title: Birmingham Man Pleads Guilty to Gun and Drug Charges

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham has pleaded guilty to gun and drug charged, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples. Isiah De’Monte De’Mario Henley, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge John H. England to distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a machine gun, and being a felon in possession a firearm. According to court documents, in July and August of 2024, Henley sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential informant on three occasions. On August 8, 2024, Henley sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to an informant in Birmingham. When agents attempted to arrest Henley following the drug transaction, Henley ran from the police into a nearby residence, dropped a bag, and ran out the front door. As Henley exited, agents noticed that he was armed with a black handgun with an extended magazine. Henley was ordered to drop the firearm, and he threw the gun into a vacant lot covered in tall grass before being apprehended. Law enforcement recovered the gun and found that it was altered to include a Glock switch and that the extended magazine was fully loaded. The bag Henley left inside the residence contained 465 grams of methamphetamine and over seven grams of fentanyl. The FBI investigated the case along with the Vestavia Hill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany T. Byrd is prosecuting the case.


title: Two Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Charges Related to Fentanyl Distribution

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: DES MOINES, Iowa – Two Iowa men were sentenced for their role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. According to public court documents, Shannon D. Robertson, 44, of Chicago, Illinois and Des Moines, and Earl Sandeleo Galtney, 44, of Cedar Rapids, distributed fentanyl in the Des Moines metro throughout 2023 and 2024. Robertson and Galtney obtained the fentanyl in Chicago. In May 2024, law enforcement located more than 75 grams of fentanyl at Robertson’s residence. Robertson and Galtney were each held responsible for more than 750 grams of fentanyl. Robertson was sentenced on February 20, 2025, to 142 months in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. Galtney was sentenced on March 20, 2025 to 125 months in federal prison, followed by a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Co-defendant Ashley Lynn Andrews, 37, Des Moines, is scheduled for sentencing on July 1, 2025. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Central Iowa Gang Task Force . Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. In 2023, accidental overdose was the number one cause of death in 37 states for residents under 40 years old. https://stateline.org/2023/09/05/death-rates-for-people-under-40-have-skyrocketed-blame-fentanyl/ . In Iowa, opioid-related deaths reached a record high 258 in 2021, up 64% compared with 2019, and decreased 8% in 2022. https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/11935/download .


title: SAGINAW SEX OFFENDER SENTENCED TO FEDERAL PRISON  FOR DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: BAY CITY – Ayden Burge, 22, of Saginaw was sentenced on yesterday to over 17 years (210 months) in federal prison for distributing child pornography, Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck announced today. Beck was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Detroit Field Office. United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington imposed sentence on Burge following his guilty plea to distribution of child pornography. Judge Ludington also sentenced Burge to 5 years of federal supervised release following his release from incarceration. In 2023, the Michigan State Police – Huron Undercover Narcotics Team was conducting a narcotics investigation which resulted in Burge’s arrest. During the arrest, the police seized his electronic devices. The Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit forensically analyzed Burge’s devices and discovered conversations on the instant messaging app Kik on which Burge discussed his desire to sexually assault minor children and distributed child sexually abusive material. Police also found several images and videos of other child sexually abusive material. “Distributing child pornography victimizes the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community - children,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Beck. “A critical mission for our office is to protect children from those predators who would harm them,” said Acting US. Attorney Beck. “A lengthy sentence can help protect the community generally and children more specifically.” "The prison sentence given to Ayden Burge, a convicted sex offender, is a significant victory in our ongoing fight against sexual predators who exploit children," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "This sentence ensures that Burge will not be able to harm any more innocent children for a long time. I am deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of our FBI Detroit Bay City Resident Agency, the Michigan State Police (MSP) Huron Undercover Narcotics Team, and the MSP Computer Crimes Unit. Their unwavering dedication to protecting our most vulnerable citizens and preventing further victimization has been invaluable. I also want to sincerely thank the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan for their crucial role in holding Mr. Burge fully accountable for his heinous actions." This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, the Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katharine Hemann.


title: U.S. Marshals Arrest Fugitive Tren De Aragua Member for Violent Crimes

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: In a coordinated effort by the U.S. Marshal Service (USMS) Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF), USMS Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Chicago Police Department, a high-ranking member of the Venezuelan street gang Tren De Aragua (TDA) was arrested yesterday in Cobb County, Georgia. Ricardo Gonzales, 32, had an arrest warrant from the Chicago Police Department for kidnapping and is wanted on probable cause for two counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder. These charges stem from an incident on January 28 where Gonzalez is accused of kidnapping three female victims and taking them to an alley in Chicago where they were all shot in the head. Two were pronounced dead on the scene and the surviving victim was able to escape and call 911. “This defendant’s crimes against American women are horrific, and he is exactly the type of Alien Enemy the Trump administration is fighting to remove from this country in order to make America safe again,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This case is a reflection of the tireless work the U.S. Marshal Service and partnering agencies put in to make sure justice has its day in court,” said USMS Acting Director Mark Pittella. “Every arrest contributes to safer communities and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the public.” Gonzales was booked into a jail in Cobb County where he awaits extradition to Chicago. During the arrest of Gonzales, five additional people were taken into custody and transferred to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) detention facilities. The USMS’ SERFTF began operations in June 2003. It has partnership agreements with four federal, and 32 state and local agencies and operates throughout Georgia. The SERFTF has apprehended nearly 47,000 fugitives since its inception and continues striving to protect the community. Additional information about the U.S. Marshals can be found at www.usmarshals.gov . *The release was updated to include the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.


title: JACKSON MAN SENTENCED FOR BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM

component: Department of Justice

body_text: JACKSON, MS – A Jackson, Mississippi man was sentenced today to 1 year and 1 day in prison and a $1,000 partial fine for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Jessie Dewayne Terry, 42, was found in possession of a firearm at a night club on February 23, 2024. He had previously been convicted of multiple offenses including armed robbery and house burglary. A 2-year term of supervised release will follow his term of imprisonment. Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi; and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi Alcoholic Beverage Control, Capitol Police, Jackson Police, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and other state law enforcement partners investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Grantham prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America ( https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) 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: Grant County Woman Admits to Drug Charge

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Theresa Marie Lipkey, age 43, of Petersburg, West Virginia, has admitted to the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, Lipkey’s vehicle was searched during a traffic stop when she was driving from Morgantown to Petersburg. The search resulted in the seizure of 129 grams of methamphetamine. Lipkey is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.


