title: Significant Case Activities During Shutdown

body_text: U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announces actions taken during the recent lapse in appropriations when public affairs functions at the U.S. Attorney’s Office were significantly curtailed. This press release contains just a few examples of indictments, trial verdicts, and sentences that took place from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, 2025. “I extend my gratitude to the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office who have remained on duty throughout this government shutdown,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Many employees continued the unseen daily work that protects our communities. And those who were not permitted to work eagerly sought a return to service. Their steadfast commitment under challenging conditions exemplifies true public service.” Sentences Dakota Jeremiah Pevino, aka Dakota Jeremiah Viggiano, 37, of Sacramento, was sentenced on Oct. 21, to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child. In 2022, Pevino took explicit photographs of a minor and distributed them along with video recordings of child sexual abuse. Pevino pleaded guilty on Aug. 20, 2024. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Druv Sharma and Kevin Khasigian prosecuted the case. The FBI is still seeking to identify potential victims of Pevino. Anyone with relevant information is asked to email the FBI at Pevinovictims@fbi.gov . Andrew Michael Alonso, 36, of Fresno, was sentenced on Oct. 27, to 35 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and committing a felony offense involving a minor while being a registered sex offender , in addition to being on California parole supervision with GPS location monitoring. In 2021, Alonso repeatedly asked a 13-year-old victim to create and send to him images of the victim engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Gappa prosecuted the case. On Nov. 10, Jamaine Barnes, 43, of Stockton, was sentenced to 31 years in prison for running a continuing criminal enterprise and related drug trafficking, firearms, and international money laundering offenses. Barnes was the lead defendant of a large organization who for years brought in fentanyl and other opioids from China, pressed them into counterfeit prescription pills, and sold them throughout Stockton, Sacramento, and elsewhere. He also made and sold meth-laced pills made to look like ecstasy pills. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Spencer prosecuted the case. Trial Verdicts On Oct. 15, a jury found Ranvir Singh, 42, of Sacramento, guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and ketamine and one count of distribution of cocaine. According to court documents, in April 2021, Singh and two others were indicted for their involvement in a drug trafficking organization based in Sacramento and extending to the greater Toronto Area in Canada. Between October 2020 and March 2021, they arranged multiple kilogram-level drug deals with a Canadian undercover officer, both in Canada and California, using encrypted applications on their cellphones. Singh faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Spencer and Haddy Abouzeid are prosecuting the case. On Oct. 30, a jury found Christopher Guilford, 54, formerly of Sacramento, guilty of one count of making a false claim against the United States and eight counts of filing a false tax return. Guilford had filed nine false tax returns with the IRS in which he reported false income and false tax withholdings. For one of the tax return filings, Guilford received a refund of $1,172,446. The charges against Guilford stem from his use of a convoluted “redemption” scheme, used by tax protestors and sovereign citizens that has been repeatedly rejected by the courts. For the one count of making a false claim against the United States, Guilford faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000. For each of the eight counts of filing a false tax return, Guilford faces a maximum statutory sentence of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany Gunter and Arelis Clemente are prosecuting the case. On Oct. 31, a jury found Stanislav Yelizarov, 35, guilty of threatening the family of a federal law enforcement officer during a recorded telephone call he placed while an inmate in U.S. Penitentiary, Atwater. According to evidence presented at trial, Yelizarov threatened to kill the “whole family” of a federal law enforcement office in Maryland during a phone call to his mother and in threatening letters sent to the victim. Yelizarov faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Joshua Banister are prosecuting the case. Indictments On Oct. 2, Anibal Hernandez Santana, 63, of Sacramento, was indicted for incidents involving the discharge and possession of a firearm. On Sept. 18, 2025, Santana allegedly discharged a 9 mm handgun within 1,000 feet of the grounds of a high school and an elementary school. On Sept. 19, 2025, while standing on the sidewalk around the block from the KXTV/ABC 10 station, in front of 2555 3rd Street, Hernandez Santana fired into the air in the direction of the station. He then drove to the front of the station and fired three shots directly into the building’s lobby. No one was injured. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Santana is also facing state charges. His next federal appearance, a status conference, is scheduled for June 1, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case. On Oct. 23, Fresno restaurant operator Robert “Bobby” Salazar, 63, was charged in two indictments. The first indictment charges Salazar, Thomas Qualls, 40, and Shylo Badiali, 43, with engaging in a scheme to defraud an insurance company by setting fire to a commercial property. On April 2, 2024, a fire broke out at the vacant Bobby Salazar’s restaurant on Blackstone Avenue in Fresno. According to court documents, Salazar’s hired Qualls and Badiali to set the fire and then claimed to his insurance company that he had nothing to do with the arson. He was ultimately paid out more than $900,000 for his insurance claim. The second indictment charges Salazar with possession of a handgun with an obliterated serial number that was found during the execution of a search warrant at Salazar’s residence. A status conference is scheduled for the three defendants on Jan. 21, 2026. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Brittany Gunter are prosecuting the case. The charges in an indictment are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.


title: British National Sentenced on Fraud, Money Laundering, and Immigration Charges

