title: Eastern Panhandle Man Admits to Having Cocaine, Firearm

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Kearneysville, West Virginia man has admitted to possessing large quantities of controlled substances for distribution and a firearm in relation to that crime, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. Bradley Allen Wilt, 44, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base. According to court documents and statements made in court, a traffic stop of Wilt’s vehicle led to the seizure of 63.51 grams of cocaine, 169.54 grams of cocaine base, 282 grams of suspected fentanyl, and 12 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride. Officers also seized a .45 caliber handgun from the car. Wilt pled guilty to possessing the firearm in relation to his drug crime. Wilt faces at least five and up to 40 years in prison for the drug charge and faces at least 5 years and up to life for the firearms charge. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration. U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 327 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two Women in Daytona

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, FL — Delon Richard Smith, 47, of Daytona, Florida, was sentenced Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida to 327 months in prison after pleading guilty in October 2025 to two charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and one count of conspiracy to commit the same. Smith was ordered to pay the two victims $4800 in restitution. “This sentence reflects the abhorrent acts of violence the defendant used to exploit the victims for his own personal profit,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Commercial sex trafficking depends on the systematic dehumanization of its victims and debasing victims by treating them as commodities. The Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section will prosecute those who, like Smith, use people like disposable products for an illegal business and violate them in endless ways when doing so.” “The manipulation and brutality used by the defendant in this case against his victims was egregious and reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida. “Due to the hard work and diligence of our local and federal law enforcement partners, and courage of the victims, this criminal was brought to justice.” “Sex trafficking is a violent crime, not a business,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. “This defendant deliberately used force and coercion to control and exploit vulnerable women to line his own pockets. Crimes like this are not victimless. They cause lasting trauma and undermine the safety of our communities. The FBI will continue working with our partners to investigate those who use violence and exploitation to profit and ensure they are held fully accountable for their actions.” According to court documents, Smith used threats and physical violence to compel the two victims to engage in commercial sex in the Daytona Beach area. Smith recruited the two victims separately in 2021 and 2022 by offering them narcotics and an opportunity to make money. He posted online commercial sex advertisements featuring one of the victims’ photographs. He then transported the victims to various locations to meet commercial sex buyers. Smith kept all the money or payments for the commercial sex acts and would routinely force the victims to continue engaging in commercial sex for his profit by inflicting severe physical harm on the victims. Smith would regularly punch and choke the victims, while talking about his gang membership in the Bloods, to threaten and coerce them. On one occasion, to punish the victim for not bringing in enough money, he discharged a firearm and held the hot barrel of the weapon to the victim’s face. In another instance, when one victim left the hotel room without Smith’s explicit permission, he hit one of the victims in the head with the butt of a gun and dragged her into his car by her hair. The FBI Jacksonville Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Daytona Police Department. Trial Attorney Leah Branch of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Testerman and Kaley Austin-Aronson for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org . Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking .


title: Mexican National Sentenced to Prison Time

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: HAMMOND – Eli Martinez-Martinez, age 39, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. Martinez-Martinez was sentenced to time served, based upon his detention since his arrest on September 5, 2025. According to documents in the case, Martinez-Martinez was previously removed from the United States in 2011 and 2022. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.


title: Sex Offender Sentenced to 200 years in Prison for New Crime Against Children

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a convicted sex offender to 200 years in prison for a new crime against children. Judge Autrey also ordered Jason Levi Meyrand, 31, of Jefferson County, Missouri, to pay $6,000 in restitution to his victims. Meyrand pleaded guilty in August to four counts of production of child pornography. He admitted sexually abusing two children in 2022 and sharing images of that abuse in a group devoted to child sexual abuse material on the social media application Kik. A detective with the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force spotted a posting by Meyrand in the Kik group in January 2023, sparking the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang pointed out in court that Meyrand’s criminal conduct happened about six months after he finished his state sentence for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl. In 2014, Meyrand was convicted in Bates County, Missouri of child molestation and endangering the welfare of a child. The FBI, the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month

component: USAO - Mississippi, Northern

body_text: OXFORD, MS – Last month the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi observed National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joined the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice. “This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.” “Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.” “During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers.” “Law enforcement must remain vigilant in combating human trafficking,” says Scott F. Leary, U.S. Attorney. “If we relax, for even a moment, our most vulnerable fall victim to the most abhorrent of crimes. Human exploitation can never be viewed as just another crime. It is unconscionable. We work for the citizens of the Northern District of Mississippi. I want them to know that, historically, we have had great success prosecuting human traffickers and that we will continue to root out and push for the harshest punishment for these perpetrators. Human trafficking will remain a top priority for this office.” Resources are available for trafficking victims and includes response by local, state, and Federal law enforcement. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, assistance is available 24/7 immediately from local law enforcement and through the National Human Trafficking Hotline. A confidential report can be made by visiting https://humantraffickinghotline.org/ , calling 1-888-373-7888, or sending a text to BeFree (233733). Though this a crime occurring globally, trafficking is present at the local level. The United States Attorney’s Office urges citizens in the Northern District of Mississippi to report suspected trafficking. In Mississippi, you can make a report to the statewide human trafficking coordinator by emailing ReportHT@dps.ms.gov or calling 601-987-1671. Any report involving a victim under 18 being trafficked must be reported to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services online at https://reportabuse.mdcps.ms.gov/ or by calling 1-800-222-8000. In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States. In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including: Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states. Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery. Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains. Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG. Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking. On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including: 1,041 Sinaloa members, 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members, 641 MS-13 members, 456 Tren de Aragua members, 1,067 weapons More than $3,250,000 in currency Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics


title: Permanent Resident of the United States Sentenced to Prison After Defrauding the Government through the Diversity Visa Lottery System

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who came to the United States in 2013 and claimed asylum was sentenced Friday for his involvement in a conspiracy to defraud the government. Joseph Longanga Okoko, age 69, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, received the prison term on January 30, 2026, after a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States. In June 2013, Okoko entered the United States on a visa and later applied for asylum. He then petitioned for several of his children, who were living in Congo, to join him in the United States. In his application, Okoko listed one of his children as unmarried. In a plea agreement, Okoko admitted that in May 2019 his child married Bienvenu Saido Binyangi prior to coming to the United States. Okoko never updated his petition to show that his child was married. Additionally, when filing out an application to adjust his status, Okoko falsely stated that he had never been charged with, committed, or convicted of a crime. However, on December 5, 2019, Okoko was convicted of disorderly conduct, fighting, or violent behavior, in Black Hawk County, Iowa. Okoko also admitted to assisting individuals in the Congo to illegally enter the United States. Okoko provided false information in immigration paperwork, and assisted diversity visa lottery winners in entering fake marriages so they could enter the United States illegally. Okoko also paid for people to enter the United States but then required repayment at a hundred to three hundred percent of his cost. Okoko was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Okoko was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment and fined $10,000. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Okoko was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on a date yet to be set. Medard Lotahe Elonge, Joseph Onolenga Okamba, and Bienvenu Saido Binyangi, who were charged in the same indictment and have also pled guilty to crimes in the indictment, have yet to be sentenced. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Cole and Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation. 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. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-CR-2052. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Illegal Alien Who Shot Rifle on Crowded Dallas Bridge on Jan. 1 Federally Charged with Unlawful Firearm Possession