title: Ellenton Man Pleads Guilty For His Role In Fentanyl And Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy

component: Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces

body_text: Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Alexis Soto Escalante (20, Ellenton) has pleaded guilty to conspiring to, and possessing with the intent to distribute over 40 grams of fentanyl and 500 grams of cocaine. Soto Escalante faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. According to the plea agreement, on May 22, 2024, Soto Escalante sourced 55.9 grams of fentanyl to his co-defendant, Traveous Anderson, that was recovered by agents upon Anderson’s arrest. Later the same day, Soto Escalante traveled to Anderson’s apartment to collect payment for the fentanyl delivery where he was also arrested. Agents recovered 641 grams of cocaine and 3.7 grams fentanyl in the vehicle Soto Escalante was driving. Agents subsequently executed a search warrant at Soto Escalante’s residence and found an additional 14.03 grams of cocaine in his bedroom. Anderson’s case is still pending trial. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Bradenton Police Department and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang. This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Jury Finds Physician Guilty of Operating a Pill Mill from His D.C. Medical Practice

component: Criminal Division

body_text: WASHINGTON - Ndubuisi Joseph Okafor, M.D., 65, of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, was found guilty today by a federal jury in U.S. District Court in connection with illegally distributing prescriptions for narcotics in exchange for cash from his Northwest Washington D.C. medical clinic. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Maureen R. Dixon of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division. The jury found Okafor guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (outside the practice of medicine), maintaining a drug-involved premises, and 22 counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substances (oxycodone and promethazine with codeine). U.S. District Judge John D. Bates scheduled a sentencing hearing for June 20, 2025. According to court documents and evidence at trial, between May 2021 and April of 2023, Okafor was the sole practitioner and owner of Okafor Medical Associates, an internal medicine clinic in Northwest, Washington, D.C. The USAO and FBI began investigating Okafor for illegal distribution of controlled substances after it received information from law enforcement agencies nationwide regarding prescriptions from Okafor being connected to local drug trafficking networks. Between February 18, 2022, and November 30, 2022, the FBI sent confidential sources and undercover agents into Okafor’s medical practice for walk-in appointments. Each individual was prescribed opioids by Okafor after minimal examination. Further investigation revealed that Okafor was operating a nationwide drug distribution scheme, whereby he would prescribe opioids to numerous individuals using false identities, whom Okafor knew to be diverting the medication. Okafor’s conduct spanned at least 45 states and resulted in hundreds of thousands of units of oxycodone and promethazine with codeine liquid prescribed nationwide. Okafor was convicted of distribution of opioids to undercover sources, numerous uncharged co-conspirators, and to a civilian patient J.V. Okafor was also convicted of conspiracy and maintaining a drug-involved premises. Evidence at trial further established that, after Okafor was notified by the D.C. Board of Health that J.V.’s family member filed a complaint against him, he created backdated medical records for J.V. in an attempt to justify his prescribing. The investigation also resulted in the immediate suspension of Okafor’s DEA registration number in September 2023 as he was deemed to be a threat to public health and safety. The case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the District of Columbia Office of Inspector General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department gratefully acknowledge the Apex, North Carolina Police Department, the Warsaw, New York, Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and the Noble County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office for their extraordinary efforts, support, and cooperation during the investigation and trial. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith Mayer-Dempsey, Trial Attorney Kathryn Furtado and paralegals Rebecca Walton, Dillon Clark, and Matthew McClarnon of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. The team also extends its deep appreciation to Michael Goodrich, Lead Travel Analyst of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section. 23cr116


title: Starkville Man Sentenced to Five Years for Possession and Sale of Illegal Glock Device

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

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Starkville man was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for possession and transfer of a “Glock switch,” which is a device that converts a semi-automatic handgun to fully automatic. According to court documents, Austin Hudson, also known as “Mop Sossa,” 23, previously pled guilty to possession and transfer of a “Glock switch” which constitutes a machinegun under federal law. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Hudson yesterday to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Hudson was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing. “Illegal machine guns make criminals more lethal, and criminal possession of them will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “We and our partners at the FBI, ATF, and the Starkville PD will continue to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of criminals.” “The illegal possession of handgun conversion devices is a significant threat to our communities,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed yesterday sends a message to anyone who possesses a switch that we will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess these devices, remove another violent criminal from our streets, and keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.” "Mr. Hudson’s sentencing should serve as a warning to those bad actors who unlawfully possess and perpetrate the transfer of a Glock switch,” stated Special Agent in Charge of the Jackson Field Office of the FBI Robert Eikhoff. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners, through impactful programs such as Project Safe Neighborhood, will continue to identify, investigate, and deliver justice to anyone violating federal laws designed to protect our communities.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Starkville Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former Louisville Middle School Teacher Sentenced to  Over 19 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offenses

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A former middle school teacher in Louisville, Kentucky was sentenced today to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for multiple child pornography charges. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement. “I commend the FBI’s outstanding work during the investigation of this case and that of AUSA McKiness for his tireless effort in prosecuting it,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Combatting the sexual exploitation of our children is a priority of this office and working with our law enforcement partners we will continue to identify, arrest, and aggressively prosecute those who victimize our most vulnerable citizens.” “Jordan Fautz chose to abuse his position of trust by egregiously violating the privacy of innocent children. His sentencing marks a critical step in our efforts to combat the exploitation of children,” said Special Agent in Charge Stansbury. “With the emergence of offenders using cutting-edge technology to inflict harm and pain on one of our most vulnerable populations, law enforcement will exhaust all of its available resources and expertise to ensure those who choose to abuse children in any way face justice.” According to court documents, Jordan Fautz, 40, was sentenced to 19 years and 7 months in prison, followed by 30 years of supervised release, for three counts of distribution of child pornography, two counts of distribution of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, one count of production of the obscene visual representation of child sexual abuse, and one count of possession of child pornography. Fautz used an online chatting application to distribute child sexual abuse material to an undercover law enforcement officer. Fautz also produced and distributed photoshopped images depicting minors’ faces on the bodies of people engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Fautz also possessed material depicting child sexual abuse on his computers and cell phone. Fautz was also ordered to pay $28,130 in restitution to victims. There is no parole in the federal system. This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted 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 . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” ###


title: 14 Charged in Federal Indictment Following Takedown of Violent Indianapolis Drug Trafficking Ring