component: USAO - Rhode Island

body_text: PROVIDENCE – A British national from Northern Ireland illegally in the United States who admitted in one case to participating in a multi-state construction and money laundering fraud scheme that netted more than a million dollars, and in a separate case to using false information to enter the United States, has been sentenced to federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom. Elijah Gavin, 29, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 48 months imprisonment, forfeiture of $4885.57, a forfeiture money judgment of $1,000,000, a restitution order of $1,109,500, and $300 in special assessments in one case, and one day imprisonment and a $100 special assessment in the other case, to run concurrently. Gavin pleaded guilty on June 12, 2025, to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and false statement in a document used to gain entry into the United States. In pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering, Elijah Gavin admitted to the following: Gavin used various names when he approached and defrauded property owners in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York by, among other things, misrepresenting to property owners’ construction needs or repairs required on their properties. Gavin and his co-conspirators formed multiple construction businesses and falsely represented the business’ status, experience, and quality of work; falsely represented their identities and skills to homeowners; and made false representations to property owners regarding the condition of their properties, work they would perform, and the machinery, materials, and equipment needed to perform work. Between October 2022 and January 2025, Gavin and his co-conspirators defrauded property owners of over one million dollars, including a Rhode Island widow who was defrauded of $850,000, as well as other elderly victims in Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and a church in New York. Gavin sent checks to money launderers in New York and California representing funds that were fraudulently obtained from his victims. Gavin is a fugitive from justice in the United Kingdom who entered the United States illegally. Gavin used a false Electronic System for Travel Authorization application to gain entry into the United States without a visa. Gavin’s ESTA application contained materially false information with respect to Gavin’s criminal history in the United Kingdom. According to the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center, Conmen Travelers are groups of Irish or U.K. nationals who entered the United States on pleasure or tourist visas and overstayed their visits or, more commonly, entered the United States illegally. Once in the United States, they go to different cities and states, soliciting construction work. The members often quote a low price, and then, after further inspection, demand much more money and/or convince the homeowner that their homes or business need major repairs. Conmen Travelers often hire day laborers; do not have work authorization documents or pull permits; and do low quality, unnecessary, or incomplete work, sometimes damaging homeowners’ residences. Gavin has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in New Jersey on January 29, 2025. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra R. Hebert and Taylor A. Dean. The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Rhode Island State Police, and U.S Diplomatic Security Service. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Billings man sentenced to 9 years in prison for child pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS – A Billings man who distributed child pornography was sentenced today to 108 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said. Kole David Kuntz, 41, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to two counts of distribution of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The government alleged in court documents that on November 16, 2024, law enforcement created an undercover online persona on a social media site posing as an adult male with a minor daughter. Soon after establishing the account, another account, later attributed to Kuntz, reached out and inquired about the fictious daughter. The conversations became increasingly sexual. For example, when Kuntz learned the “daughter” was 12 years old, he indicated he “could have a lot of fun with her.” On November 21, 2024, Kuntz recommended they switch to a more secure application and both parties did so. Then, to ensure he was “serious,” Kuntz sent a roughly 45-second video of a female, between the ages of 12 and 14, removing her swimsuit and exposing her vagina to the camera. On November 22, 2024, and after additional communications during which Kuntz indicated that “6-14 is the money range I think,” he distributed a roughly 56-second video of a minor female performing oral sex on an adult. Law enforcement connected the communications to Kuntz and searched his residence in Billings. A subsequent review of his electronic media led to the discovery of the communications referenced above as well as the possession of additional child pornography. Kuntz was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted he was the individual referenced in the communications he had previously shared images and videos. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation. 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, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . XXX


title: Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Prosecutions During Lapse in Federal Appropriations

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

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced convictions, indictments, plea agreements and sentencings that the District of Maryland secured in connection with several cases the office prosecuted during the recent lapse in federal appropriations. “During the recent lapse in appropriations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland continued to steadfastly carry out its essential mission,” Hayes said. “Our Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff remained unwavering in pursuing cases that protected public safety, upheld the rule of law, and served the interests of justice. I am grateful for their professionalism and dedication during this period, and we look forward to continuing to carry out our responsibilities with the same diligence and commitment now that normal operations are restored.” A summary of several notable cases is below. October 2025 David Donnell Fulton, 32 , of York, Pennsylvania, pled guilty to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. During a search of Fulton’s home, law enforcement seized several devices and found Fulton with an image of a 7-year-old victim, as well as multiple images of commercially available child sex abuse material. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow sentenced Mehul Ramesh Khatiwala, 43 , aka “Mike Khatiwala,” of Voorhees, New Jersey, to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, in connection with his role supervising a multi-million-dollar bank fraud conspiracy. This is Khatiwala’s second federal conviction and sentencing for bank fraud charges. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Jamari James David Leverett, 22 , of Baltimore, Maryland, charging him with sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child sexual abuse material. According to the eight-count indictment, Leverett used multiple online profiles on various social media and gaming platforms to meet and extort minors across the U.S. A federal jury convicted Fode Sitafa Mara, 40 , of Takoma Park, Maryland, on four counts of aggravated sexual abuse perpetrated against two minors, one count of coercion and enticement, and one count of obstruction. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mara, on multiple occasions, forcibly raped two teenage Burkinabé girls at his Embassy-leased residence in Ouagadougou. U.S District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Lester Massey, Jr., 42 , of Oxon Hill, Maryland, to 30 months in federal prison for being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition. According to the evidence presented at trial, on August 11, 2023, ATF agents, with the assistance of PGPD officers, executed a court-ordered search-and-seizure warrant at Massey’s residence. During the search, law enforcement located and recovered 243 live rounds of ammunition throughout the apartment. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Nathaniel Ratchford, 40 , of Baltimore, Maryland, to seven years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a prohibited person while also on federal supervised release. Lawrence Earl Smith, Jr., 51 , of Perry Hall, Maryland, pled guilty to federal wire fraud and tax evasion charges. While serving as a Baltimore City School Police Officer and Dunbar High School football coach, Smith created and executed a scheme to submit fraudulent overtime slips. Smith received overtime payments, totaling more than $200,000, for time that he never worked. He also evaded paying more than $60,000 in federal income taxes for 2017, 2019, and 2020. Duane Watts, 46 , and Donna Jones, 59 , both of Baltimore, pled guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme. According to both guilty pleas, beginning in May 2020, and continuing through at least May 2021, Watts, Jones, and other co-conspirators, engaged in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, in connection with an UI fraud scheme. November 2025 U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Donzell Lernard Campbell, 44 , of Laurel, Maryland, to 110 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On February 27, 2024, Campbell pled guilty to federal possession of a machine gun, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of ammunition charges. U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Jayre Reaves, 48 , of Ellicott City, Maryland, to 27 months in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, in connection with a mail fraud scheme. Judge Maddox also ordered Reaves to forfeit $615,000 and pay $614,000 in restitution. U.S. District Judge Adam B. Abelson sentenced Jennifer Tinker, 42 , of Ellicott City, Maryland, to 70 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud, in connection with Tinker’s embezzlement of more than $1.1 million from two separate employers. Tinker used the funds that she stole from Real Estate Agency 1 to pay for luxury goods and personal expenditures such as vacations, Taylor Swift tickets, and five different vehicles. Jackson Traylor , 27 , of Dania Beach, Florida, pled guilty to one count of utilizing a telecommunications device without disclosing his identity with the intent to abuse, threaten, or harass. According to public filings, between July 9, 2024, and April 10, 2025, Traylor — using a series of different phone numbers — sent more than 10 Antisemitic and harassing messages to a Jewish individual who is originally from Maryland. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach .


title: Boat Owner and Captain Arraigned in Miami on Federal Cocaine Trafficking Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – A boat owner and captain were arraigned in Miami on Sept. 26 to face charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, between Aug. 24 and 28, Jeffry Dominguez, 34, and Luis Antonio Garcia Rosario, 37, planned to transport hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Miami. On Aug. 29, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted a 44-foot vessel entering U.S. waters. During a boarding of the vessel, law enforcement identified Dominguez, the registered boat owner, and Garcia Rosario. A search revealed 741 packages that contained approximately 742 kilograms of cocaine, concealed in a hidden compartment on board. Dominguez and Garcia Rosario are charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with intent to distribute. If convicted, Dominguez and Garcia Rosario face a maximum penalty of life in prison for each charge. Garcia Rosario is a Dominican national and faces removal from the U.S. if convicted. U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO) made the announcement. DEA Miami Field Division and the Broward Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin McCormack is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov , under case number 25-cr-20407. ###


title: Natrona Man Indicted for Interstate Threats and Threatening to Murder a Federal Official