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

body_text: A man who allegedly shot multiple rounds from an AR-style rifle on the Margaret McDermott Bridge on New Year’s Eve has been federally charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould. Jose Raul Alarcon Sanchez, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States, was charged by federal complaint yesterday. As alleged, just after midnight on January 1, 2026, Alarcon Sanchez and another man were on the Margaret McDermott Bridge amid numerous stopped cars and people at the time of the downtown Dallas firework presentations. While standing on the bridge, Alarcon Sanchez and the other individual took turns filming each other shooting black rifles over the bridge. The approximate location of the shooting is indicated by the red “x” in the map below: “This type of violent behavior wrought tremendous danger to countless lives on the bridge that night,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I applaud our law enforcement partners’ meticulous investigation and use of ballistic evidence to connect this individual to the violent crime he is alleged to have committed on New Year’s Eve.” “Firing a rifle from a crowded bridge in the middle of downtown Dallas posed a serious threat to public safety. Through close coordination with the Dallas Police Department and the use of NIBIN, investigators were able to connect critical ballistic evidence and advance this case. ATF will continue working with our partners to address violent crime and protect our communities,” said ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Brian W. Garner. According to the complaint, on January 5, 2026, Dallas Police Department officers recovered seventy-nine 5.56/.223 caliber and four 9-millimeter fired cartridge casings (FCCs) where Alarcon Sanchez and the other man were observed firing the rifles. They also recovered an additional sixteen 5.56/.223 caliber FCCs, eight 9-millimeter FCCs, and one .40 caliber FCC under the bridge. Court records show that Alarcon Sanchez was arrested on January 1, 2026, by Grand Prairie Police Department officers in response to a “shots fired” call to 911. Alarcon Sanchez had multiple 5.56/.233 live rounds in both of his front pockets. During a search of Alarcon Sanchez’s van, officers located additional 5.56/.223 FCCs, along with an AK-47 style rifle and magazines loaded with rounds of a different caliber than those recovered from the bridge in Dallas. During a later search of Alarcon Sanchez’s home on January 28, 2026, pursuant to a federal search warrant, court records show that ATF agents and Dallas Police task force officers located multiple firearms—including what is believed to be the firearm used on the bridge on New’s Year’s Eve—in a space between Alarcon Sanchez’s bed and his closet. As alleged in the complaint, the firearms recovered consisted of a .380 caliber pistol, a 9mm caliber pistol, and three 5.56 caliber AR-15 pistols. The investigation linked one of the recovered AR-15 pistols to the fired cartridge casings found at the Margaret McDermott Bridge. Agents also found Alarcon Sanchez’s Mexican passport in his room. Court records show that Alarcon Sanchez entered the United States in May 2025 on a temporary visitor visa that expired and that he did not request an extension. As alleged, Alarcon Sanchez decided to stay and live in the United States illegally rather than returning to Mexico. Investigators also located photographs posted on a social media account of Alarcon Sanchez, dated December 28, 2025, and January 1, 2026, showing a man holding two AR-style rifles, which, according to the complaint, are typically chambered in 5.56/.223 caliber and appear to be the same two firearms from the bridge on New Year’s Eve: An appearance date for Alarcon Sanchez in federal court has not yet been scheduled. ATF Dallas and the Dallas Police Department, assisted by the Grand Prairie Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh is prosecuting the case. complaint_-_alarcon_sanchez_1.pdf A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law .


title: PENSACOLA TAX PREPARERS FACE FEDERAL CHARGES FOR FRAUDULENT TAX RETURN SCHEME

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – D’ontrinique K. Johnson, formerly known as D’ontrinique K. Wilkerson, 30, and Tequilla D. Nairn, formerly known as Tequilla D. Robinson, 37, both of Pensacola, Florida, have been indicted in federal court for one count of conspiracy to aid or assist in preparation of false tax returns and to steal government money and three counts of filing false tax returns. Nairn has additionally been charged with one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of wire fraud. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. Johnson appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon for her arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Johnson faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy count and up to 3 years’ imprisonment for each count related to filing a false tax return. Nairn appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for her arraignment at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. If convicted, Nairn faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy count, up to 3 years’ imprisonment for each count related to filing a false tax return, a mandatory consecutive 2 years’ imprisonment for the aggravated identity theft count, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the wire fraud count. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Palestinian Immigrant Guilty Second Time in Murder for Hire Scheme

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Rocky Mount man on three counts of Interstate phone calls in a Murder-for-Hire scheme. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Nahro Sudoi INNAB, 70, attempted to arrange the murders of three people. He did all this after pleading guilty to the same conduct, while sitting in jail awaiting the start of his prison term. INNAB tried to pay other inmates $10,000 per head to murder these men. The intended victims were Rocky Mount small business owners. A cooperating defendant informed the FBI of the plot and captured an audio recording of INNAB’s murderous plan. “This Palestinian immigrant came here to take advantage of the American dream, but he has repeatedly tried to hire thugs to murder his perceived enemies,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will not tolerate this type of terror spreading behavior. He needs to learn his lesson and behave in a civilized manner.” "Even after being federally charged, arrested, and pleading guilty to a murder for hire plot, Nahro Innab continued his demented and dangerous plans. Thankfully, a coordinated law enforcement effort thwarted multiple murderous plots, and he will be safely behind prison bars for years to come," said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. INNAB faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each crime the federal jury convicted him of committing. W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III accepted the verdict. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Newby, Jr. is prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website . Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-CR-307-D-RN.


title: San Antonio Woman Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison and Over $955K Money Judgment for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Operation