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: INDIANAPOLIS— 14 individuals have been charged in a federal indictment alleging a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in Indianapolis, Lafayette, and surrounding communities. The charges follow a successful law enforcement operation in which 13 total individuals have been arrested and are in federal custody. Eight individuals were arrested on March 21, 2025. The following lists the individuals indicted and the charges they face: Defendant Charge(s) Tanesha M. Turner, 39 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Kidnapping Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime Accessory to a crime after the fact Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Charles T. Dunson, 44 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Distribution of methamphetamine Possession of a machinegun Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Tre J. Dunn, 27 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Carrying and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Causing Death by Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime Possessing, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime Nahamani I. Sargent, 34 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Retaliating against a witness Use of fire or explosives Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Byron A. Mason, 38 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Unlawful use of a cell phone Adrian J. Bullock, 34 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Avery J. Bullock, 27 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute John M. Whitfield, 37 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Aaliyah Hackett, 23 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Unlawful use of a cell phone Emorrie J. Dunn, 26 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Chancelor R. Walker, 38 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances D’Ericka Lee, 30 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Lamar T. Browning, 39 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances Mark C. Marshall, 57 Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances This was a multi-agency operation, involving ten agencies who assisted with the investigation and the arrests on the morning of March 21, 2025. Law enforcement has asked the public for assistance in locating fugitive Lamar T. Browning. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Those with information are asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. According to the indictment, all 14 defendants allegedly operated a drug trafficking conspiracy, selling meth, fentanyl, cocaine and heroin out of several trap houses in Indianapolis. Some members of the conspiracy allegedly committed multiple acts of violence, including murder, firing gunshots, throwing Molotov cocktails at a home, kidnapping, and pistol-whipping in order to intimidate drug customers and rival drug dealers The violence was used as a tool to collect money owed to them by their drug customers, to protect the locations that they used to distribute drugs, and to retaliate against potential witnesses. Specifically, Nahamani Sargent allegedly fired gunshots and threw Molotov cocktails at the home of a customer, believing that the victim had provided information about the conspiracy to law enforcement. Additionally, Tanesha Turner allegedly kidnapped a victim at gunpoint and held them for ransom because they owed $40. Tre Dunn then allegedly shot the same victim for owing money and providing information to law enforcement. Tre Dunn also allegedly aided and abetted the murder of a man because he disrespected him and his associate during a failed drug deal. Tanesha Turner then allegedly aided Dunn by driving him to another location following the murder to prevent his arrest. If convicted, each defendant faces up to life in federal prison. The following investigative agencies collaborated to make this investigation and recent warrant execution possible: Federal Bureau of Investigation (Indianapolis, Chicago, and Cincinnati SWAT) Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, SWAT Fishers Police Department, SWAT Drug Enforcement Administration United States Department of Agriculture Indiana Capitol Police Department Indiana Department of Homeland Security Johnson County Sheriff’s Department Acting U.S. Attorney Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley A. Blackington and Kelsey Massa, who are prosecuting this case. This investigation 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). This operation is part of the Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. An indictment or criminal complaint are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Rome-Area Fentanyl Dealer Receives Federal Prison Sentence

body_text: ROME, Ga. - Deaja Simone Clemons has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl. “Clemons sold thousands of fentanyl pills at a time that the illegal distribution and use of this drug was continuing to ravage communities within and outside our district,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. “Our Office is grateful for the collaboration among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners which makes it possible to combat the threat of drug traffickers like Clemons.” “Illicit drugs like fentanyl has destroyed countless lives,” said Jae W. Chung, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.” According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, the charges, and other information presented in court: In February 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Rome, Georgia, Field Office received information that Deaja Clemons was dealing fentanyl in the Rome area. A subsequent investigation revealed that in the month of February, Clemons sold 121 blue pills marked with M30 (counterfeit pills made to resemble oxycodone 30 mg pills) that contained fentanyl. Clemons had sold 60 of those fentanyl pills in Rome, and 61 in Cedartown, Georgia. In early April 2024, DEA special agents and Polk County police officers followed Clemons from Rome to Polk County. Polk County officers stopped Clemons en route back to Rome and, during a search of her car, recovered 124 blue, counterfeit “M30” pills containing fentanyl and $3,922 in cash. Clemons was arrested and, during the investigation that followed, DEA special agents discovered that Clemons had been selling about 300 fentanyl pills a week for approximately three months. United States District Judge William M. Ray, II, sentenced Deaja Simone Clemons, 29, of Rome, Ga., to 63 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Clemons was convicted of the charges on December 13, 2024, after she pleaded guilty. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AC-HIDTA), and the Polk County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth, III and Calvin A. Leipold, III prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strategic Initiative focused on combatting the fentanyl crisis in northwest Georgia. OCDETF identifies and eliminates the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . Anyone with information about drug sales/trafficking in their area can report it to the GBI at1-800-597-TIPS (8477) or DEA’s Atlanta Division Office at (404) 893-7000. Online tips can be submitted at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip . The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia encourages parents and children to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov , www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com , www.operationprevention.com/ , www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov , and www.dea.gov/onepill . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: 17 Previously Removed Defendants – Including Convicted Felons – Charged with Being Illegal Aliens Found in U.S. After Removal

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal law enforcement partners, federal prosecutors in the last week filed charges against 17 defendants who allegedly illegally re-entered the United States after being removed, the Justice Department announced today. Many of the defendants charged were previously convicted of felony offenses before they were removed from the United States, offenses that include assault with bodily injury. One of the defendants is suspected of murder while another was arrested on suspicion of committing assault with intent to rape. The crime of being found in the United States following removal carries a base sentence of up to two years in federal prison. Defendants who were removed after being convicted of a felony face a maximum 10-year sentence and defendants removed after being convicted of an aggravated felony face a maximum of 20 years in federal prison. Some of the recently filed cases are summarized below with information contained in court documents. Jescar Amarzca-Olgiuen, 51, of Mexico, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Amarzca was charged after he was arrested in Orange County on March 19 as a suspect in the 2023 murder of a man who died from multiple gunshot wounds. His criminal history includes a felony conviction in 2013 in San Diego federal court for fraud and misuse of visas and permits, for which he was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison. Marvin Campos Cerna, 29, of El Salvador, was charged via a federal criminal complaint with being an illegal alien found in the United States after removal. Campos was charged after he was arrested in West Hollywood on March 7 for allegedly committing assault with intent to rape, false imprisonment, sodomy, and kidnapping. Prior to this arrest, Campos was convicted in 2014 for assault with bodily injury, for which he was sentenced to six years in California state prison. Victor Navarro-Cota, 23, and Tereso Guadalupe Martinez-Reyes, 20, both of Mexico, were arrested near Barstow on March 13 while driving a black Chevrolet Suburban filled with 478 pairs of Nike Jordan 6 Rings shoes, which retail for approximately $170 per pair, totaling $81,260. Both Martinez-Reyes and Navarro-Cota were in the U.S. illegally and each previously was deported in February 2025. Navarro-Cota’s arraignment is scheduled for April 22. Martinez-Reyes’ arraignment is scheduled for April 1. Criminal complaints contain allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating these matters. The criminal cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys in the Domestic Security and Immigration Crimes Section and the General Crimes Section.