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Natrona, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of communicating interstate threats, as well as threatening to assault and murder a federal official, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The 11-count indictment named Thomas Dorn, 39, as the defendant. According to the Indictment, on or about October 17, 2025, Dorn called one of his victims and left voice messages that detailed threats to injure and kill that victim and others. The Indictment further alleges that, on or about October 27, 2025, Dorn threatened to shoot his postal carrier and then shoot up his post office. On October 28, 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) filed a federal criminal complaint against Dorn and arrested him at his residence. Following a hearing, a federal magistrate judge found that Dorn presented a danger to the community and ordered him detained pending trial. The Indictment additionally contains forfeiture allegations, which notified Dorn that the United States would seek to forfeit certain property seized by the FBI on October 28, 2025, including 11 firearms, firearm suppressors, firearm scopes, firearm magazines, and ammunition of various calibers. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, and Harrison Township Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the criminal complaint and Indictment against Dorn. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: New York Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison for Selling Counterfeit Xanax on Dark Web

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Court Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Tuesday sentenced a man who sold counterfeit Xanax on the dark web, both before and after he was indicted for doing so, to 54 months in prison. “I hope you understand that you put people’s lives at risk,” Judge Fleissig told John Cruz. Cruz, 31, of Rochester, N.Y., pleaded guilty on two occasions in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of conspiracy to misbrand, introduce misbranded drugs and sell counterfeit drugs: Nov. 29, 2023, and July 1, 2024. Cruz admitted purchasing counterfeit Xanax, an anti-anxiety drug, on the darknet and then reselling it from at least October 2019 through May 2021. He also admitted that while he was out on bond after his 2023 guilty plea, he operated a darknet website where he offered four different types of counterfeit/misbranded pills. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ware, in court Tuesday, said Cruz’ continued sale of the drugs demonstrated “arrogance,” a “lack of remorse” and “deliberate anti-social behavior.” Investigators seized $145,502 from an account Cruz held in the cryptocurrency Monero, representing the proceeds of his illegal pill sales. Cruz has agreed to forfeit the Monero. “Any medication purchased online should be considered suspicious,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “More often than not, those selling these drugs, including repeat offender John Cruz, are fully aware that the product their pushing is counterfeit and often laced with fentanyl. Cruz is a threat not only to our St. Louis communities, but to anyone who has a computer and access to the dark web. Let today’s sentencing serve as a reminder that prescription medications should only be filled by a licensed pharmacist, not bought online from unknown and unreliable sources.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate those utilizing the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including the distribution of narcotics. Today’s sentencing reflects the diligent investigative work by Postal Inspectors, and our law enforcement partners,” said Inspector in Charge Ruth Mendonça, who leads the Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office. The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Ware and Kyle Bateman prosecuted the case.


title: Portland Man Charged with Trespassing on Federal Property, Failing to Obey a Lawful Order, and Obstructing Federal Property

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man made his initial appearance yesterday in federal court after trespassing on the grounds of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, failing to obey a lawful order, and obstructing federal property. Christopher Griffin, 37, has been charged by information with Failing to Obey a Lawful Order, Obstructing Federal Property, and Trespassing on Federal Property. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 16, 2025, Griffin entered the grounds of the ICE building in Portland. Griffin remained on the grounds, failing to comply with the lawful direction of federal officers and was arrested. Griffin was also charged with failing to comply with an officer’s orders to leave the premises on October 22, 2025, and for obstructing the use and access to federal property on November 14, 2025. Griffin made his first appearance in federal court yesterday before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings. As part of his release conditions, Griffin was ordered to stay away from the ICE building. The Federal Protective Service is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case. An information is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.


title: Former contractor admits to hacking employer in retaliation for termination

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 35-year-old Ohio man has pleaded guilty to computer fraud for hacking his former employer’s network after he was fired, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. On May 14, 2021, Maxwell Schultz, Columbus, Ohio, was terminated from his position as a contract employee in his company’s IT department. Shortly after, he accessed the company’s network by impersonating another contractor to obtain login credentials. He ran a PowerShell script that reset approximately 2,500 passwords, locking thousands of employees and contractors out of their computers nationwide. Schultz also searched for ways to delete logs, PowerShell window events and cleared multiple system logs. The attack to the company’s system caused more than $862,000 in losses, including employee downtime, customer-service disruptions and labor needed to restore the network. As part of his plea, Schultz admitted to conducting the attack because he was upset about being fired. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal will impose sentencing Jan. 30, 2026. At that time, Schultz faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rodolfo Ramirez and Michael Chu are prosecuting the case.


title: Houston area man admits to enticing teenage girl to commit sex acts

body_text: HOUSTON – A 52-year-old Spring resident has pleaded guilty to sex trafficking of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. From Aug. 26 - Oct. 5, 2023, John Alberth exchanged messages with a 16-year-old minor victim, offering money in exchange for sex acts and explicit photos. As part of his plea, Alberth admitted paying the minor victim through CashApp and asking her to send him photos of herself that constituted child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement discovered text messages confirming Alberth knew the victim was a minor. U.S. District Judge George P. Hanks will impose sentencing Jan. 30, 2026. At that time, Alberth faces up to life in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Houston Police Department and Sherrif’s Offices in Harris and Galveston County. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Former Philadelphia Deputy Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Darryl T. Wells, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty today before United States District Judge Joel H. Slomsky to bank fraud. Wells was charged by indictment in January of this year. As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, in December 2018 and January 2019, while employed as a Deputy Sheriff Officer with the City of Philadelphia, Wells submitted eight fraudulent loan and credit applications to financial institutions in which he falsely and materially overstated his monthly income and, in some instances, attached forged paystubs. In total, Wells received $145,000 in fraudulently obtained proceeds, which he immediately spent or transferred, and the financial institutions were not repaid. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3 and faces a maximum possible term of 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samuel Dalke.


title: New York Pair Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Possess, Distribute Some 40 Kilograms of Cocaine

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Vanessa Velez, 51, and Felix Mendez, 44, both of New York, New York, were sentenced today by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage for conspiring to possess and distribute bulk amounts of powder cocaine shipped from El Paso, Texas, to Philadelphia. Velez was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000, and Mendez to 18 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and forfeiture of $325,000. The defendants were charged by indictment in January of this year. In August, they each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine, and one count of attempted possession with intent to distribute approximately 40 kilograms of cocaine. As detailed in court filings, Velez and Mendez traveled together to Philadelphia with a duffel bag containing approximately $325,000 in U.S. currency. On October 29, 2024, in a South Philadelphia parking lot, they exchanged the cash-filled bag for two other duffel bags, which they believed contained cocaine. The defendants then drove away. Shortly thereafter, Philadelphia police stopped the defendants’ Range Rover in the area of 59 E. Oregon Avenue. Both Mendez and Velez were detained, and investigators recovered the two bags containing the “sham” kilograms of cocaine. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Philadelphia Police Department as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Diviny.