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A San Antonio woman was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio on Thursday to 132 months in prison and ordered to pay a money judgment of $955,350 for conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. According to court documents, Erica Aracely Carmona, 36, was a member of an Alien Smuggling Organization that smuggled illegal aliens to San Antonio from the area around Eagle Pass. Carmona’s role included coordinating smuggling operations with co-conspirators in Mexico and directing other members of the conspiracy in regard to payments and driver coordination. On May 25, 2021, a driver with the ASO transported a trailer containing illegal aliens from a residence in Eagle Pass to San Antonio. When the trailer arrived, one of the aliens was near death, and died about one hour later. Co-conspirators dumped the deceased illegal alien into a ditch within a few miles of a Von Ormy property belonging to Carmona that was being used as a drop-off location. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office recovered the body along with the deceased alien’s ID card on May 30, 2021. ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) determined that Carmona had purchased the property in Von Ormy specifically for the purpose of alien smuggling with proceeds from the ASO’s operations. Following the arrest of co-conspirator Evan John Herrera, ICE HSI discovered WhatsApp communications pertaining to alien smuggling between Herrera and Carmona. The ASO smuggled more than 500 illegal aliens and generated over $4.7 million in proceeds between January 2021 and July 2022. Throughout their operation, the ASO used custom made “tow-behind” trailers to transport illegal aliens. The ASO had begun to use an 18-wheeler with a false compartment inside the tractor trailer that held up to 40 aliens but that trailer was interdicted by federal law enforcement on the first smuggling attempt. Carmona was arrested on Aug. 23, 2022, and pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2022. Herrera was sentenced on May 28, 2025, to 151 months in federal prison with credit for time served. Herrera was also ordered to pay a $955,350 money judgment. On May 1, 2025, co-defendant Miguel Angel Rivera was sentenced to 216 months with credit for time served. Additional co-defendants Pedro Luis Martinez-Jaquez and Jose Eduardo Rodriguez Moreno are scheduled to be sentenced in March. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case. “Alien smuggling organizations and Mexican cartels will always value profit over human lives, and illegal aliens are routinely placed in extremely dangerous situations during their journey, often resulting in death,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons. “In San Antonio, we’ve seen firsthand how dangerous it can be to transport humans in trailers of any kind, especially tractor trailers. While we mourn the life lost in this case, the amazing work done by federal law enforcement to shut down this criminal organization and their continued use of a tractor trailer no doubt saved lives in the long run.” “The loss of life in this case is a stark reminder that human smuggling is not just a crime—it is a deadly threat to our communities and those seeking a better future,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John A. Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “Carmona’s sentencing demonstrates that HSI and our partners will relentlessly pursue and dismantle criminal organizations that prioritize profit over human life. We will not tolerate those who exploit and endanger vulnerable individuals, and we will continue to bring the full weight of justice against anyone responsible for these events.” ICE HSI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner 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. ### U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas A “tow-behind” trailer used by the organization to smuggle illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to San Antonio. The trailers were custom made by Alien Smuggling Organization member, Evan John Herrera, to conceal the illegal aliens in route. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas Federal law enforcement interdicted an alien smuggling operation that used the “tow-behind” trailer. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas The exterior of the tractor-trailer that was to be used by the organization to smuggle illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to San Antonio. The trailer was custom built to hold as many as 40 illegal aliens, and it was retrofitted with air conditioning in the false trap compartment. The organization had graduated from the “tow-behind” trailers to 18-wheelers to transport the illegal aliens. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas The top of the trailer that was to be used by the organization to smuggle illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to San Antonio. U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas The interior of the false compartment that was to be used by the organization to smuggle illegal aliens from Eagle Pass to San Antonio.


title: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST REGISTERED SEX OFFENDER FOR ATTEMPTING TO ENTICE A MINOR FOR SEX IN PENSACOLA

component: USAO - Florida, Northern

body_text: PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – David A. Girard, 70, of Robertsdale, Alabama, has been indicted in federal court on charges of Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Traveling in Interstate Commerce to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges. The indictment also charges enhanced penalty provisions because Girard is a registered sexual offender based upon prior sex offense convictions in 2009. If convicted, Girard faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years’, and up to life, imprisonment. Girard is scheduled for trial before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, on March 2, 2026. The case is being jointly investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, US Customs and Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Florida Highway Patrol, and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Christopher C. Patterson. An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.projectsafechildhood.gov . The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl .


title: Baltimore County Softball Coach Indicted on Child Sex Crimes

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a Perry Hall, Maryland, softball coach in connection with child sexual abuse charges. Michael Joseph Pusateri, 59, of Nottingham, Maryland, is charged with producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), coercion and enticement, receipt of CSAM, and possession of CSAM. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger; and Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD). According to the indictment, between April 2025 and August 2025, Pusateri sent sexually explicit text messages to a minor victim, and later engaged in a physical sexual relationship with the child. Pusateri allegedly asked the minor victim to meet him at local-business parking lots to engage in sex acts. He groomed the minor victim through text messages and coerced and enticed the child into sending him sexual images. Pusateri also sent the minor victim several pictures of his genitals. When law enforcement seized his phone, BCPD uncovered over 400 phone calls between Pusateri and minor victim from March 21, 2025, through July 25. This case is 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 Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page. An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding. If convicted, Pusateri faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, with a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for CSAM production; 10 years to life for coercion and enticement; and up to 10 years for CSAM possession. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, and BCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Third Georgia State Representative charged with pandemic unemployment fraud

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Dexter L. Sharper, a member of the Georgia House of Representatives, was charged today with making false statements to fraudulently obtain thousands of dollars of emergency pandemic unemployment assistance payments. “While many of his constituents and fellow citizens were losing jobs and desperately needed unemployment assistance during the pandemic, Representative Sharper allegedly pretended to be out of work to collect a share of unemployment benefits for himself,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “When government officials lie to take money, and do it while holding an elected office, it violates the trust of citizens and weakens faith in our elected government.” “These charges point to some disgraceful conduct at the highest level, which should shock and repulse every citizen”, said Georgia State Inspector General Nigel Lange. “The alleged activities describe a disgusting abuse by an elected official who appeared to trade his integrity for money destined for those in need. Shameful.” “Dexter L. Sharper, while serving as an elected member of the Georgia House of Representatives, is alleged to have unlawfully enriched himself by improperly obtaining taxpayer funds from the unemployment insurance program intended to assist American workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “These charges reflect allegations, and the case will be resolved through the judicial process. We will continue our efforts to investigate and pursue accountability for those who are charged with defrauding taxpayers by exploiting Department of Labor programs.” “Nobody is above the law, including elected officials,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis. “Those who violate the public trust and steal from taxpayers to fill their own pockets will be held accountable.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In 2020, in response to the forced closures of businesses and unprecedented economic hardship resulting from the COVID-19 emergency, the U.S. Congress created special unemployment compensation programs to provide cash assistance to individuals who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Applicants had to provide a certification for every week for which they wished to claim benefits, attesting to whether they were actively seeking work for the week and the reason they were unemployed. Sharper, while serving as the Georgia State Representative for District 177, which includes portions of Lowndes County, allegedly applied for unemployment assistance benefits for April 2020 through May 2021. In his initial application, he stated that he had only one employer, Dexter Sharper Party Rental, which had employed him for 40 hours per week for over seven years, but had not worked since March 13, 2020. Then, in 38 separate weekly certifications, he stated that had not worked or earned any wages, was actively looking for work, and had not refused any work. Contrary to those claims, Sharper was allegedly working and earning money from at least two—and sometimes three—jobs each week. He received at least $325 every week from the Georgia General Assembly for his position as Georgia State Representative. Sharper’s party rental business was operating and generating income of up to $2,231 of income per week. And Sharper was also collecting up to an additional $275 per week for work as a musician. As a result of the allegedly false initial application and 38 subsequent certifications, Sharper collected a total of $13,825 of unemployment assistance benefits to which he was not entitled. Dexter L. Sharper, 54, of Valdosta, Georgia, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell G. Vineyard, on federal charges of making false statements to obtain funds administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. Members of the public are reminded that the criminal information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Two other Georgia State Representatives were previously charged with similar pandemic unemployment assistance fraud: Karen L. Bennett, Georgia State Representative for District 94 until she resigned on January 1, 2026, pleaded guilty on January 21, 2026, to federal charges of making false statements in connection with receiving $13,940 of pandemic unemployment benefits. Sharon Henderson, Georgia State Representative for District 113, was federally indicted on December 2, 2025, for theft of government funds and making false statements in connection with receiving $17,811 of pandemic unemployment benefits. This case is being investigated by the Georgia Office of the State Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .


title: U.S. Law Enforcement Assists Bulgarian Law Enforcement in Taking Down Three of the Largest Piracy Sites in The European Union

component: Criminal Division

body_text: The U.S. government executed seizure warrants against three U.S.-registered internet domains of commercial websites allegedly engaged in the illegal distribution of copyrighted works. The coordinated law enforcement operation targeted online services that provided illegal copies of copyrighted works—many belonging to U.S. companies and individuals—including movies, television shows, video games, software, e-books, and other content. According to the affidavits in support of the seizure warrants, the three domains receive tens of millions of visits a year, offer thousands of infringed works, and result in millions of downloads of those works, the retail value totaling millions of dollars. The three domains are among the most popular in Bulgaria—one is often ranked as one of the top 10 most visited domains in Bulgaria —and, given the huge internet traffic they receive every day, seem to make considerable money from advertisements. The seized domains are in the custody of the United States government. Visitors to the sites will now find a seizure banner that notifies them that federal authorities have seized the domain names and that informs them that willful copyright infringement is a crime. The domain are zamunda.net , arenabg.com and zelka.org . The Justice Department is grateful for its Bulgarian partners at the National Investigative Service, the Ministry of the Interior’s General Directorate Combating Organized Crime, the State Agency for National Security, and the Prosecutor’s Office, and its domestic partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi, the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) New Orleans Field Office, and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR Center). The Justice Department also acknowledges the critical role of Europol, the HSI Athens office, and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Sofia office in coordinating efforts and providing technical assistance. The Justice Department is providing intellectual property and cybercrime technical assistance to foreign law enforcement, prosecutorial, and judicial partners in other countries, including Bulgaria, through the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program. Learn more about the Criminal Division’s ICHIP Program, jointly administered by the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) and the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section through partnership between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, here . The IPR Center is one of the U.S. government’s key weapons in the fight against criminal counterfeiting and piracy. The IPR Center uses the expertise of its member agencies to share information, develop initiatives, and coordinate enforcement actions and conduct investigations related to IP theft. Through this strategic interagency partnership, the IPR Center protects the public’s health and safety, the U.S. economy and the war fighters. To report IP theft or to learn more about the IPR Center, visit www.IPRCenter.gov . Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of the HSI New Orleans Field Office made the announcement. HSI is investigating the matter. Senior Counsel Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Meyers for the Southern District of Mississippi are handling the case. The ICHIP based in Bucharest, Romania provided significant assistance.


title: Former TD Bank Employee Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes,  Laundering $5.5 Million to Colombia

body_text: A Florida man pleaded guilty Wednesday to accepting bribes and facilitating the laundering of more than $5.5 million to Colombia while employed by TD Bank, N.A. According to court filings, Leonardo Ayala, 25, of Homestead, Florida, accepted bribes and exploited his position as a bank employee to help launder drug money to Colombia. From June to Nov. 2023, Ayala opened fraudulent accounts, issued over 150 debit cards to shell companies, and unblocked debit cards that TD Bank had restricted due to questionable activity. The bank accounts and debit cards were then used to make more than 12,000 ATM withdrawals in Colombia, funneling approximately $5.5 million out of the United States. In exchange, Ayala received more than $6,000 in bribes paid in cash and through a peer-to-peer digital payment network. Ayala pleaded guilty to a two-count information charging him with conspiring to launder monetary instruments and receipt of bribes by a bank employee. The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of receipt of bribes by a bank employee carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. Ayala’s sentencing has been set for June 11. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey made the announcement. The DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and FDIC-OIG are investigating the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation. Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case. The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.


title: New York Man Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Federal Fraud Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Xavier Booker, 38, of New York City, pleaded guilty on Thursday, January 29, 2026, to aiding and abetting a false statement on a loan and credit application and was sentenced to time served. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 27, 2024, Booker presented a false North Carolina driver’s license at a federal credit union in Parkersburg in an attempt to obtain proceeds from a loan fraudulently applied for in the name appearing on the false driver’s license. United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Parkersburg Police Department and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Fusion Center. United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer D. Gordon prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-95. ###


title: District Court Judges Appoint Zachary Keller as U.S. Attorney

component: USAO - Louisiana, Western

body_text: LAFAYETTE– On January 27, 2026, Zachary A. Keller was re-sworn as the United States Attorney of the Western District of Louisiana (WDLA) by Chief Judge Terry A. Doughty after the district court judges for WDLA voted for him to continue in the United States Attorney role that he assumed in September 2025. “Since beginning my service in September, I’ve woken up every morning with the mindset that serving Louisiana as United States Attorney is the most important and impactful public service I’ll ever perform,” said U.S. Attorney Keller. “I thank the WDLA district court judges for honoring me with the ability to continue serving my home community and helping to make it safe as U.S. Attorney.” Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed Mr. Keller as interim U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana on September 29, 2025. Pursuant to the Vacancy Reform Act, the Attorney General may appoint a U.S. Attorney to serve on an interim basis for up to 120 days. After the allotted 120 days, the district court appoints a U.S. Attorney to serve until the confirmation of a presidentially appointed successor. As U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keller oversees the investigation and litigation of all criminal and civil cases brought on behalf of the United States in the Western District of Louisiana. The Western District encompasses 42 of Louisiana’s 64 parishes and approximately two-thirds of the state’s landmass. A West Monroe native, Mr. Keller graduated from George Welch Elementary, West Monroe Middle School, and West Monroe High School before attending Louisiana State University and Yale Law School. After law school, Mr. Keller began his career at Jones Day’s Dallas office before beginning his work in public service in 2016. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Mr. Keller served as a Deputy Chief and Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator in the Major Crimes section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, where he also served in the Civil, Appellate, and Criminal divisions and prosecuted crimes that ranged from manslaughter and carjacking to money laundering and child exploitation. ### CONTACT: Public Affairs Western District of Louisiana USALAW-News@usdoj.gov www.justice.gov/usao-wdla Twitter @USAO_WDLA


title: Department of Justice Publishes 3.5 Million Responsive Pages in Compliance with the Epstein Files Transparency Act