title: Federal Grand Jury Indicts Tompkinsville, Kentucky Man  For Methamphetamine Trafficking

body_text: Bowling Green, KY – A federal grand jury in Bowling Green returned an indictment on March 12, 2025, charging a Tompkinsville, Kentucky man with distributing methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Director Ron Lafferty of the Barren River Drug Task Force made the announcement. According to the indictment, Brandon Gearlds, 41, was charged with distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine on October 23, 2023. Gearlds was also charged with distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on October 26, 2023, and April 24, 2024. The defendant made his initial court appearance on March 18, 2025, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered the defendant detained pending trial. If convicted, Gearlds faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. This case is being investigated by the DEA - Paducah Post of Duty and the Barren River Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Third week of March sees another nearly 250 cases in border security-related matters in Southern District of Texas

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A total of 246 cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from March 14-20, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Of those, 91 face allegations of illegally re-entering the country with the majority having felony convictions such as narcotics, violent and/or sexual crimes and prior immigration offenses, among others. A total of 145 face charges of illegally entering the country, eight cases involve various instances of human smuggling, and the remainder relate to other immigration matters and making false statements. Among those charged include Rogelio Jaimes-Rodriguez - a Mexican male who was allegedly found in the United States near Roma having previously been removed Feb. 12. The charges allege he had been previously convicted of being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm. If convicted of this illegal reentry charge, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Onesimo Salazar-Torres is also a Mexican citizen charged with illegal reentry. The criminal complaint alleges he was found in the United States near Edinburg having previously been removed in 2018 and has a conviction of indecency with child sexual contact. Other relevant cases include two more illegal aliens with significant criminal histories that were sentenced in McAllen this week after being previously removed and unlawfully reentered again. Jose Eduardo Soto-Hernandez has prior felony convictions for sexual assault of a child and possession of a controlled substance. He has been removed from the United States two previous times, most recently in 2019. He will serve 27 months, while Salvador Eduardo Gonzalez-Ledezma was ordered to serve 46 months. He has prior felony convictions for assault family violence impeding breath and harboring aliens. Authorities removed him most recently in 2022, but he has a total of four prior removals. In Houston, Carlos Bedolla Sanchez pleaded guilty to using the identity of a U.S. citizen to fraudulently obtain a passport and identification. As part of the identity theft, he provided the name, Social Security number, date of birth and birthplace on the passport applications and fraudulently certified he was a citizen or non-citizen national of the United States. Sanchez began using the victim’s identity in approximately March 2009 to obtain state driver’s licenses and other U.S. identification. On Feb. 17, a Corpus Christi federal jury returned a guilty verdict against a South Texas man for transporting illegal aliens. They deliberated for less than 45 minutes before convicting Alberto Chavez Jr. following a one-day trial Feb. 17. Chavez had claimed his two passengers were his cousins, but evidence proved they were not related to him and were actually Honduran citizens illegally present in the United States. Testimony further revealed Chavez bought them clothes to make them appear more “American” and coached them on what to say when trying to pass through the checkpoint. Another illegal alien was indicted in Laredo in a multi-year human smuggling conspiracy. The charges allege Giovana Lozano Hernandez used multiple cellular devices that had numerous digital images of paper ledgers regarding the scheme. Voice messages with co-conspirators also allegedly detailed the smuggling activity including the many illegal aliens who had already been transported and housed for whom there needed to be financial accountability. Law enforcement also found video messages depicting the transportation of illegal aliens, according to the allegations. 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, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General 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 the Southern District of Texas (SDTX). 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 SDTX 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: St. Croix Woman Sentenced in $372,000.00 Embezzlement Scheme

component: USAO - Virgin Islands

body_text: St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Nicole Morales, 48, a California native and resident of St. Croix, was sentenced by District Judge Wilma A. Lewis to 16 months incarceration following her guilty plea in November 2024, to three counts of wire fraud. Judge Lewis also ordered Morales to pay restitution in the amount of $372,496.34, and a special assessment in the amount of $300.00. According to court records, in November 2015, Morales was employed by Nichols, Newman, Logan, Grey, and Lockwood, P.C., in St. Croix as the office manager where her duties included processing payroll through Banco Popular. In December 2015, Morales began fraudulently inflating her payroll using QuickBooks accounting software. Thereafter, Morales wired unauthorized funds from her employer’s Banco Popular account into three separate personal bank accounts owned by Morales. After transferring the funds to her personal accounts, Morales would change the inflated amounts in QuickBooks to reflect her correct income and payroll figures. Morales would later generate reports in QuickBooks with the correct payroll figures which were approved by her employer. Morales continued this conduct until January 2019, after having embezzled a total of $372,496.34 from her employer. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston and Rhonda Williams-Henry.


title: Cleveland Man Sentenced to 147 months for Fentanyl and Gun Convictions

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: Oxford, MS – Jarvis Wright, 46, was sentenced today to 147 months in prison following his guilty plea to distribution of fentanyl, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense in Bolivar County, Mississippi. Wright was sentenced following a guilty plea to a multicount indictment which charged him for the sale of a substance containing fentanyl to a confidential informant in Cleveland, Mississippi in 2022. Wright also pled guilty to a separate possession of fentanyl with intent charge. In that instance, Wright possessed a handgun at the time of his arrest. He admitted as part of his plea that he possessed the handgun in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Wright to 147 total months imprisonment followed by a 60-month term of supervised release. 60 months of the total sentence imposed was for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. That charge requires that a mandatory minimum sentence be imposed. “The distribution of fentanyl and other illegal drugs has had a devastating impact on the Mississippi Delta region and our country. The risks that these poisons hold is amplified when drug dealers carry firearms.” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This prosecution and sentence should send a message that those who distribute poison into the community will be held to account and punished accordingly. Fentanyl cannot be tolerated in our state.” “This sentence sends a clear message: those who peddle deadly fentanyl in our communities, especially while armed, will face severe consequences,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “We are dedicated to protecting the citizens of Mississippi from the devastating impact of these narcotics. This lengthy sentence reflects our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable and restoring safety to our neighborhoods.” The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotic and the Drug Enforcement Agency investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Herzog Jr. prosecuted the case.