title: Cleveland Drug Dealer to Spend More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

body_text: CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man with a history of violence and drug crimes has been sentenced to prison for his role in running an illegal drug trafficking scheme. Clarence Payne, 40, was sentenced to 170 months (14 years and 2 months) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after a federal jury found him guilty of the following charges: Distribution of Cocaine. Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Drug Trafficking in 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2011, and Aggravated Assault and Drug Possession in 2011. Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine. Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Fentanyl. Payne was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Barker imposed the sentence Nov. 18. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, during the summer of 2023, Payne regularly supplied co-conspirator Harold Pearl, 41, of Cleveland, with cocaine that Pearl sold on the west side of Cleveland. Pearl arranged deals with buyers before he met with Payne to secure the drug amounts needed. Once he sold the drugs, Pearl returned to Payne’s home with the drug proceeds. Payne supplied Pearl with cocaine which was sold to undercover agents six separate times in June, July, and August 2023. Payne was arrested at his home, where multiple bags of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl were located. Law enforcement also seized a firearm and drug paraphernalia from the home. Co-defendant Pearl pleaded guilty to his role in the drug trafficking. In January 2025, he was sentenced to 46 months in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police and numerous regional and federal agencies as part of a summer violent crime reduction effort in 2023 . Assistant United States Attorneys Adam J. Joines and Jennifer King led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.


title: Baltimore County Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Traffic 14 Firearms

body_text: Baltimore, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Cedrick Brinkley, 31, of Windsor Mill, Maryland, to 130 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, in connection with his conviction for conspiring to traffic firearms. Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). According to the guilty plea, on multiple occasions in April 2024, Brinkley and co-conspirator Steven Lee, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, agreed to sell firearms to an ATF undercover agent. The undercover agent explained that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell to an individual in New Jersey. Judge Maddox sentenced Lee to 102 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to the firearms trafficking conspiracy on August 19, 2024. On April 3, 2024, Brinkley met with the undercover agent and a second individual, a confidential informant, to sell firearms. At the meeting, Brinkley removed four firearms from a black satchel and sold them to the undercover agent, along with 50 rounds of ammunition, for $4,500. Then on April 17, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee sitting in a vehicle at the location where they planned to meet the undercover agent. Brinkley exited his vehicle, met with the undercover agent, and exchanged five 9-millimeter pistols for $6,100. On April 24, Brinkley and Lee arranged to sell additional firearms to the undercover agent. Prior to the transaction, law enforcement observed Brinkley and Lee meeting in a public parking lot. Brinkley retrieved a black bag from Lee’s vehicle, re-entered his vehicle, and then drove to the meeting location. Lee did not physically attend the meeting with the undercover agent. At the meeting with the undercover agent, Brinkley brought the black bag, removed five firearms from the bag, and handed them to the undercover agent. The undercover agent wanted to negotiate a better price, so Brinkley called Lee on speakerphone to discuss prices with the agent directly. During the call, Lee described the firearms in detail, including one of the firearms that had a machinegun conversion device affixed to it. The undercover agent reiterated to Brinkley and Lee that the purpose of buying the firearms was to resell them for profit. Then the undercover agent paid Brinkley $7,800 for five firearms, which included pistols of various calibers; one of which had a machinegun conversion device attached to it. Between the three transactions, Brinkley sold the undercover agent 50 rounds of ammunition and 14 firearms — four of which were reported stolen — and one was affixed with a machine gun conversion device. On May 3, Brinkley purchased 50 rounds of semi-jacketed hollow point .32 caliber ammunition from a gun shop in Essex, Maryland. Brinkley made the purchase despite being prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to a prior conviction punishable by more than one year in prison. Then on July 2, investigators executed a search warrant at Brinkley’s Baltimore County residence. During the search, law enforcement recovered a Glock 43x 9mm pistol and $19,900 in a safe that contained Brinkley’s identification documents. Investigators also recovered a KE Arms KE-9 9mm rifle from a pile of Brinkley’s clothes in his closet. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney James G. O’Donohue III who is prosecuting the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Columbia Woman Who Coerced Minor Boy to Engage in Sexual Activity Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALYSON CRANICK, 44, of Columbia, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. According to court documents and statements made in court, Cranick, first using text messaging and Snapchat, and then using the internet chat service Discord, coerced an 11-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her. Several times during the summer and into the fall of 2022, Cranick induced the minor victim to leave his house after midnight to meet up with her. Cranick sexually assaulted the minor victim during these meetings. Between July and October 2022, Cranick exchanged more than 4,700 messages with the minor victim on Discord. Cranick was arrested on related state charges on November 14, 2023, and has been detained since November 28, 2023. She was federally charged in July 2024. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for February 12, at which time Cranick faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Unit. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Katherine E. Boyles through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Tolland for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Romanian national sentenced to prison for bank fraud crime related to ATM skimming

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: CINCINNATI – A Romanian national was sentenced in federal court in Cincinnati today to 12 months and one day in prison a federal crime related to ATM skimming. According to court documents, Danut Valentin Urseiu, 32, conspired with others to commit bank fraud in the Southern District of Ohio in January and February 2023. Urseiu conspired with others to place skimming devices onto a financial institution’s ATMs in the greater Cincinnati area, including in Cincinnati, Green Township and Liberty Township. Co-conspirators used the fraudulent access devices to steal information from cardholders and defraud financial institutions. The financial institution reported that multiple ATM locations were victimized during the timeframe Urseiu and his co-conspirators were operating in the Southern District of Ohio. Fingerprints on cameras placed with the skimming devices in Ohio matched Urseiu’s prints from arrests in New York and Michigan. Urseiu’s cell phones contained photos of ATM skimming devices, recording devices and large amounts of cash. Urseiu pleaded guilty in May 2025. Dominick S. Gerace II, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Adam Lawson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Susan J. Dlott. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Keefe is representing the United States in this case. # # #


