, also stole prescription shipments from a pharmaceutical distribution center in Stone Mountain, Georgia. The pharmaceutical drugs, which included hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine among other drugs, had a value of nearly $400,000. When agents searched Forte’s home, they found some of the stolen pharmaceuticals. Additionally, agents recovered a Glock pistol from Forte’s bedroom. As a multi-convicted felon, Forte was prohibited from possessing that gun. On July 2, 2025, Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. sentenced Forte to four years, nine months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Forte was convicted of conspiracy to commit theft, theft of medical products, theft of interstate shipments, drug trafficking conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, after he pleaded guilty on February 5, 2025. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Dash A. Cooper prosecuted the case. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Distributing Fentanyl that Caused Two Fatal Overdoses

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Jonathan Tyler Gauthier, a prolific fentanyl dealer who kept selling the deadly drug despite the fatal overdoses of two customers within a four-month span, was sentenced in federal court today to 30 years in prison. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Gauthier sold the fentanyl that killed 24-year-old Sam Guest in September 2022 and 27-year-old Jesse White in December 2022. Gauthier continued selling fentanyl even after those deaths. As part of his February 2025 plea agreement, Gauthier admitted that the fentanyl he distributed caused their deaths. Just before handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Janis L. Sammartino told the defendant: “This is one of the most tragic cases I’ve had in my courtroom in a long time.” “Even after two people lost their lives, the defendant kept pushing poison for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This 30-year sentence sends a stark message: If you deal fentanyl and show no regard for the deadly consequences, you will be held fully accountable. No excuses. No second chances.” “This sentencing reflects the serious consequences awaiting those who choose to flood our communities with deadly fentanyl,” said Shawn Gibson, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in San Diego. “HSI remains fully committed to holding these individuals accountable and continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners within the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) to remove this deadly threat from our neighborhoods.” “This sentence is a resounding reminder that dealing deadly and dangerous drugs like fentanyl is not a victimless crime – two lives were lost, and countless others forever changed by one man’s choice to exploit the vulnerabilities of others,” said DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Jacob Galvan. “We thank our partners for their assistance in bringing Gauthier to justice and prosecuting him to the fullest extent of the law. The DEA will continue to pursue and hold accountable those who choose to profit by peddling deadly drugs.” Sam’s mother described him as kind-hearted and full of joy. “To know Sam was to love Sam,” she said. In the wake of her loss, she holds onto memories of his infectious smile, his laughter, and the warmth he brought to others. Sam is deeply missed by his family, friends, and coworkers, all of whom continue to mourn his loss. Jesse’s family remembered him as someone with a heart of gold . He had a passion for college football, a love of history, and a deep devotion to his family. He brought light into the lives of those around him—his parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends. He was especially close to his young niece, with whom he had been planning a special trip to the zoo. Jesse died in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. He had taken the week off from work to spend the holiday season with his loved ones. In its sentencing memo, the government listed several reasons the defendant’s actions warranted the requested sentence: · Gauthier knew the fentanyl he was selling was deadly. He had a long history of dealing the drug and was well aware of its dangers. He even acknowledged the potency of a specific batch he sold to Sam, texting him afterward, “Ur being careful.” Despite this awareness, he sold it anyway—with tragic and foreseeable results. · Even after Sam’s fatal overdose, Gauthier kept dealing. He knew Sam had died from fentanyl he provided—referring to him as “my buddy” in texts—but continued selling the drug. Just three months later, he sold 10 fentanyl pills to Jesse, who died the next morning. This shows a chilling disregard for human life. · Gauthier’s criminal record underscores his persistent drug activity. Despite prior convictions for robbery and narcotics offenses, including one just weeks after Sam’s death, he kept selling. Even after Jesse’s fatal overdose, he was caught in Las Vegas selling methamphetamine and offering other drugs to an undercover officer. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Fawcett. Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Overdose Response Team and the Fentanyl Abatement and Suppression Team (FAST) jointly led this investigation. The Overdose Response Team is an ongoing effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the San Diego Police Department, the La Mesa Police Department, National Guard Counterdrug Task Force and the California Department of Health Care Services to investigate and prosecute the distribution of dangerous illegal drugs—fentanyl in particular—that result in overdose deaths. The Drug Enforcement Administration created the Overdose Response Team as a response to the increase in overdose deaths in San Diego County. HSI San Diego FAST is a multiagency task force comprising state, local, and federal partners and was first established in August 2022 focusing on the disruption and dismantlement of criminal organizations that smuggle and distribute fentanyl within San Diego County. HSI’s FAST targets