title: 11 Charged in Twin Cities Drug Trafficking, Kidnapping Conspiracy

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A federal grand jury returned a five-count indictment against 11 individuals associated with a transnational Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) tied to a Mexican cartel in a drug trafficking and kidnapping conspiracy, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. As alleged in the indictment, beginning in July 2023 through January 2025, 11 defendants conspired to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. The DTO leaders arranged for large quantities of methamphetamine to be delivered from Mexico to the Twin Cities area, via the mail and driven by cars and trucks. Once delivered, the Minnesota-based defendants broke large quantities of methamphetamine down into smaller, distributable quantities and sold it to customers throughout the Twin Cities region. In January 2025, an individual owed a DTO leader in Mexico a substantial amount of money, which they could not pay. Four of the co-defendants lured this individual to a location in St. Paul, Minnesota. They kidnaped the victim, beat the victim, chained the victim to a pole, and the held the victim against their will. During the kidnaping and beating, a DTO leader instructed one of the defendants over a messaging application, “you are breaking his hands. Break them good.” “This case highlights the inherent danger that transnational drug cartels bring to our country,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “This mob-style violence has no place in America, it has no place in Minnesota, and those who engage in it will be charged federally.” The following individuals have been indicted for the following crimes and have made their initial appearance in federal court: • Richar Sanchez Mujica, 30, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. • Donovan Rey Lopez, 21, of Minneapolis is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. • Erling Soren Holdahl, 48, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap. • Dostin Elizander Ortiz-Garcia, 29, of Burnsville, Minnesota, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. • Jonathan Salvador Juarez-Ferrer, 25, of Minneapolis, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. • Timothy Duane Ripley, 45, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap. • Kendra Sue Johnson, 39, is charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to kidnap. Four other members of the conspiracy have not yet made their initial appearances. This case is the result of cooperation between Homeland Security Investigations, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the St. Paul Police Department’s Violent Crime Enforcement Team, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Minneapolis Police Department, Ramsey County, and the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force. It is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and to 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). Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. McBride is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Duluth Climbing Coach Sentenced to Over Six Years in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: DULUTH, Minn. – Lucas Matthew Kramer, a Duluth man, was sentenced to 78 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possessing child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. He also was ordered to pay restitution to his victims and a $7,500 assessment pursuant to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018. “Few crimes are as heinous as the sexual exploitation of minors,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kirkpatrick. “My office will continue to prioritize charging predators who hold positions of trust in our community. Coaches, daycare providers, and others in positions of trust who prey on children will face federal justice.” “The sentencing of Lucas Mathew Kramer concludes a successful investigation focused on those who seek to exploit our children. HSI will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who target our young people,” said ICE HSI Saint Paul Special Agent in Charge Jamie Holt. “We appreciate the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and stand by our commitment to protecting our communities and securing our homeland.” According to court documents, on September 23, 2022, law enforcement received a tip that an online individual with the username “northernboy35” had used the Kik messenger application to upload 19 videos of child pornography to the internet. Less than a week later, the same username uploaded five additional child pornography videos to the internet. Law enforcement quickly determined that the uploaded files originated from Duluth, Minnesota, and linked the email and IP address for the “nothernboy35” moniker directly to Lucas Mathew Kramer, 45, a longtime collegiate climbing coach. Law enforcement proceeded to execute a search warrant at Kramer’s residence and discovered that he had knowingly possessed over 600 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on numerous electronic devices. His CSAM collection included the graphic sexual abuse of prepubescent children—some as young as toddlers—and included videos depicting children being physically forced into sexual compliance. Kramer admitted that he downloaded and traded his CSAM collection with others on the internet. Law enforcement also discovered evidence of sexually explicit chats between Kramer and self-identified prepubescent minors, where he engaged the self-identified minors in sexually explicit conversations and encouraged them to take and send nude images of themselves. Kramer pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography on October 11, 2024. He was sentenced in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud on March 19, 2024. When handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked that Kramer’s conduct was “deeply troubling” and that his collection of CSAM materials “reflected depravity” and showed a “callous indifference” to the humanity of his victims. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Duluth Police Department. “The Duluth Police Department appreciates its partnership with Homeland Security Investigations in holding this offender accountable to the highest standards,” commented Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.


title: Philadelphia Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Suboxone Into Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Talia Hicks, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty yesterday before United States District Court Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge to a one-count information charging Hicks with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, from at least December 2019 through November of 2024, Hicks conspired with multiple individuals, including T.T., to smuggle Suboxone into the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility (“CFCF”). A review of video tablet calls, a recorded form of communication available to inmates at CFCF, showed that T.T., on various occasions, discussed inmates sending CashApp and Apple payments to both T.T. and Hicks. A review of CashApp and Green Dot records showed that T.T. and Hicks sent and received CashApp payments on behalf of T.T. from and to various individuals. There were multiple transactions for which Hicks either facilitated the payment for Suboxone or provided the drugs to an unidentified co-conspirator to smuggle the substance into CFCF. Hicks is scheduled to be sentenced on July 8 and faces a maximum possible sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason D. Grenell.


title: Honduras Man Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Honduras pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of illegal reentry of a removed alien and was sentenced to time served and removal from the U.S. on his conviction, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Saul Enrique Padilla-Mejia, 38. According to information presented to the Court, Padilla-Mejia was previously removed from the United States on August 13, 2019, and returned to Honduras. On February 4, 2024, the Pennsylvania State Police charged Padilla-Mejia in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County with various traffic offenses as well as driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood alcohol content of .16% and greater. Those charges remain pending, according to the public docket. Immigration authorities determined that Padilla-Mejia was illegally present in the United States and took him into immigration custody on October 30, 2024. Padilla-Mejia will remain detained until his deportation from the United States. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. Acting United States Attorney Rivetti commended U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Padilla-Mejia.


title: Two Mexican Nationals With Prior Convictions Charged For Illegally Reentering The United States

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – Two Mexican nationals residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances Thursday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country. Juan Carlos Verdin-Covarrubias, 41, and Uriel Lira-Cabrera, 44, are both charged with one count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for April 3, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Nancy J. Koppe. According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Verdin-Covarrubias and Lira-Cabrera are both citizens and nationals of Mexico. They were previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally. On March 12, 2025, the Nevada Department of Corrections remanded Verdin-Covarrubias to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) based on an ICE detainer. Verdin-Covarrubias was previously deported on or about April 21, 2006, after he was convicted for Unlawful Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Judicial District Court, Washoe County, Nevada. After illegally returning to the country, he was again convicted of drug-related offenses, Sale of a Controlled Substance and High-level Possession of a Controlled Substance, this time in the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada, and on February 16, 2022, Verdin-Covarrubias was sentenced to 36 to 96 months of imprisonment. On March 5, 2025, ICE in Las Vegas, Nevada, arrested Lira-Cabrera who had previously been deported on six occasions between February 5, 2007, and November 27, 2021. Prior to his first deportation Lira-Cabrera was convicted of Assault with Deadly Weapon by Means Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury in the Superior Court, Los Angeles County, California. Lira-Cabrera also has two prior felony convictions for illegally reentering the United States, one in federal court in the District of Arizona, and another in the District of Nevada. Both face the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. Acting United States Attorney Sue Fahami for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Field Office Director Michael Bernacke made the announcement. The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case. Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form. A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ###