title: Felon arrested for allegedly selling opioids

component: USAO - Georgia, Northern

body_text: ATLANTA - Rodericus San Juan Warner has been charged on a criminal complaint with allegedly distributing hundreds of carfentanil and fentanyl pills, as well as methamphetamine. Carfentanil, a fentanyl analogue, is approximately 100 times more potent than fentanyl, and is used by veterinarians to sedate large animals like elephants. Warner was denied bond and will remain in custody. “Synthetic opioid abuse continues to claim lives, and now fentanyl has become a gateway to an even more dangerous drug, carfentanil,” said U.S Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “A convicted felon, Warner allegedly showed no fear of the law and absolutely no concern for the deadly risk drugs and guns posed to the small children at the residence he occupied.” “Carfentanil is a deadly synthetic narcotic — used to tranquilize elephants, not meant for human consumption. Yet this offender chose to sell it alongside fentanyl and methamphetamine, showing total disregard for human life,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. Our agents are relentless in targeting those who bring this level of danger into our communities.” According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: During an investigation in October 2025, DEA agents identified Rodericus San Juan Warner as a drug trafficker in Atlanta. Agents allege Warner sold hundreds of pills containing carfentanil and fentanyl and over 100 grams of methamphetamine. While continuing to investigate, agents obtained federal search warrants to search four residences and multiple vehicles that Warner used to further his drug trafficking enterprise. On November 6, 2025, DEA agents executed the search warrants, and Warner was arrested in the home he shared with his girlfriend and her three school-aged children. From that home, law enforcement recovered two loaded firearms, $20,000 in U.S. currency, and assorted high-end jewelry. Warner, a five-time convicted felon, is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Additionally, in one of Warner’s vehicles outside the residence, law enforcement recovered suspected fentanyl pills and suspected oxycodone pills. At another residence Warner allegedly used to sell drugs, DEA agents searched another vehicle registered to him and found four loaded firearms, approximately 6,000 suspected fentanyl pills, 258 grams of suspected methamphetamine, 201 grams of suspected cocaine, 60 suspected oxycodone pills, and one kilogram of suspected marijuana. Rodericus San Juan Warner, 45, of Atlanta, Ga., appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon, on a federal criminal complaint. Warner was remanded to custody and ordered detained pending the outcome of his case. Members of the public are reminded that the complaint 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. This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schwarzl is prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov . 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: South Berwick Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Money

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A South Berwick woman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to theft of government money. According to court records, Cori Godin , 46, falsely claimed to be unemployed in order to receive unemployment insurance benefits, including federally funded benefits intended to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Unemployment insurance is a joint state and federal program that provides monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. Payments are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in about March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded unemployment insurance eligibility and benefits. For a period of approximately 13 months in 2020 and 2021, Godin falsely claimed to be unemployed in order to receive benefits. She received approximately $37,105 in benefits. Godin faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, a maximum fine of $250,000, and a maximum term of supervised release of three years. She will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General investigated the case. ###


title: Jury Convicts Software Distributor Of Conspiracy To Traffic In Illicit Microsoft Certificates Of Authenticity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Heidi Richards (52, Brandon) guilty of conspiring to traffic in illicit Microsoft certificate of authenticity (COA) labels. Richards faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 26, 2026. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Richards, doing business as Trinity Software Distribution, paid co-conspirators millions of dollars for thousands of genuine, standalone Microsoft COA labels at prices significantly lower than the retail price of the associated software. Richards and her employees harvested product key codes from the labels and then sold them in bulk to her customers. Federal law prohibits the trafficking of standalone COA labels separate from the software programs they were intended to accompany. COA labels authenticate Microsoft software, assist customers in identifying genuine software, and bear security features intended to dissuade counterfeit duplication. There is an illicit, secondary market for COA labels because they bear product key codes used to activate Microsoft software. COA labels are not to be sold separately from the license and hardware that they are intended to accompany, and they hold no independent commercial value. The Homeland Security Investigations Kansas City Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Risha Asokan of the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Jared Hosid of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime & Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) prosecuted the case. CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals, and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.


title: Denton man sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations

component: USAO - Texas, Eastern

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – A Denton man has been sentenced to more than 14 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Trinity Snow Cassells, also known as Dustin Joseph McDuffie, 34, pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography and was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 21, 2025. According to information presented in court, Cassells was the subject of 10 different CyberTips between 2018 and 2024. He utilized multiple social media platforms, cloud storage accounts, email accounts, and the dark web to trade child pornography. Cassells chatted with purported minors on social media platforms commonly used by children, groomed them to engage in illegal sexual conduct, and encouraged them to abuse other children. As part of that conduct, he distributed child pornography to them. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the Denton Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller. ###


title: Collin County sex offender sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation violations

body_text: PLANO, Texas – A Plano man has been sentenced to more than 16 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. Ashley Blaine Brooks, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography and was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III on October 21, 2025. According to information presented in court, Brooks was a registered sex offender living within the City of Plano. During a sex offender registry compliance check, Plano Police Department detectives discovered that Brooks was trading child pornography using computer equipment that he owned, the Internet, and a peer-to-peer file sharing platform. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the Plano Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller. ###


title: Former Police Officer Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Possessing Machine Guns

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Tuesday sentenced a former police officer to five years in prison for possessing machine guns. Ira Brown, 56, admitted that on Oct. 23, 2020, Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers found a fully automatic AR-15 rifle and an auto sear that converts an AR-15 into a fully automatic weapon. The items were found during a court-approved search of Brown’s home prompted by an unrelated investigation. Investigators also found 10,000 rounds of belt-fed .223 caliber ammunition, including armor piercing rounds, in Brown’s Viburnum home, his plea says. Brown was employed as a dispatcher at a 911 call center at the time of his arrest but formerly worked as a police officer. Brown fled while out on bond and was arrested in 2024 in Oregon. He pleaded guilty in July of 2025 to possession of a machine gun. Brown’s son Zerak Brown, now 24, is now serving a 125-month prison sentence after he was convicted at trial in 2021 of two counts of assaulting a federal officer and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Evidence and testimony at trial showed that when troopers showed up to allow Zerak Brown’s girlfriend to remove her belongings from Ira Brown’s home, Zerak Brown refused to allow them to enter. Zerak Brown struggled with the troopers, asked his brother to bring him a gun and then fled. Zerak Brown was later spotted with a rifle and ran away again, encountering law enforcement officers a third time and pointing a rifle at them, evidence and testimony showed. He later turned himself in. The Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Viburnum Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter prosecuted the case.


title: Corporation and Former Chief Executive Officer Sentenced for Health Care Fraud and Tax Conspiracy