component: Office of the Deputy Attorney General

body_text: WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today published over 3 million additional pages responsive to the Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was signed into law by President Trump on November 19, 2025. More than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images are included in today’s additional publication. Combined with prior releases, this makes the total production nearly 3.5 million pages released in compliance with the Act. These files were collected from five primary sources including the Florida and New York cases against Epstein, the New York case against Maxwell, the New York cases investigating Epstein’s death, the Florida case investigating a former butler of Epstein, Multiple FBI investigations, and the Office of Inspector General investigation into Epstein’s death. The Department erred on the side of over-collecting materials, and any materials not produced fall within one of the following categories: Duplicate documents between SDNY and SDFL investigations. Withheld under privilege - deliberative process privilege, attorney client privilege. Withheld based upon exceptions under the act (depictions of violence); Items that are not part of the case file for Epstein or Maxwell and were completely unrelated to these cases. More than 500 attorneys and reviewers from the Department contributed to this effort. In addition, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (USAO-SDNY) employed an additional review protocol to ensure compliance with a Court order requiring United States Attorney Jay Clayton to certify that no victim identifying information would be produced unredacted as part of the public production. Through the process, the Department provided clear instructions to reviewers that the redactions were to be limited to the protection of victims and their families. Some pornographic images, whether commercial or not, were redacted, given the Department treated all women in those images as victims. Notable individuals and politicians were not redacted in the release of any files. This production may include fake or falsely submitted images, documents or videos, as everything that was sent to the FBI by the public was included in the production that is responsive to the Act. Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false, and if they have a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already. To access the full letter the Justice Department sent to Congress today, visit: https://www.justice.gov/letter-to-congress.pdf To access all files produced, visit: https://www.justice.gov/epstein


title: Sitting Judge and Three Others Charged with Scheme to Steal Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars from Vulnerable and Incapacitated Wards

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT - Four Detroit-area residents, including a sitting judge and a local attorney, were charged for their roles in a years-long scheme to embezzle money from incapacitated individuals, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced today. Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Field Office, and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Detroit Field Office. Nancy Williams, 59, Avery Bradley, 72, Andrea Bradley-Baskin, 46, and Dwight Rashad, 69, all Detroit residents, were charged via indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The indictment also charges Bradley with one count of wire fraud, Bradley, Bradley-Baskin, and Rashad with several counts of money laundering, and Bradley-Baskin with a single count of making a false statement to federal law enforcement agent. According to the indictment, probate courts regularly appoint guardians and conservators to manage the personal and financial affairs of adults, known as wards, who have been found by the court to lack the capacity to do so themselves. Guardians and conservators are fiduciaries who are obligated to act in the best interests of their wards. The indictment alleges that Nancy Williams owned Guardian and Associates, an agency that was appointed as a fiduciary by the Wayne County Probate Court for incapacitated wards in over 1,000 cases. Avery Bradley is an attorney, who, along with his daughter (and fellow attorney) Andrea Bradley-Baskin, operated a law firm that often represented Guardian and Associates in Wayne County Probate Court and otherwise practiced regularly in that court. Bradley-Baskin is currently a district judge on Michigan’s 36 th District Court. Dwight Rashad operated a series of group homes and residential facilities for elderly individuals, including wards, who needed support and care. The indictment alleges that the four defendants conspired to systematically embezzle funds from wards, and to obtain and retain money for themselves that rightly belonged to the wards and the wards’estates. The indictment sets forth numerous examples of the co-conspirators working together to misappropriate money belonging to wards. In one instance, Bradley-Baskin is alleged to have used $70,000 in a ward’s funds to purchase an ownership stake in a local bar. In another, Bradley, Williams, and Rashad are alleged to have taken for themselves some $203,000 in funds from a ward’s legal settlement, with none of the money being used to benefit the ward. Williams is alleged to have paid Rashad rent for wards who did not live in one of Rashad’s homes. Bradley-Baskin, in yet another case, is alleged to have used money embezzled from the estate of a ward to pay a two-year lease on a new Ford Expedition for herself. “We respect the authority that covers a black robe. This state judge and her cronies allegedly abused that high honor for personal gain by preying on the needy protected by the court. This would be a grievous abuse of our public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “Regardless of a person’s position in society, no one is above the law. These four defendants allegedly conspired to steal from some of our most vulnerable citizens — looting bank accounts, exploiting legal authority, and profiting off those who relied on them for care and protection," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "Let me be clear: if you prey on the vulnerable, we will find you and bring you to justice. Finally, I want to recognize our FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, alongside our partners at the IRS Criminal Investigations Detroit Field Office, for their dedicated work on behalf of these victims, as well as the Wayne County Probate Court for bringing this matter to our attention and assisting the investigation." “No matter who you are, or what your position is, it is entirely unacceptable to help yourself to money that is not yours. What makes these allegations so disturbing is that the victims are part of very vulnerable population and trusted the accused to act in their best interest,” said Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect the financial well-being of the vulnerable and root out those who threaten their security.” If you have information concerning a ward of Guardian & Associates or Tri-State Guardian Services, please visit the FBI website at — Seeking Information Concerning Wards of Guardian & Associates and Tri-State Guardian Services An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert A. Moran and John Neal.


title: Upton man sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment for planting a destructive device

body_text: On Jan. 27, U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson sentenced an Upton man to 30 months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release for possessing a destructive device. The court also imposed a $300 fine. David Riggle, 40, of Upton, Wyoming, was arrested on April 28, 2025, for allegedly planting a destructive device inside a storage trailer on a drilling company’s property in Weston County. The device was discovered on Nov. 30, 2024, after a worker noticed the smell of propane emanating from the trailer. Inside, authorities found a battery-powered device with wires, a timer, and a fuse placed next to an open 100-pound propane tank, releasing gas. Investigators believe the timer was intended to delay ignition so the suspect could escape. The device ultimately failed to ignite but law enforcement said it was otherwise capable of causing serious harm. Footprints at the scene led investigator in the direction of Riggle’s home approximately two-thirds of a mile away. A federal search warrant executed at Riggle’s home on Dec. 11, 2024, uncovered footprints matching those at the scene, along with a 6-volt battery matching the battery connected to the device, safety fuse, wires, and soldering tools consistent with components used in the device. “This was not a harmless or symbolic act. The defendant placed a functioning propane-based explosive inside a work trailer, putting employees, nearby residents, and an entire community at risk of serious injury or death. While the device failed to ignite, the fear and disruption it caused were real—employees were afraid to return to work, business operations were delayed, and a sense of safety in Upton was shaken. The law does not measure harm only by what detonates, but by the danger created and the lives put in jeopardy,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. Riggle waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2025. Weston County Sheriff’s Office, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigate the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Case No. 25-CR-00149


title: Florissant Man Sentenced to 170 Months on Child Pornography Charge

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Thursday sentenced a man caught with child sexual abuse material, including material that he had produced or solicited, to 170 months in prison. Patrick Neistat, 24, of Florissant, Missouri, pleaded guilty in October to one count of receipt of child pornography. He admitted possessing images and videos containing child sexual abuse material on multiple cellular phones. The investigation began on Sept. 8, 2022, when St. Louis County Police Department detectives received an exigent Cyber Tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicating that the user of a Skout social media account had uploaded multiple images depicting the sexual abuse of a minor. Detectives traced the account to Neistat’s home. Neistat initially denied having a cellular phone. Detectives learned that he did, and seized the phone. Neistat had 123 images and 4 videos of child pornography on one phone, as well as 187 images and 18 videos of “age difficult” pornography and 634 CGI/animated images depicting children in sexual acts, his plea agreement says. He also had videos of himself touching a 5-year-old. On a second phone, investigators found 12 images containing CSAM as well as sexually explicit conversations and explicit photos that Neistat had received from a 12-year-old girl and an apparent 14-year-old girl. The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who 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 .