title: New Hampshire Man Arrested for Trafficking Multiple High-Powered Firearms

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Nashua, N.H. man has been arrested for allegedly trafficking nine firearms, including two semiautomatic rifles, into Massachusetts in over a one-month period. Dennis T. Michaud, Jr., 22, was charged with one count of trafficking in firearms. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Michaud was detained pending a hearing scheduled for March 25, 2025. According to the charging documents, beginning in or around February 2025, Michaud was identified as an illegal firearms dealer. It is alleged that, from Feb. 7 through Feb. 11, 2025, undercover law enforcement contacted Michaud through Snapchat to arrange for the purchase of a semiautomatic rifle. During those communications, Michaud allegedly stated that he was located in New Hampshire and that he could bring the firearm to Massachusetts. On Feb. 11, 2025, in Pepperell, Michaud allegedly met with a confidential source operating at the direction of law enforcement to conduct the transaction. There, it is alleged that Michaud provided the confidential source with a Good Time Outdoors CXV Core 15 .223/5.56 caliber semiautomatic rifle and a 30-round .223/5.56 caliber magazine in exchange for $900. On Feb. 18, 2025, Michaud allegedly agreed to sell three additional firearms. It is alleged that, later that day, Michaud met the source at an agreed upon location in Pepperell, where he provided the following three firearms as well as accompanying ammunition and accessories in exchange for $2,100: a Taurus Raging Hunter .454 Casull Revolver and approximately five rounds of .454 Casull ammunition; a Rossi Interarms M68 .38 Special Revolver and approximately five rounds of .38 Special ammunition; and a Walther PPS 9mm Pistol with approximately six Walther PPS 9mm magazines and various firearm parts and/or accessories. It is further alleged that, on Feb. 27, 2025, Michaud agreed to sell two more firearms: a Radical Firearms RF-15 .223/5.56 caliber semiautomatic short-barreled rifle along with a 30-round .223/5.56 caliber magazine; and a Sig Sauer P227 Equinox .45 caliber pistol along with a 10-round Sig Sauer P227 .45 caliber magazine. During the transaction in Pepperell, Michaud allegedly provided the confidential source the two agreed-upon firearms and ammunition. Michaud also allegedly stated that possessing the semiautomatic short-barreled rifle would constitute “three felonies” due to the stock and 30-round magazine affixed to the firearm. On March 20, 2025, in Pepperell, Michaud allegedly sold three more firearms, two magazines and ammunition to the confidential source in exchange for $2,250: a Century Arms 7.62x39mm YSKA AK Rifle; a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm Pistol; and a Taurus PT-22 .22 caliber Pistol. The defendant was immediately taken into custody following the transaction. Michaud does not possess a federal firearms license and is prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction in New Hampshire for possession of marijuana. The charge of trafficking in firearms without a license provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; and the Nashua (N.H.) and Pepperell Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez 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: Statement of Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Investigation into Intelligence Leak

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche made the following statement today regarding an investigation into the leak of intelligence information. “The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation relating to the selective leak of inaccurate, but nevertheless classified, information from the Intelligence Community relating to Tren de Aragua (TDA). We will not tolerate politically motivated efforts by the Deep State to undercut President Trump’s agenda by leaking false information onto the pages of their allies at the New York Times. The Alien Enemies Proclamation is supported by fact, law, and common sense, which we will establish in court and then expel the TDA terrorists from this country.”


title: Hollywood Hills Man Sentenced to Nearly 3½ Years in Federal Prison for Paying Nearly $2.9 Million in Kickbacks for Drug Addiction Patient Referrals

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Hollywood Hills man was sentenced today to 41 months in federal prison for paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals to his addiction treatment facilities located in Orange County. Casey Mahoney, 48, was sentenced by United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton, who also fined him $240,000. At the conclusion of a nine-day trial in September 2024, a jury found Mahoney guilty of one count of conspiracy to solicit, receive, pay, or offer illegal remunerations for patient referrals and seven counts of receiving illegal kickbacks for patient referrals. “This defendant illegally profited millions of dollars off of addicts who desperately needed help,” said Acting United States Attorney Joseph McNally. “Bribes and kickbacks compromise the integrity of substance abuse treatment facilities and undermine patient care. As the sentence imposed today demonstrates, those that engage in body brokering will go to federal prison.” The charges relate to Mahoney’s operation of two addiction treatment facilities: the Huntington Beach-based Healing Path Detox LLC, and the San Juan Capistrano-based Get Real Recovery Inc. From at least October 2018 to December 2020, Mahoney paid nearly $2.9 million in illegal kickbacks to so-called “body brokers” who referred patients to Mahoney’s addiction treatment facilities. Those body brokers in turn paid thousands of dollars in cash to patients. Brokered patients sometimes were dropped off at motels in Orange County and introduced to drug dealers. Some of these patients later overdosed and died. Brokers also arranged for patients to receive drugs to make them eligible for more lucrative levels of care at Mahoney’s facilities. Mahoney paid one broker $140,000 per month for additional patients despite knowing that brokers offered to get some patients high. Mahoney also requested that his employees send brokers to track down former patients with lucrative insurance policies, which he called his “most wanted list.” Throughout the scheme, Mahoney concealed the illegal kickbacks by entering into sham contracts with the body brokers which purportedly required fixed payments and prohibited payments based off of the volume or value of the patient referrals. In reality, Mahoney and the brokers negotiated payments based on the patients’ insurance reimbursements and the number of days Mahoney was able to bill for treatment. The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The California Department of Insurance provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorney Nandor F.R. Kiss of the Orange County Office and Justice Department Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case. Mahoney’s conviction arose out of violations of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA). EKRA was enacted in October 2018 as part of comprehensive legislation designed to address the opioid crisis and to target the rise in body brokering and substance abuse facility profiteering. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Federal jury convicts Arapahoe man of abusive sexual contact

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Kendall Joseph Moss III, 35, of Arapahoe Wyoming, was convicted by a federal jury on March 20, of abusive sexual contact with a minor. The trial lasted four days and was held before Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl in Casper. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, an investigation began in connection with a minor witness’s disclosure to a student advocate and school resource officer at her elementary school of sexual abuse by the defendant in 2021. Dr. Gail S. Goodman, PH.D., a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis testified at trial on the dynamics of child sexual abuse, including that victims often delay disclosing the sexual abuse or make piecemeal disclosures of the abuse over time. The victim was interviewed twice over two years and provided more details of the sexual abuse in her second interview. The defendant made statements to law enforcement indicating the victim was not lying in her allegations against him. The jury’s verdict found the defendant guilty of touching the minor victim in her genital area over her clothing with the intent of sexual gratification. Sentencing has been set for June 10, 2025. Moss faces a term of any number of years up to life in prison with no less than five years and no more than life of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. The Bureau of Indian Affairs Wind River Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson prosecuted 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Case No. 24-CR-00165