component: Civil Division

body_text: KBWB Operations LLC, doing business as Atrium Health and Senior Living (KBWB-Atrium), and Kevin Breslin, former chief executive officer and managing member of KBWB-Atrium, were sentenced yesterday, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin following prior guilty pleas to health care fraud and tax conspiracy related to the operation of numerous skilled nursing facilities, the Department of Justice announced. Kevin Breslin, 58, of Hoboken, New Jersey, was sentenced to 90 months in prison and ordered to pay $146 million in restitution and $8.4 million in forfeiture. KBWB-Atrium also was ordered to pay the same restitution and forfeiture amounts. Breslin pleaded guilty on Dec. 17, 2024. KBWB-Atrium pleaded guilty on Jan. 21. According to court documents, Breslin is one of six owners of KBWB-Atrium. KBWB-Atrium’s corporate headquarters was located in Little Falls, New Jersey, and its Midwest corporate office was located in Appleton, Wisconsin. KBWB-Atrium operated and/or owned nursing facilities in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Michigan. “Health care fraud drives prices up for all Americans and can cause serious negative outcomes for patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We remain dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable Americans from those who would take advantage of them.”’ “Protecting Medicare and Medicaid is not just about preserving the programs. It is about safeguarding the dignity, health, and financial security of the millions of Americans who rely on them,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chadwick M. Elgersma for the Western District of Wisconsin. “I commend the investigators and prosecutors who identified Mr. Breslin’s fraud scheme and worked tirelessly to hold him accountable for his serious criminal conduct.” “Today’s sentencing underscores an investigative priority of the FBI,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Chris Ormerod of the FBI Milwaukee Field Office. “The FBI, in collaboration with its partners have not lost sight of investigating people and companies that misuse taxpayers’ money for personal gains and at the expense of people needing quality healthcare. The safety and well-being of Wisconsin residents remains our highest priority.” “The defendant’s actions not only defrauded federal health care programs but also jeopardized the well-being of vulnerable nursing home residents,” said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), Chicago Region. “HHS-OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who exploit programs meant to provide essential care and services to our nation’s most at-risk populations.” “Greed was the driving force behind this scheme, which not only defrauded our health care system but also violated employment tax obligations,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “By failing to pay over withheld taxes, the defendants harmed their employees’ Medicare and Social Security benefits — while also exploiting healthcare programs meant to protect the most vulnerable.” “Health care and the health benefit plans that provide coverage are of the utmost importance in everyday lives,” said Regional Director Mark Seidel of the Employee Benefits Security Administration in New York. “The Employee Benefits Security Administration remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who break the law and abuse their positions of trust while managing health benefit plans.” On Feb. 1, 2023, a grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Breslin and KBWB-Atrium charging health care fraud and tax conspiracy, among other charges. According to court documents, from approximately Jan. 1, 2015 to in or about September 2018, KBWB-Atrium operated 23 skilled nursing facilities in Wisconsin. Breslin was solely responsible for KBWB-Atrium’s management, operation, business, and finances. The primary source of income for the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin facilities was federal Medicare and Medicaid funds from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The government alleged that the defendants unlawfully diverted CMS funds intended for the operation, management, maintenance, and care of the residents at the KBWB-Atrium Wisconsin facilities for personal expenses and other purposes. The government further alleged that the defendants prioritized multi-million-dollar owner distributions and guaranteed payments regardless of KBWB-Atrium’s financial situation. The government alleged that the defendants knowingly and willfully failed to disclose to CMS that they were not using CMS funds for resident care, were not in compliance with applicable federal regulations and laws, and had not paid vendors or certain federal and state taxes. As a result, the government alleged, vendors went unpaid and residents did not receive adequate care. The government alleged that the defendants also diverted health insurance premiums and 401(k) contributions from employee paychecks, as well as money from resident accounts. The government further alleged that as part of the tax conspiracy, Breslin, acting on behalf of KBWB-Atrium, directed that employment taxes withheld from KBWB-Atrium employees’ paychecks not be paid to the IRS, which caused employees to prepare inaccurate tax returns listing those withholdings. Trial attorneys with the Civil Division’s Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin investigated and initially prosecuted the case with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General – Office of Investigations, Milwaukee Field Office; the U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, New York and Chicago Regional Offices; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Milwaukee Field Office; and the State of Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Medicaid Fraud Control and Elder Abuse Unit.


title: Illegal alien indicted for dragging officers with his vehicle

body_text: COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury indicted a Venezuelan national today on charges alleging he assaulted federal officers while resisting arrest. Hector Velandia-Anaya, 18, allegedly attempted to flee from immigration officials and dragged two officers with his vehicle while he began to drive away. “We will not tolerate any action that endangers the agents who are working to enforce our immigration laws,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “As today’s indictment shows, those who threaten the safety of our federal law enforcement partners will be prosecuted.” According to court documents, on Nov. 2, immigration officers pulled over Velandia-Anaya near Shrock Road in Columbus. The defendant turned off his car’s ignition, but when asked to step out of the vehicle, he allegedly closed the driver’s door and restarted the vehicle to flee. One officer re-opened the driver’s side door to try to keep Velandia-Anaya from driving away. The other officer partially climbed into the passenger seat to try to stop him from putting the vehicle into drive. Velandia-Anaya allegedly accelerated the vehicle and drove forward with the officers partially inside. An affidavit details that officers wrestled with Velandia-Anaya’s hand to regain control of the gear shifter, stop the vehicle and ultimately arrest the defendant. He was charged by federal criminal complaint on Nov. 6. In today’s indictment, he is charged with two counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding a federal officer, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Kevin Raycraft, Acting Field Office Director, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Detroit Field Office; announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this 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. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Oregon Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Child Exploitation Offense Related to Illegal Sexual Activity with Connecticut Minor

body_text: David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CANYON BEASLEY, 22, of Gresham, Oregon, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for a child exploitation offense involving his engaging in an online relationship and unlawful sexual activity with a minor in Connecticut. According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately January 2023, Beasley began communicating with a minor victim in Connecticut primarily through text messaging and Snapchat. In July 2023, he began requesting sexually explicit images and videos from the minor victim. In August 2023, he learned that the minor victim was 13 years old. For more than a year, Beasley and the minor victim exchanged sexually explicit images through these online platforms. In June 2024, Beasley traveled to Connecticut to engage in sexual activity with the minor victim and recorded the sexual activity using his phone. Beasley was arrested on September 30, 2024. On April 25, 2025, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. Beasley, who is released on a $250,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 28. Beasley pleaded guilty in Connecticut state court to a related charge and is awaiting sentencing in that matter. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of the Cheshire Police Department and the Connecticut State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo. This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com .


title: Gang Member Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man with ties to a local gang was sentenced in federal court today to illegally possessing a stolen firearm that has been connected to two shootings. Jayden Isaac Simmonds, 19, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, to 63 months in federal prison without parole for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm. Simmonds, who pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025, admitted he possessed a stolen Smith and Wesson 10mm semi-automatic pistol, was a daily user of marijuana, and addicted to fentanyl. Simmonds also admitted to being a member of a local gang known as the “1500” which is closely associated to another area gang, FTO. On Jan. 30, 2024, the Springfield Police Department responded to a car accident. One of the drivers indicated that his two passengers, which included Simmonds, had fled the scene and taken the driver’s two firearms with him. The following day, police responded to a drive-by shooting and located shell casings which were consistent with the firearm that Simmonds had taken on Jan. 30, 2024. On Aug. 23, 2024, Simmonds’s father turned in the Smith & Wesson pistol to the Springfield Police Department. Investigators later learned that the pistol had been stolen. Following his arrest, Simmonds told investigators he had been using marijuana daily since he was 11 or 12 years old, that he had been using opioids since he was around 15 or 16, and had been using fentanyl. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department. Project Safe Neighborhoods This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Child Predator Sentenced To 35 Years In Prison