title: Former Google Engineer Found Guilty of Economic Espionage and Theft of Confidential AI Technology

component: National Security Division (NSD)

body_text: Yesterday, a federal jury in San Francisco convicted former Google software engineer Linwei Ding, also known as Leon Ding, 38, on seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets for stealing thousands of pages of confidential information containing Google’s trade secrets related to artificial intelligence technology for the benefit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The jury’s verdict follows an 11-day trial before U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria for the Northern District of California. “This conviction exposes a calculated breach of trust involving some of the most advanced AI technology in the world at a critical moment in AI development,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Ding abused his privileged access to steal AI trade secrets while pursuing PRC government-aligned ventures. His duplicity put U.S. technological leadership and competitiveness at risk. I commend the trial team and investigators whose exceptional work resulted in this conviction.” “In today’s high-stakes race to dominate the field of artificial intelligence, Linwei Ding betrayed both the U.S. and his employer by stealing trade secrets about Google’s AI technology on behalf of China’s government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Not only does this case mark the first-ever conviction on AI-related economic espionage charges, but it also demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering dedication to protecting American businesses from the increasingly severe threat China poses to our economic and national security. We remain committed to working closely with our partners across the private sector to protect our nation’s innovation, safeguard our trade secrets, and hold our foreign adversaries accountable.” “Silicon Valley is at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, pioneering transformative work that drives economic growth and strengthens our national security. The jury delivered a clear message today that the theft of this valuable technology will not go unpunished. We will vigorously protect American intellectual capital from foreign interests that seek to gain an unfair competitive advantage while putting our national security at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California. “This conviction reinforces the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting American innovation and national security. The theft and misuse of advanced artificial intelligence technology for the benefit of the People’s Republic of China threatens our technological edge and economic competitiveness,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani for the San Francisco Field Office. “The FBI San Francisco division serves Silicon Valley and the companies who lead the world in innovation, and we are committed to safeguarding their work. This case demonstrates the strength of collaboration between the FBI and the private sector, including leading companies like Google, whose partnership is critical to protecting sensitive U.S. technology. Today’s verdict affirms that federal law will be enforced to protect our nation’s most valuable technologies and hold those who steal them accountable.” Ding was originally indicted in March 2024. A superseding indictment returned in February 2025 described seven categories of trade secrets stolen by Ding and charged Ding with seven counts of economic espionage and seven counts of theft of trade secrets. According to the evidence presented at trial, between approximately May 2022 and April 2023, while a Google employee, Ding stole more than two thousand pages of confidential information containing Google’s AI trade secrets from Google’s network and uploaded them to his personal Google Cloud account. Ding also secretly affiliated himself with two PRC-based technology companies while he was employed by Google: around June 2022, Ding was in discussions to be the Chief Technology Officer for an early-stage technology company based in the PRC; by early 2023, Ding was in the process of founding his own technology company in the PRC focused on AI and machine learning and was acting as the company’s CEO. In multiple statements to potential investors, Ding claimed that he could build an AI supercomputer by copying and modifying Google’s technology. In December 2023, less than two weeks before he resigned from Google, Ding downloaded the stolen Google trade secrets to his own personal computer. The jury found that Ding stole trade secrets relating to the hardware infrastructure and software platforms that allow Google’s supercomputing data center to train and serve large AI models. The trade secrets contained detailed information about the architecture and functionality of Google’s custom Tensor Processing Unit chips and systems and Google’s Graphics Processing Unit systems, the software that allows the chips to communicate and execute tasks, and the software that orchestrates thousands of chips into a supercomputer capable of training and executing cutting-edge AI workloads. The trade secrets also pertained to Google’s custom-designed SmartNIC, a type of network interface card used to facilitate high speed communication within Google’s AI supercomputers and cloud networking products. In presentations to investors, Ding called out the PRC’s national policies prioritizing AI development and innovation in the PRC, and in late 2023 Ding applied for a government sponsored “talent plan” in Shanghai, PRC. The jury heard evidence pertaining to the PRC government’s establishment of talent plans to encourage individuals to come to China to contribute to the PRC’s economic and technological growth. Ding’s application for this talent plan stated that he planned to “help China to have computing power infrastructure capabilities that are on par with the international level.” The evidence at trial also showed that Ding intended to benefit two entities controlled by the government of China by assisting with the development of an AI supercomputer and collaborating on the research and development of custom machine learning chips. Ding is next scheduled to appear at a status conference on Feb. 3, 2026. Ding faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for each count of theft of trade secrets in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1832 and 15 years in prison for each count of economic espionage in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1831. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the Court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553. Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Northern District of California Casey Boome, Molly K. Priedeman, and Roland Chang are prosecuting this case, with assistance from Veronica Hernandez and Trial Attorney Yifei Zheng from the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, National Security Division. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.


title: Indian national convicted at trial for sexual assault during an airline flight

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted an Indian national yesterday on charges of abusive sexual contact and assault onboard a flight. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 29, 2024, during final approach on a flight from Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, a passenger awoke to find Varun Arora, 38, sexually groping her. Arora, who was wearing a sleep mask, feigned sleep as he continued to place his hand on the victim despite her repeatedly removing his hand. Arora is present in the United States without lawful status. He faces up to two years in prison when sentenced on May 7. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Madison Mumma and Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-288.


title: Fort Dodge Man to Federal Prison for Meth Conspiracy

body_text: Aaron StandsAndLooksBack, a/k/a Aaron Woodman, 42, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced on January 29, 2026, to 300 months’ imprisonment. StandsAndLooksBack pled guilty June 4, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between December 2020 and December 2023, StandsAndLooksBack and others conspired to distribute at least 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that StandsAndLooksBack obtained methamphetamine, by buying or stealing it from sources to distribute to others. StandsAndLooksBack specifically admitted that he stole sizable amounts of methamphetamine from his mother, who was also sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine trafficking, then re-distributed the methamphetamine to others in the Fort Dodge, Iowa area. Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. StandsAndLooksBack was sentenced to 300 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. StandsAndLooksBack remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Fort Dodge Iowa Police Department, Webster County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 24-3053. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.