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed More than 90 Border-Related Cases This Week

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed more than 90 border-related cases this week, including charges of transportation of illegal aliens, bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, deported alien found in the United States, 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, includes: Mexican nationals Eleazar Mozqueda Simental and Manuel Antonio Mozqueda Simental were arrested and charged on March 20, 2025, in connection with a maritime smuggling incident. They were accused of illegally transporting 14 undocumented immigrants from Mexico, Vietnam and China – all of whom were forced to wear large black trash bags over their heads and bodies during the four-hour trip. They were brought into the United States on a panga boat traveling at high speed across rough seas. According to interviews with the undocumented immigrants on the boat, at one point, the panga caught air, broke apart and capsized, sending terrified passengers into the water. The passengers, including a deaf/mute woman, were rescued. Mexican national Osvaldo Reyes-Virgen was arrested on March 17, 2025, by San Diego- based U.S. Border Patrol agents and charged after he was found in the United States hiding behind brush near Imperial Beach after agents observed a jet ski traveling north. Reyes-Virgen was previously deported on March 6, 2025, after entering the United States illegally. On March 17, 2025, Sarah Beth Schatz, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with alien smuggling after she was caught attempting to smuggle two citizens of China into the United States in the trunk of the vehicle she was driving. The two Chinese citizens she was arrested with admitted that they are citizens of China without lawful documents allowing them to enter the United States and that they were going to pay $30,000 and $15,000 if successfully smuggled into the United States. Joshua Nicolas Sanchez Lopez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested on March 15, 2025, when he attempted to cross into the U.S. from Mexico at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry on drug importation charges. According to a federal complaint, he was the driver and registered owner of a vehicle where Customs and Border Protection officials found 108 packages consisting of over 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 22 pounds of fentanyl, and more than four pounds of heroin hidden in the doors, quarters panels, and seats of his vehicle. On March 16, 2025, Baudelio Escalante-Orozco, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested after he was found by San Diego-based U.S. Border Patrol Agents attempting to hide in brush seven miles north of the U.S./Mexico International Boundary Line and charged with being a deported alien found in the United States. He is currently on probation in the District of Oregon for the same crime. 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: Eden Prairie Man Charged With Coercion, Enticement of a Minor and Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – Michael Bruce Gillis, an Eden Prairie man, has been charged via federal criminal complaint with coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. According to the criminal complaint , on March 2, 2025, the Mounds View Police Department received a report of a missing 15-year-old male. In an effort to locate the missing juvenile, his family members reviewed his personal electronic devices and discovered recent chat communications between Minor Victim A and an individual identified as “Nick Miller.” In their chat thread, Minor Victim A specifically identified himself as being “young” and still in high school, to which “Nick Miller” responded that he “like[s] younger guys” and that he was “okay with it.” From there, the chat transitioned to Minor Victim A and “Nick Miller” exchanging sexually explicit messages and graphic photos. The pair then made plans to meet, but because Minor Victim A was too young to drive, “Nick Miller” ordered an Uber to pick him up and drive him to the meetup location. A few hours after the electronic communications between “Nick Miller” and Minor Victim A, law enforcement conducted a welfare check at the address “Nick Miller” had provided. Law enforcement officers discovered Minor Victim A walking on foot a short distance from the indicated residence. Minor Victim A reported that “Nick Miller” had sexually assaulted him, and that he had escaped from the house after “Nick Miller” had fallen asleep. Law enforcement officers subsequently apprehended “Nick Miller” at the address he had provided, and positively identified him as Michael Bruce Gillis, 35. A subsequent records check revealed two other pending matters involving allegations of child exploitation, one in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and the other in Polk County, Florida. “As this case demonstrates, child predators are clear and present dangers to the children of Minnesota,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick. “We have federal tools at our disposal—including significant mandatory minimum sentences—that appropriately take predators like this off the street for decades. As Acting U.S. Attorney, I have directed my office to continue to prioritize these abhorrent crimes—to send a strong deterrent message and to protect our community.” “The allegations in this case are horrific. His deliberate, predatory behavior led to the sexual assault of a child, causing significant harm and trauma” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will use every resource available to ensure those who prey on the most vulnerable are brought to justice.” Gillis was charged by criminal complaint today in U.S. District Court with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of production of child pornography. He is currently detained. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI, Eden Prairie Police Department, Mounds View Police Department, and the Bloomington Police Department. "I am glad we are working with our federal partners to get these child predators off the street," said Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges. "I am confident this partnership will help keep our communities safe." Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan L. Sing is prosecuting the case. A complaint is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Seven Defendants Sentenced for Roles in Marshall County Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - Alabama, Northern

body_text: HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Seven men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a Marshall County Drug Trafficking Organization that was being directed from Mexico, announced United States Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Birmingham Division. United States District Judge Corey L. Maze imposed the following sentences on the defendants: Armando Trevino-Vazques, 42, of Crossville, Alabama, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and felon in possession of a firearm. Carlos Antonio Hernandez-Corona, 32, of Boaz, Alabama, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Juan Hernandez, 44, of Albertville, Alabama, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Gregory Allen Huff, 43, of Arab, Alabama, was sentenced to 61 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Angel Hernandez, Jr., 25, of Boaz, Alabama, was sentenced to 50 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Thomas Gaspar, 35, of Boaz, Alabama, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for unlawful use of a communications facility. Juan Damian Cortes, 33, of Albertville, Alabama, was sentenced to five months in prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. According to plea agreements, the Drug Trafficking Organization used a series of dead drops to coordinate the distribution of methamphetamine and the receipt of bulk currency. Purchasers contacted the source of supply in Mexico. After that, the purchaser received a phone call providing a location to meet an individual to pay for the drugs purchased. Following that meeting, the purchaser received another call providing the location where the drugs could be picked up. “My office will use every tool in our toolbox to dismantle drug trafficking organizations intent on flooding the Northern District of Alabama with illegal drugs, focusing our effort on drugs originating from cartels and transnational criminal organizations,” U.S. Attorney Escalona said. “We are committed to ending the devastating impact these drugs have had on communities within our District. I am grateful for the strong partnership between the FBI and state and local law enforcement in Marshall County that led to these convictions and sentences.” “These sentencings demonstrate the FBI’s relentless determination to eradicate drug trafficking organizations that are plaguing communities,” said FBI Birmingham Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples. “Disrupting organizations like this one is a priority objective of the FBI’s mission. We will continue to work with our local, state, and federal partners and use every legal means available to hold accountable those who threaten our neighborhoods.” The FBI’s North Alabama Criminal Enterprise Task Force investigated the cases. The Marshall County Drug Task Force and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Drug Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Russell E. Penfield and John M. Hundscheid prosecuted the cases.