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Evin Scott Young (39, Texas) to 35 years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Young pleaded guilty on May 14, 2025. According to court documents, Young pursued four children solely for sex. Using various social media applications, he drew each of the victims – ranging from 15 to 17 years old – out of their homes after their parents went to sleep, instructed them to meet him at the front of their neighborhoods, and brought each back to his apartment. Young recorded himself having sex with two of the victims and invited another man to have sex with one victim. Over a 10-month period, Young continued his sexual abuse of another victim, sent him CSAM he made of the victim, and told the victim never to get caught with it. Over six months, Young repeatedly groomed and courted the final victim for sex. Law enforcement caught Young after following the thread of a CyberTip identifying explicit communications between him and one of the victims. From there, further investigation revealed evidence of his crimes. “Protecting our nation's children from predators who exploit and abuse children is among the most critical responsibilities we hold as a society,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Cochran. “This sentence reflects HSI’s unwavering commitment, alongside our state, local and federal partners, to ensuring justice is served and safeguarding the most vulnerable members of our communities.” This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Cherry Valley, Ill. Man Sentenced to Seventeen Years in Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine and Illegally Possessing a Firearm

body_text: ROCKFORD — A Cherry Valley, Ill. man has been sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm. SEAN CLAEYSSEN, 35, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of distribution of more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and one count of illegally possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon. Claeyssen admitted in a plea agreement that between October and December of 2023, he knowingly and intentionally sold and distributed 664.6 grams of methamphetamine and 27.7 grams of cocaine. Claeyssen also admitted that he was in possession of a loaded firearm when he was arrested in December 2023. On Nov. 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 204-month prison sentence. The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Shane R. Catone, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Winnebago County, Ill. Sheriff’s Office and the Beloit, Wisc. Police Department provided assistance in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim. Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to tackle a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.


title: New Jersey Man Charged with Possession of a Dangerous Weapon in Federal Building in Downtown Newark

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, NJ. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged a New Jersey man with possessing a dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property during an incident that occurred last week, Acting United States Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Keith Michael Lisa, 51, of Barnegat, NJ, was arrested and charged by complaint with one count of possession of a dangerous weapon in a federal facility and one count of depredation of federal property. Lisa appeared on Monday, November 17, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Lisa entered the Peter Rodino Federal Building in Newark, shortly before 5:00pm, on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, with a full-sized, aluminum baseball bat. Lisa said he needed to see the Attorney General’s Office and security informed Lisa that the bat was a prohibited weapon that he could not bring into the building. Lisa left and returned a few minutes later without the weapon. He was visibly irate and mumbling as he went through security. Lisa continued to the reception area of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where witnesses saw that he was angry and making threats about tearing the place up. Lisa damaged federal property by knocking framed items off the walls. After learning law enforcement was looking for him, rather than turn himself in, Lisa went into hiding, requiring a coordinated, state-wide effort by federal, state, and local law enforcement to locate and arrest him in the early morning hours of November 15. Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; Federal Protective Service, under the direction of Director Faron K. Paramore; New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy, and local Mahwah Police Department and Barnegat Police Department, with the investigation leading to the apprehension. The government is represented by Ari B. Fontecchio and Lauren Kober, both Assistant United States Attorneys in Newark’s Criminal Division. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ### Defense counsel: Assistant Federal Defender Candace Hom, Esq. lisa.complaint.pdf


title: Sioux Falls Man Convicted in Federal Trial of Fentanyl Distribution

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Elizeo Kalimba, age 33, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance following a 4-day jury trial in federal district court in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 24, 2025. The charges carry a maximum penalty of up to life in prison and/or a $10 million dollar fine, up to a lifetime term on supervised release, and a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. There is a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for the Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl charge and a mandatory minimum of sentence of 5 years for the Possession With Intent to Distribute Fentanyl charge. Kalimba worked with another individual to obtain thousands of fentanyl pills from Arizona that he then distributed in Sioux Falls. Members of the Sioux Falls Police department used a confidential informant to conduct two controlled purchases of fentanyl pills from Kalimba and then executed a search warrant at his home that led to the discovery of approximately 3,900 pills in his home. Investigators believe that Kalimba was responsible for trafficking over 10,000 fentanyl pills. Kalimba was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2024. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration, South Dakota DCI, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for February 9, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.


title: Tucson Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearms Possession

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: TUCSON, Ariz. – Jason Felipe Gutierrez-Sandoval, 29, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 46 months prison to be followed by 36 months of supervised release. Gutierrez-Sandoval pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin, and possession of firearms by a prohibited person. In 2023, Gutierrez-Sandoval, the owner and operator of a local Tucson restaurant, delivered over 4,600 fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 454.4 grams, to another person on behalf of a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico. Investigators later arrested Gutierrez-Sandoval and searched his home with a warrant. He had in his possession twelve small baggies containing a pinkish-colored form of cocaine known as Lavada (weighing approximately 10.35 grams) and over $660 in cash. In a safe in Gutierrez-Sandoval’s residence, agents found a collection of firearms, ammunition, and magazines, along with a half kilogram of heroin. Some of the firearms were loaded, and one of the magazines was a circular .22 caliber drum magazine with a 70-round capacity, also fully loaded. Gutierrez-Sandoval is prohibited by law from possessing firearms. As part of his sentence, Gutierrez-Sandoval was ordered to pay a money judgment in the amount of $2,500, equivalent to the sum of money that he obtained during the fentanyl transaction in 2023. The firearms, ammunition, and magazines also were seized and forfeited. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tucson Police Department, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, as members of the Counter Narcotics Alliance, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, in Tucson, Arizona, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-01807-SHR-MAA RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-161_Gutierrez-Sandoval # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Ohio Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced an Ohio man to 16 years in prison for inducing a Missouri teen to send him nude images and videos. Joseph Bauer, 27, of Cleveland, met a 14-year-old girl via an online social media app in roughly August of 2021.The two communicated regularly online until July 2023. In numerous chat messages Bauer told the victim to send him nude pictures of herself. He also discussed plans for her to leave her family and live with him. In July of 2023, the victim was in Ohio with family. Bauer picked her up and took her to his home. She was found later the same day by police. Bauer pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in August St. Louis to one count of production of child pornography The Morrow County (Ohio) Sheriff’s Office, the Cleveland Police Department, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the St. Charles County Cyber Crimes Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards 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 LEON COUNTY DEPUTY SHERIFF PLEADS GUILTY TO  UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF AN UNREGISTERED MACHINEGUN