title: Senior Official at United States African Development Foundation Agrees to Plead Guilty to Accepting Gratuities and Making False Statement

body_text: The Director of Financial Management of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) was charged today by criminal information and has agreed to plead guilty to accepting gratuities from a USADF contractor and then lying to federal law enforcement officers about those payments. “Mathieu Zahui is charged with accepting payments from a government contractor and then abusing his position by directing USADF funds to that contractor for little-to-no work,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Corruption by senior officials representing the United States cheats American taxpayers and rigs the system against honest work. This plea agreement demonstrates the Criminal Division’s pursuit of bad actors who engage in waste and abuse in government contracting.” “The USADF Director of Financial Management’s fraudulent acts betrayed the trust of the American people,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean M. Bottary of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG). “As the Inspector General with continued oversight jurisdiction over U.S.-funded foreign assistance, we will utilize our global investigative reach to aggressively detect and disrupt those who defraud taxpayer dollars programmed overseas.” According to court documents, Mathieu Zahui, 59, of Fairfax, Virginia, who referred to himself as the “CFO” of USADF, arranged for USADF to pay USADF vendors and contractors through a Kenya-based company, Company-1. Company-1 was owned by a government contractor (CC-1), whom Zahui had known for over 20 years. Between June 2020 and December 2023, Zahui arranged for Company-1 to act as a pass-through for USADF’s payments to certain vendors, rather than have USADF pay the vendors directly. For example, when USADF needed to pay a past-due debt to a staffing vendor, Zahui directed the vendor to invoice Company-1 instead of USADF. Company-1 then invoiced USADF for the vendor’s past-due amount, but added a mark-up of over $20,000 to the amount owed. Zahui approved Company-1’s invoice even though he knew that Company-1 had provided no services related to the vendor’s work. Zahui approved pass-through invoices for Company-1 that included mark-ups ranging from 17% to 66% above the amounts owed to the vendors, even when Company-1 did no work justifying the mark-up. In total, Company-1 submitted more than 20 pass-through invoices to USADF, for which Zahui caused USADF to pay at least $617,625.49 to Company-1. Of this total amount paid, Company-1 retained $134,886.34 as a mark-up. In connection with this pass-through contracting and invoicing by Company-1, as well as other official acts to benefit Company-1, Zahui accepted $12,000 in cash payments directly from CC-1. Zahui and CC-1 did not disclose this conduct to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which oversaw and authorized USADF’s payments to external parties. With Zahui’s involvement, CC-1 falsely stated on Company-1’s invoices that Company-1 had provided “logistical support” to USADF when, in fact, it had nothing to do with logistical support. For example, in late 2020, USADF owed a membership fee of $50,000 to a professional networking organization serving the African diaspora. Instead of having USADF pay its membership fee directly, Zahui directed CC-1 to have Company-1 submit an invoice to USADF that included the membership fee so that Company-1 could act as a pass-through for the $50,000 payment to that organization. The invoice submitted claimed that Company-1 provided “logistical assistance support for ADF” and included a mark-up of $9,900.08. When interviewed by federal law enforcement agents in 2024, Zahui was asked about his relationship with CC-1 and falsely stated that he had never received any benefits from CC-1 when, in fact, he had received $12,000 in cash payments from CC-1. Zahui agreed to plead guilty to one count of accepting gratuities from CC-1 and one count of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for the gratuities charge and five years in prison for the false statement charge. His plea hearing will be scheduled by a federal district court judge. The judge will thereafter determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. USAID-OIG is investigating the case. Assistant Chief Kyle Hankey of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sungtae Kang for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.


title: Senior Official at U.S. African Development Foundation to Plead To Accepting Gratuities from Kenyan Contractor

body_text: WASHINGTON – Mathieu G. Zahui, 59, the Director of Financial Management for the United States African Development Foundation was charged today by criminal Information for accepting gratuities from a USADF contractor and then lying to federal law enforcement officers about those payments, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. Zahui, of Fairfax, Virginia, agreed to plead guilty to one count of accepting gratuities from the contractor and to one count of making a false statement to a federal law enforcement officer. He faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison for the gratuities charge and five years in prison for the false statement charge. His plea hearing will be scheduled by a federal district court judge. The judge will thereafter determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. “President Trump has made it clear that he will put an end to the fraud, waste and abuse that was commonplace throughout these agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “There will be serious consequences whenever corruption is unearthed, whether at the U.S. African Development Foundation or any other foundation.” “Mathieu Zahui is charged with accepting payments from a government contractor and then abusing his position by directing USADF funds to that contractor for little-to-no work,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Corruption by senior officials representing the United States cheats American taxpayers and rigs the system against honest work. This plea agreement demonstrates the Criminal Division’s pursuit of bad actors who engage in waste and abuse in government contracting.” “The USADF Director of Financial Management’s fraudulent acts betrayed the trust of the American people,” said Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean M. Bottary of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General. “As the Inspector General with continued oversight jurisdiction over U.S.-funded foreign assistance, we will utilize our global investigative reach to aggressively detect and disrupt those who defraud taxpayer dollars programmed overseas.” According to court documents, Zahui arranged for United States African Development Foundation (USADF) to pay the foundation’s vendors and contractors through a Kenya-based company, Company-1. Company-1 was owned by a government contractor, CC-1, whom Zahui had known for over 20 years. Between June 2020 and December 2023, Zahui arranged for Company-1 to act as a pass-through for USADF’s payments to these vendors, rather than have USADF pay the vendors directly. Zahui approved pass-through invoices for Company-1 that included mark-ups ranging from 17% to 66% above the amounts owed to the vendors, even when Company-1 did no work justifying the mark-up. For example, when USADF needed to pay a past-due debt to a staffing vendor, Zahui directed the vendor to invoice Company-1 instead of USADF. Company-1 then invoiced USADF for the vendor’s past-due amount, but added a mark-up of over $20,000 to the amount owed. Zahui approved Company-1’s invoice even though he knew that Company-1 had provided no services related to the vendor’s work. In total, Company-1 submitted more than 20 pass-through invoices to USADF, for which Zahui caused USADF to pay at least $617,625.49 to Company-1. Of this total amount paid Company-1 retained $134.886.34 as a mark-up. In connection with this pass-through contracting and invoicing by Company-1, as well as other official acts to benefit Company-1, Zahui accepted $12,000 in cash payments directly from CC-1. Zahui and CC-1 did not disclose this conduct to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, which oversaw and authorized USADF’s payments to external parties. With Zahui’s involvement, CC-1 falsely stated on Company-1’s invoices that Company-1 had provided “logistical support” to USADF when, in fact, it had nothing to do with logistical support. For example, in late 2020, USADF owed a membership fee of $50,000 to a professional networking organization serving the African diaspora. Instead of having USADF pay its membership fee directly, Zahui directed CC-1 to have Company-1 submit an invoice to USADF that included the membership fee so that Company-1 could act as a pass-through for the $50,000 payment to that organization. The invoice submitted claimed that Company-1 provided “logistical assistance support for ADF” and included a mark-up of $9,900.08. When interviewed by federal law enforcement agents in 2024, Zahui was asked about his relationship with CC-1 and falsely stated that he had never received any benefits from CC-1 when, in fact, he had received $12,000 in cash payments from CC-1. The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG) is investigating the case. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sungtae Kang for the District of Columbia and Assistant Chief Kyle Hankey of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section. ###


title: Guatemalan National Charged with Illegally Reentering U.S.