fentanyl smuggling and distribution networks to counter the rising overdose rate and decrease the availability and accessibility of fentanyl. The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, provides assistance to federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug-trafficking regions of the United States. This grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). There are currently 33 HIDTAs, and HIDTA-designated counties are located in 50 states, as well as in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. DEFENDANT Case Number 24-CR-1383-JLS Jonathan Tyler Gauthier Age: 26 San Diego, CA SUMMARY OF CHARGES Distribution of Fentanyl 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison (per count) INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Drug Enforcement Administration Homeland Security Investigations San Diego Police Department California National Guard Counterdrug Task Force California Department of Health Care Services La Mesa Police Department San Diego County District Attorney’s Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 81 Border-Related Cases This Week

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 81 border-related cases this week so far, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city). In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here . A sample of border-related arrests this week: On June 28, Wilmar Morales Ramirez, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested at the San Onofre gate of Camp Pendleton and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. He was previously deported to Mexico in December 2024. On June 29, Almida Ayala Torres, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, a dog alerted to her vehicle as she tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found 85 packages containing 113 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the trunk hatch, driver’s side back door, passenger’s side back door, passenger’s side front door, center console, firewall, driver’s side quarter panel and passenger’s side quarter panel. On June 30, Daniel Yanez Arriaga, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry found that Yanez was hiding five pounds of fentanyl on his body when he attempted to cross the border in his car. On July 2, Fernando Ojeda Martinez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry found 52 packages containing 221 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the rear passenger’s quarter panel, driver’s side passenger’s quarter panel, spare tire and gas tank of the defendant’s car. Also this week, a number of defendants with criminal records were convicted by a jury or sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here are some of those cases: On July 1, Anderson Fabricio Leon-Chirinos, a citizen of Honduras who was previously convicted of two federal immigration felony convictions as well as state robbery and batter convictions, was found guilty by a jury of Attempted Re-entry of Remove Alien for again reentering the U.S. illegally. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2025; Leon-Chirinos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. On July 1, Anderson Fabricio Leon-Chirinos, a Honduran national who was previously convicted of felony Robbery in May 2014, and illegally re-entering the United States in 2018 and 2021, was found guilty by a jury of Attempted Reentry of Removed Alien for again entering the U.S. illegally. Sentencing is scheduled for September 29, 2025, and Leon-Chirinos faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. On July 2, Juan Carlos Ojeda-Saldana, a Mexican national, was sentenced in federal court to 70 months in custody for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. On July 2, Ana Maria Rosas-Ortega, a Mexican national who was previously convicted of two illegal re-entry offenses (Texas 2014 and Arizona 2015), and misuse of a U.S. passport (California 2016), was sentenced in federal court to 46 months in custody for attempting to illegally reenter the United States. Pursuant to the Department’s Operation Take Back America priorities, federal law enforcement has focused immigration prosecutions on undocumented aliens who are engaged in criminal activity in the U.S., including those who commit drug and firearms crimes, who have serious criminal records, or who have active warrants for their arrest. Federal authorities have also been prioritizing investigations and prosecutions against drug, firearm, and human smugglers and those who endanger and threaten the safety of our communities and the law enforcement officers who protect the community. The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners. Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Waterloo Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A Waterloo man who was responsible for distributing over thirteen pounds of ice methamphetamine was sentenced on July 2, 2025, to more than nineteen years in federal prison. Matthew James Wessels, age 44, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 23, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony. In a plea agreement, Wessels admitted that during the summer of 2024, after being released from federal prison for a previous controlled substance conviction, he conspired with several others to import ice methamphetamine and then distribute the methamphetamine in Waterloo and the surrounding area. On three separate occasions, Wessels distributed ice methamphetamine to an undercover police officer. On another occasion, officers found him in possession of over three pounds of ice methamphetamine. In total, Wessels was personally responsible for distributing over thirteen pounds of ice methamphetamine. Wessels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Wessels was sentenced to 234 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Jared Manternach and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Department; the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Department; and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2035. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.