title: LOWNDES COUNTY MAN SENTENCED IN OCDETF DRUG TRAFFICKING CASE

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Lowndes County man was sentenced on Thursday to over eight years in prison for selling methamphetamine. According to court documents, Jeremy Winston, of Columbus, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Winston was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Michael P. Mills on Thursday afternoon to 100 months in prison for the drug trafficking. He was further sentenced to five years supervised release following his release from prison. “The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is committed to working alongside law enforcement agencies at all levels to dismantle drug trafficking operations and disrupt the flow of illegal drugs within our communities,” stated Lowndes County Sherriff Eddie Hawkins. “This effort underscores the effectiveness of the OCDETF program. Our partners at the federal, state, and local levels have done an outstanding job.” “This successful prosecution is a testament to the effectiveness of the OCDETF program,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “By leveraging the combined resources and expertise of multiple agencies, we can dismantle complex drug trafficking organizations and bring those who profit from them to justice. This individual’s sentencing is a significant step in our ongoing fight against methamphetamine distribution.” “The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) continue to prove their success. Thank you to all agencies involved for their tireless efforts in enhancing and ensuring public safety and security in Mississippi,” said Commissioner Sean Tindell. “This defendant was willing to spread poison to individuals and his community, destroying lives for a profit,” stated U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “AUSA Clyde McGee and our federal, state and local partners did outstanding work in this case and continue to do outstanding work to protect our community from drug dealers like this defendant.” The Drug Enforcement Administration, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case. This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case is also a 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: Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting a USBP Agent During Arrest

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 14 months in prison for one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding a United States Border Patrol agent. According to court documents, on Feb. 3, 2024, Adrian Olan-Peralta, 21, of Tabasco, Mexico, resisted arrest by a USBP agent after being commanded in both English and Spanish to lie down and put his hands up after being identified hiding on a private ranch near Bracketville. While the agent attempted to apprehend him, Olan-Peralta attempted to push and grab the agent’s hands multiple times. Olan-Peralta had to be sprayed with OC spray twice and was eventually apprehended while attempting to crawl away. Olan-Peralta had illegally crossed into the U.S. from Mexico through the Rio Grande River on Feb. 2, 2024. Olan-Peralta pleaded guilty on May 13, 2024. Acting U.S. Attorney Margaret Leachman for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Kass and Rex Beasley prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (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: 35-Year Sentence for Man Convicted of 2023 Stranger Rape and Kidnapping That Followed Robbery Attempt

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Ricky McNeil, 51, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 35 years in prison for a July 2023 attempted robbery in which he kidnapped the victim at knifepoint and sexually assaulted her, announced U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr. and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). On December 11, 2024, a Superior Court Jury found McNeil guilty of kidnapping while armed, first-degree sexual abuse with aggravated circumstances, robbery, assault with a dangerous weapon (knife), possession of a prohibited weapon (knife), and assault with significant bodily injury. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe ordered five years of supervised release and ordered McNeil to register as a sex offender for life upon release from prison. According to the government’s evidence, on July 26, 2023, as the victim was walking past the defendant, a stranger to her, on Benning Rd, NE, he asked her for a cigarette. She told him she was going to the store and would buy him one. McNeil then snatched her purse off her arm and ran toward the door of his nearby apartment. When he was entering, the victim tried to grab her purse back from McNeil, at which point he grabbed her wrist, pulled her inside and barricaded the sole door to the apartment. When the victim ran to a nearby window and yelled for help, McNeil grabbed her, threw her down and began punching her. He then took the victim into another room, ordered her to disrobe and perform oral sex on him, threatening to give her a “smiley face” with a knife he was holding if she refused. When he had forced the act upon her, she immediately bit him. At that point, McNeil punched her in the mouth, splitting open her lip, and continued beating her. When McNeil got distracted by a phone, the victim jumped out the second-story window to escape. She ran, partially clad, to a nearby McDonald’s where a good Samaritan let her borrow a cell phone to call 911. Police responded to the scene but McNeil had already fled. When a search warrant was executed the following morning, the victim’s clothing and shoes were recovered from inside McNeil’s apartment, as well as her blood and his. In October 2023, McNeil was arrested on a warrant in Tampa, FL, and extradited back to DC, where he has been held without bond. In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Martin and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including SODV paralegals Garcia Clark and Veronica Hale, Victim Witness Service Coordinator Maenylie Watson, IT supervisor Leif Hickling, and Victim Advocate Maria Sanchez-Garcia. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly K. Smith and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Taylor and of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section, who prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican Woman Sentenced for Unlawful Reentry by a Removed Alien

component: Department of Justice

body_text: GULFPORT, MS – A Mexican national was sentenced today to “time served” (effectively 52 days) imprisonment for the federal felony offense of Unlawful Reentry Into the United States by a Deported or Removed Alien. According to court documents, Juana Arres-Chapol, age 47, was sentenced in federal court in Gulfport. Additionally, Arres-Chapol was sentenced to one year of supervised release following completion of her prison sentence. Further, federal law provides for Arres-Chapol to face U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) removal proceedings. After removal again from the U.S., her supervised release period will be non-reporting while she remains outside of the United States. However, if she unlawfully returns to the U.S., Arres-Chapol could face separate, consecutive penalties in addition to further prosecution. She was convicted after pleading guilty on February 25, 2025. On or about January 27, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents were conducting enforcement operations in Harrison County, in the Southern Division of the Southern District of MS. Agents conducted a vehicle stop and all three vehicle occupants were determined to be illegally present in the US and were arrested and processed for removal. Arres-Chapol’s fingerprints were scanned into DHS databases resulting in a computer match to her prior immigration records including photographs. Records revealed that Arres-Chapol had been arrested in or near Laredo, Texas, on or about April 18, 2014. She was processed for an Expedited Removal and was lawfully removed from the US. Immigration records also revealed that Arres-Chapol had not received permission to reenter the U.S. from either the Attorney General or from the Secretary of Homeland Security. Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, Patrick A. Lemon, praised the investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Border Patrol. Lemon and Eric P. DeLaune, Special Agent-in-Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Adam M. Calderon, Acting Chief Patrol Agent of the Border Patrol’s New Orleans Sector, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stan Harris prosecuted the case. This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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: U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes Report

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies. In the one-week period ending March 21, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico: 46 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326) 4 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324) 27 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325) These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process. Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. 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 District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.