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

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Bill Ed Culpepper, Jr. 56, of Havana, Florida, has pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of an unregistered machinegun. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “When this defendant unlawfully possessed these firearms, he not only violated federal law, but also the public trust placed in him as a sworn law enforcement officer. No one is above the law, and my office will not hesitate to aggressively prosecute every violation of federal law that occurs in the Northern District of Florida.” During a drug trafficking investigation of the defendant’s son, Garret Culpepper, additional probable cause developed to search the defendant’s residence in Havana, Florida. During the search, law enforcement located multiple unregistered machineguns as well as an unregistered rifle silencer. Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2026, in federal court before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor in Tallahassee, Florida. Culpepper faces up to ten years’ imprisonment on the charges. The case was investigated by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin. 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. 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: HOMESTEAD MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO POSSESSION OF MACHINEGUN  BY A CONVICTED FELON

body_text: TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Vinson Tavaris Brown, 33, of Homestead, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and illegal possession of a machinegun. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida. U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the vigilance of our local and federal law enforcement officers, this dangerous felon has been taken off our streets. Protecting our communities from criminals who show a complete disregard for the law remains my office’s top priority, and this successful prosecution is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the dangerous felons who prowl our streets.” Court documents reflect that the Tallahassee Police Department stopped a vehicle in which the defendant was a passenger after it made an illegal U-turn leaving Zingales Sports Bar. Three of the occupants of the vehicle complied with officers, but the defendant attempted to reach under his seat and then fled from officers on foot. Law enforcement caught the defendant and detained him, then discovered a firearm equipped with a machinegun conversion device and an extended magazine under the seat that the defendant had been attempting to reach. Brown faces imprisonment for up to 25 years. The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain. Sentencing is scheduled for December 18, 2025, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker 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. As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors. 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html .


title: Raytown Man Sentenced for Possessing Machine Guns

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing and transferring two machine gun conversion devices. Darius R. Harris, also known as “D” and “D2,” 23, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, to twenty-one months in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing and transferring machine guns. That sentence was ordered to be served consecutively, or in addition to a seven-year, state sentence that Harris is serving for assault in the first degree. On Oct. 30, 2023, Harris sold a silver, Glock-type switch to an undercover agent for $350. On Nov. 9, 2023, Harris sold a Glock 9mm handgun, Glock-type switch, extended magazine and twenty-three rounds of ammunition to an undercover agent for $960. On Sept. 24, 2025, Harris’ brother, Demetrius Harris, also known as “Meech,” 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs, to two and a half years in federal prison without parole for illegally possessing and transferring machine guns. On Jan. 24, 2024, Demetrius Harris sold an Anderson Manufacturing, Model AM-15, multi-caliber firearm containing an AR-type machine gun conversion device, two AR-type machine gun conversion devices and ammunition to an undercover agent for $1,060. Machine gun conversion devices, also known as “switches” or “auto sears,” are used to convert semi-automatic weapons into machine guns that fire multiple shots automatically through a single pull of the trigger, enabling more rapid and often less accurate gunfire. Whether or not they are attached to a firearm, these devices constitute machine guns under federal law. It is therefore illegal to possess, sell, or use machine gun conversion devices. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Operation Take Back America This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).


title: Indiana Man Convicted in Federal Court  of Defrauding Elderly Victims Out of Tens of Thousands of Dollars

body_text: RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Abdul Waheed Mohammed, age 33, of Greenwood, Indiana, of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud following a three-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on October 16, 2025. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Mohammed was indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Wire Fraud by a federal grand jury in November 2024. In September 2023, Mohammed and several co-conspirators, including co-defendant Shalinee Vyas, were involved in a scam targeting elderly victims across the United States and fraudulently taking money from them. The victims were convinced by these scammers that they had committed a crime or had their bank accounts hacked. In September 2023, those working with Mohammed contacted an elderly victim in the Rapid City area and falsely claimed to be law enforcement officers. The victim was told she had been involved in a crime, would be arrested if she did not pay cash and gold to resolve the non-existent criminal matter, and could not speak about the matter to anyone. Over the course of a week, the victim lost more than $100,000 to the scammers when they came to the victim’s home to pick up cash and gold. Afterward, the victim’s friends noticed a change in her behavior that ultimately led to uncovering the scam. The victim notified law enforcement who that another $95,000 in gold was to be picked up by the scammer. Law enforcement then conducted an operation and arrested Mohammed when he arrived at the victim’s home to retrieve the gold. Following Mohammed’s arrest, law enforcement located several messages in his phone from Vyas to Mohammed and others directing Mohammed to various locations throughout the United States to collect cash from elderly victims who were being scammed including the theft of gold in Rapid City. “The investigative efforts of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and its partners, along with the prosecutorial work of the U.S. Attorney's Office, demonstrate the commitment to pursuing, capturing, and prosecuting those who try to defraud the American people," said TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Kelly Moening. This case was investigated Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case. A presentence investigation was ordered and Mohammed’s sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. If you or someone you know is asked to do any of these things mentioned in the above case, you are dealing with a fraudster, and you should do the following immediately: • Do not send any more money • Save copies of your communications, receipts, bank records, etc. • Call your local police department or sheriff’s office, the New York State Police, or the FBI • Submit a complaint online at IC3.gov In addition, an individual employed by the federal government will never: • Tell you to withdraw any of your money from your bank accounts. • Ask you to convert your money to gold bars or some other form of currency. • Come to your house or meet you at a predetermined location and take money from you. • Ask you to wire money to an account. • Ask you to send money via CashApp, Zelle, Apple Pay, or any other peer-to-peer platform. • Ask you to send cryptocurrency. • Ask you to buy gift cards and send them (either by mailing the physical cards or by scratching them off and sending pictures of the redemption information). • Tell you they need remote access to your computer or any of your accounts. • Ask you for your social security number, bank account information, or any other sensitive information over phone or email.


title: Ocean County Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced today. John Mangan, 79, of Lanoka Harbor, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On October 29, 2024, agents with Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, executed a search warrant at Mangan’s residence in Lanoka Harbor and discovered an electronic device containing over 250 images of children being sexually abused. Mangan was previously convicted of sexual offenses involving minors, including: (i) a New Jersey conviction for sexual assault against a minor, for conduct that occurred while Mangan was a school principal; and (ii) a prior federal conviction for possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Mangan to a five-year term of supervised release and to pay restitution to his victims. Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Belgiovine of the Criminal Division in Trenton. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc . ### Defense counsel: Suzanne Axel, Hackensack, New Jersey.


title: Denton County man sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: SHERMAN, Texas – An Aubrey man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. John Prentice Robertson, 65, of Aubrey, pleaded guilty to one count of producing child pornography and was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on October 21, 2025. According to information presented in court, between May 2022 and April 2024, Robertson communicated with adult women in the Philippines over an internet-based social media application. He paid the women to capture images and videos of young children, under the age of 12, engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including oral sex, masturbation, and the graphic display of the children’s genitals. The women then sent the depictions through the social media application or through live-stream transmission. Robertson acknowledged that he transferred more than $8,000 to individuals in the Philippines between 2015 and 2021 through just one money remitting service. 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. This case was investigated by the FBI and the Philippine National Police and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller and Trial Attorney Rachel Rothberg, with the United States Department of Justice, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. ###