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced MARIO RAMIRO ARAGON-RUANO, also known as Mario Ramiro Aragon and Jose Juana-Zapata, 38, a citizen of Guatemala, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with illegally reentering the United States after being deported. As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in August 2006, Aragon-Ruano, using the name Jose Juana-Zapata, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona. He was deported to Guatemala later that month and warned that he could not return to the U.S. for a period of five years. He subsequently reentered the U.S. and was arrested in 2007. In August 2008, Aragon-Ruano was convicted, under the name Mario Ramiro Aragon, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on a federal charge of murder for hire, and was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment . In September 2013, he was again deported to Guatemala. In July 2019, U.S. Border Patrol encountered Aragon-Ruano in Arizona. In January 2020, he was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported and he was sentenced to 13 months and one day of imprisonment. He was deported to Guatemala a third time in July 2020. Aragon-Ruano subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. On January 10, 2026, he was arrested by Waterbury Police and charged with criminal trespass in the first degree and breach of peace in the second degree. After Aragon-Ruano was released on bond on those state charges, he was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on January 12, 2026, in Waterbury. Aragon-Ruano appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and was ordered detained. If convicted of the charge of unlawful reentry, Aragon-Ruano faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel. 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.


title: Kansas bookkeeper indicted for failing to pay payroll taxes for clients

component: USAO - Kansas

body_text: WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas business owner with allegedly defrauding her clients by failing to make tax payments estimated at over $1.5 million. According to court documents, Nicole Clem, 42, of Augusta was indicted on 19 counts of wire fraud, seven counts of money laundering, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and 21 counts of failure to pay employment taxes. Clem, as owner of a business named Bookkeeping N Beyond, is tasked with collecting funds from her clients to pay their employee payroll taxes to the federal government and state government. From November 2017 to June 2024, Clem is accused of either making no tax payments or partial tax payments on behalf of her clients and allegedly using the money for her own personal use. IRS – Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Canadian National Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Over 100 Children Online

body_text: A Canadian national pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after admitting he sexually exploited over 100 children by creating an online persona and targeting them on social media. Ramanan Pathmanathan, 40, of Toronto, Canada, pleaded guilty to the production of child pornography and to coercion and enticement of a minor. Pathmanathan was arrested on Dec. 3, 2025, after being temporarily surrendered to the United States, where he has remained incarcerated pending trial. “Today’s guilty plea marks a critical step toward justice for over 100 targeted victims in the United States who this predator harmed with his diabolical actions,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “For years, while hiding in another country behind a fabricated online persona, he used manipulation, threats, and fear to coerce unsuspecting juveniles into producing and engaging in sexually explicit acts, robbing them of their innocence. We will hold accountable anyone who preys on our children, including those who do it from behind a computer screen to ensure that victims are protected and treated with the dignity they deserve.” As part of this plea agreement, Pathmanathan admitted that for seven years, up until the day of his arrest in Canada, Pathmanathan sexually exploited over 100 minor females. Pathmanathan posed as an American teenage boy while communicating with the minor victims over popular social media platforms. The victims ranged in ages from 11 to 17-years-old and were located all over the United States. While video chatting with the minor victims, Pathmanathan persuaded and coerced the children to engage in sexually explicit acts and, without their knowledge or consent, Pathmanathan screen recorded the minors while engaged in such behavior — collecting the videos of his abuse. When the children refused to engage in further sexually explicit conduct, Pathmanathan then further exploited them by threatening to distribute the recorded videos to their families and friends. On Oct. 27, 2022, Pathmanathan pleaded guilty to similar offenses in Canada, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison under Canadian law. For these charges, Pathmanathan faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison, in addition to fines and a period of supervised release. He will also pay restitution consisting of no less than $3,000 per victim. Pathmanathan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27. The FBI Houston Field office investigated the case. The Justice Department is grateful to the Toronto Police Service for their invaluable assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division secured the temporary surrender of Pathmanathan from Canada. Trial Attorney Kaylynn Foulon of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Justice Department Requires Reddy Ice to Divest Assets to Proceed with Proposed Acquisition of Arctic Glacier

component: Antitrust Division

body_text: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division announced today that it will require Stone Canyon Industries Holdings LP (owner of Reddy Ice) and Chill Parent Holdco LP (owner of Arctic Glacier) to divest assets in California, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Washington to resolve antitrust concerns arising from Reddy Ice’s proposed more-than $126 million acquisition of Arctic Glacier. The proposed divestitures preserve competition for packaged ice sold to retail chains, airlines, and airline caterers in these states. The Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed transaction. At the same time, the Division filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the competitive harm alleged in the lawsuit. “The Antitrust Division is committed to enforcing the antitrust laws in markets that impact American consumers and businesses,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This transaction, as originally proposed, would have led to higher prices and lower service quality on packaged ice, a staple Americans enjoy everywhere from backyard cookouts to cross-country flights. Today’s settlement will maintain competition for the sale of packaged ice to the benefit of American consumers.” As detailed in the complaint, Reddy Ice and Arctic Glacier are the largest suppliers of packaged ice sold to retail chains in Oregon, Washington, and Imperial and Riverside counties in southern California. They are also the largest suppliers of packaged ice sold to airlines and airline caterers in the Boston and New York City metropolitan areas. The proposed settlement resolves anticompetitive concerns in these geographies where the parties currently compete, either directly via their facilities or via co-packers that manufacture and deliver ice to the parties’ customers on their behalf. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, the parties must divest (1) Reddy Ice’s manufacturing and distribution facilities and customer relationships and contracts, along with other assets, in Imperial and Riverside counties in southern California and in Washington; and (2) divest customer relationships and contracts, along with other assets, in Oregon and in the Boston and New York City metropolitan areas. The parties must also provide advance notification for certain future transactions and allow a monitor to supervise the parties’ divestiture of the assets and compliance with the consent decree. Reddy Ice is the largest producer of packaged ice in the United States with annual revenues of approximately $511 million. The company sells packaged ice in 37 states and the District of Columbia. Arctic Glacier is the third largest producer of packaged ice in the United States with annual revenues of approximately $306 million. It sells packaged ice in 19 states. As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register . Any person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Jill Maguire, Acting Chief, Healthcare and Consumer Products Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 4100, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest. Note: View the Proposed Final Judgement here and the Complaint here .